Complaint against Olde Towne farm stand, alleged sign thief identified

BELVILLE, NC (WWAY) –  A week ago we told you some neighbors out in Brunswick County
uncovered video showing a woman stealing dozens of signs advertising a community farm stand.

Now a complaint on the stand has neighbors worried about its future and the welfare of the family running it.

Neighbors found out that their farm stand and Riverwalk Park Farmer’s Market were not allowed to operate under zoning law. They were worried that fact would lead the planning board to terminate the stand at the planning meeting Thursday.

It comes as the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office has identified the alleged sign thief.

The past fall has been rotten for neighbors who support the Olde Towne Community farm stand.

Olde Towne farm stand sign

“I made the Powell’s eight signs when they first started to help them out all eight of my signs were stolen,” said Olde Towne Community Association president Rana LaBrunda.

We showed you last week the video of a woman who apparently has taken dozens of signs advertising the farm stand.

Then neighbors this week had to address a new issue, someone complained about parking related to the stand that serves as the sole source of income for the family that runs it.

“As far as that complaint has gone,” said LaBrunda. “That’s been fixed and adjusted so that now everybody parks within the park and not on the street.”

The complaint reached the Belville Town Planning Board. Neighbors spoke at the meeting hoping to sway town officials to allow it.

“We ask that your discussions on new ordinance language that you find a way to for the continued operation of the Olde Towne Farm Stand,” says neighbor and association member John Clark.

Instead of rewriting zoning law, town planners came up with a temporary solution and asked the stand to apply for a temporary use permit. If approved, the greens get a green light.

“As long as they can stay in business that’s fine,” says association secretary Stephanie Smith. “That’s what we were looking for something that they can say ‘yes they can stay in business as long as they adhere to these rules and regulations’.”

Planners and neighbors think that’s a compromise. It comes as there is a break in the case of the alleged sign thief.

“They have identified the person, they have spoken to the person in fact they have retrieved a sign and returned it to our vice president,” said Smith. “Because she was the one who built one of the signs and hers was the one that she retrieved and they did return it to her. However I am not at liberty to say who the person is yet until they finish their investigation.”

Neighbors tell us no charges have been filed yet in the case. When that changes we will update this story.