• By Todd Luck
• Posted Monday, June 17, 2019

Meeting Room Renamed for Former Planning Board Chair Arnold King

The meeting room for the City-County Planning Board now bears the name of the board’s former chair, Arnold King.

A dedication ceremony was held on June 13 for the Arnold G. King Public Meeting Room in the Stuart Municipal Building. The renaming was approved by the Winston-Salem City Council to honor King’s long service.

King served on the Planning Board for 19 years, from February 2000 until he stepped down in April 2019. He served as the board chair for 16 years. He is the longest serving member of the board and the second longest serving chair.

He had a perfect attendance record, attending 420 public hearings and work sessions without missing a single meeting. He’s been a part of more than 1,500 zoning cases, 229 Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) amendments and over 800 combined preliminary subdivisions and Planning Board Review site plans.

The dedication included remarks by City Council Member John Larson, planning board members and King’s family. Six Forsyth County commissioners spoke about King’s service to the community.

“You couldn’t have had a better fellow, willing to come rain or shine, sleet or snow, and do what he has to do.” said County Commissioner Chair Dave Plyler.

County Commissioner Vice-Chair Don Martin said he knew King, not just from the Planning Board, but from his dedication to education. King, who is a charter member of the Kernersville Rotary Club, helped start numerous programs to benefit students.

“He is a first class person all the way around,” said Martin. “Nothing’s more fitting to honor him than to name this room after him.”

Commissioner Richard Linville, who was first elected in 1980, also had high praise for King.

“I’ve been on the Board of Commissioners awhile and we’ve appointed a lot of planning board members,” said Linville. “Arnold King is one of the most dedicated.”

Commissioner Fleming El-Amin said volunteerism like King’s is to be admired.

“To name this room after Mr. King solidifies what democracy is all about,” said El-Amin. “He gave hours and hours and hours in this room,” said El-Amin. “He’s really what you’d call an ideal American citizen.”

Commissioner Gloria Whisenhunt said he would be missed at the Planning Board.

Commissioner Tonya McDaniel thanked his family for the support they gave him as he spent so many hours devoted to the work of the Planning Board.

“I appreciate the hard work he’s done,” McDaniel said.

King was unable to attend the dedication, but in written remarks said it has been an honor and pleasure to serve on the board, and he was humbled and grateful to have his name now grace the room he served in for so many years.

For more pics from the event, click here.