HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-04-2025 Agenda Review Minutes
Minutes of the New Hanover County Planning Board Agenda Review
February 4, 2025
An agenda review of the New Hanover County Planning Board was held on February 4, 2025, at 3:00
PM in the New Hanover County Government Center, 230 Government Center Dr., Conference Room
137 in Wilmington, North Carolina
Members’ Present
Cameron Moore, Vice Chair
Hansen Matthews
Pete Avery
Clark Hipp
Members Absent
Colin Tarrant, Chair
Kaitlyn Rhonehouse
Kevin Hine
Staff Present
Rebekah Roth, NHC Director of Planning & Land
Use
Karen Richards, Deputy County Attorney
Ken Vafler, NHC Planning Operations Supervisor
Robert Farrell, NHC Development Review Supervisor
Lisa Maes, NHC Administrative Supervisor
Katia Boykin, NHC Housing Supervisor
Ryan Biel, NHC Associate Planner
Zach Dickerson, NHC Senior Planner
Amy Doss, NHC Associate Planner
Katherine May, NHC Associate Planner
Virginia Norris, NHC Long Ranger Planner
Meeting called to order at 3:02 PM
Agenda
Item 1: Text Amendment (TA 25-01)
Mr. Farrell provided an overview of the text amendment request. The Wilmington Moose Lodge has
submitted a text amendment request to add a new accessory use of Recreational
Vehicle (RV)/Travel Trailer Dwelling at a Lodge to the primary use of Lodges, Fraternal & Social
Organizations. The applicant stated a desire to amend the ordinance to flt with a service provided
by the Moose Lodge since the 1980's.
Under the proposed amendment, the RVs would be allowable for private fraternal and benevolent
non-proflt lodges to use their property for overnight dwelling with speciflc standards. Those
applicant-proposed standards were outlined in the staff report.
Mr. Farrell explained this request is tied to a zoning violation, in which the Moose Lodge was cited
for hosting RVs overnight and for storage of RVs on the property. Under current zoning regulations,
this is not permitted on the site. Since that time, the applicant has come into compliance, but they
wished to resume their previous activities legally.
Mr. Farrell added that because changes to the Unifled Development Ordinance affect more than
just one parcel, staff was in the process of researching how the requested language would be
applied to not just the Moose Lodge at 4640 Carolina Beach Road, but other Lodges, Fraternal, and
Social Organization uses throughout the County. Staff is currently studying this use-type and
regulations at similar facilities in other jurisdictions. Staff will compare the requested amendment
to standards in other jurisdictions with similar facilities. Until this research is complete, staff will
not be able to flnalize a recommendation, which may include suggested adjustments to the
applicant's proposal in order to mitigate potential land use concerns. The applicant has been made
aware of the additional work needed and is amenable to continuing the request to accommodate.
The Board had a general discussion around the proposal and the need for additional information.
The conversation centered on the zoning districts (residential) in which these facilities are located,
what development standards would be appropriate to mitigate adverse impacts such as landscape
and buffering requirements, future enforcement of such use and standards and if the use is
appropriate at all. Additional discussion was had on required infrastructure for these use types, to
include water, sewer and electrical hook-ups.
Item 2: Rezoning Request (Z25-01)
Ms. Doss discussed the applicant is requesting to rezone approximately 1.97 acres at 6312 Castle
Hayne Rd. from a R-15, Residential District to a (CZD) CS, Community Services District, for a
landscape contractor office, retail nursery, wholesale nursery, and live / work caretaker unit. The
plan includes converting an existing home into an office with a caretaker unit, repurposing a barn
for storage and retail, and providing designated areas for parking, outdoor storage, and a nursery.
The site will have a one-way traffic fiow with separate ingress and egress to Castle Hayne Road.
Ms. Doss and Mr. Vafler informed the board that the rezoning request was a result of a zoning
complaint received by the county. The applicant’s rezoning request is an attempt to rectify this
violation and allow them to continue and expand the existing operations at the site and provide for
an expansion of the commercial aspects of the property and incorporate the residential
component.
The Board proceeded to discuss the impact of the rezoning request on the property and its
surrounds. The discussion centered around noise impacts on the surrounding properties, primarily
from trucks and equipment equipped with back up alarms and the hours of operation. Discussion
was also had on how the residential component would operate, what it entailed and its impacts on
the reasoning of the requested zoning classiflcation.
Item 3: Development Regulation Updates
Mr. Farrell introduced to the Board some development regulation and procedure updates that will
were proposed as a result of State legislative actions. The flrst of these changes will impact the
time frame in which comments are provided to a request to release a bond or potion thereof. This
change will specify this must be done within 30 days of the request.
Further discussion was had on the maximum square footage allowable for Accessory Dwelling
Units. Mr. Farrell indicated that the current staff proposal would keep the maximum unit size at
1,200 sq. ft. The board requested additional information on this issue, speciflcally information on
the City of Wilmington’s regulations.
Mr. Farrell stated to the board that changes will also be made to the county’s sign regulations.
These changes would impact non-conforming signs by allowing them to be reconstructed or
removed in like kind.
Item 4: Destination 2050 Project Update
Ms. Boykin provided a comprehensive update on the Destination 2050 project, highlighting key
components such as an upcoming public information meeting and the current status of data
collection. It was discussed that plan consultants had recently met with stakeholders regarding
housing strategy. Over the next couple of months the Technical Advisory Committee, other
Stakeholders County Departments would be providing information to formulate proposed goals and
objectives of the plan. A joint meeting would occur between the Planning Board and
Commissioners with the intended outcome to be flnalizing the goals and objectives.
Updates:
• The joint work session was scheduled for May 1st, from 2:30 to 4:00 PM at 230 Government
Center Drive, Wilmington, NC.
• Status of Sledge Forest/Hilton Bluffs was discussed.
• In response to Commissioner concerns, direction had been given for staff to move forward
with a UDO amendment to modify the process for approval of additional development
allowances so that they would not require a quasi-judicial special use permit but instead
would require a conditional rezoning.
Meeting adjourned at 4:45 PM