HomeMy WebLinkAboutS25-06 Planning Board Staff SummaryS25-06 Staff Summary – Planning Board 11-6-2025 Page 1 of 10
STAFF SUMMARY FOR S25-06
SPECIAL USE PERMIT APPLICATION
APPLICATION SUMMARY
Case Number: S25-06
Requests:
I-1 zoning district requires Special Use Permit for permitted use of Other Fabricated Metal
Product Manufacturing.
Applicant: Property Owner(s):
Standard Technologies H Philip Berman Jr., Jim and Marsella Teachey
Location: Acreage:
4901 Las Tortugas Drive 34.7
PID(s): Comp Plan Place Type:
R01100-008-033-000, R01100-008-012-000 General Residential
Existing Land Use: Proposed Land Uses:
Vacant land/Undeveloped Other Fabricated Metal Product
Manufacturing
Current Zoning:
I-1, Light Industrial
SURROUNDING AREA
LAND USE ZONING
North FAA VORTAC air navigation facility I-1
East Single-Family Residential, and Residential Multi Family-Low
Density; the undeveloped Oasis Residential Development R-15 and (CZD) RMF-L
South NCDOT Division 3 Offices and Maintenance Yard B-2
West
Commercial flex space including Halifax Linen, Cintas
Uniform Services, Rex and Sons RV, and Infinity Payment
Systems.
B-2
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ZONING HISTORY
July 7, 1972 Initially zoned I-2 (Area 8A)
August 5, 1996 Rezoned to I-1 (Z-571)
COMMUNITY SERVICES
Water/Sewer Public water and sewer available through CFPUA by way of mainline
extension.
Fire Protection New Hanover County Fire Services, New Hanover County Northern Fire
District, Station 13 Castle Hayne.
Recreation Riverside Park and Northern Regional
CONSERVATION, HISTORIC, & ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES
Conservation
The conservation resource map indicates pocosin wetlands on the property;
however, they are not underlaid with Class IV soils. Pocosin wetlands require
Class IV soils to trigger additional development standards.
Historic No known historic resources
Archaeological No known archaeological resources
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APPLICANT’S PROPOSED PLANS
Site Plan with Staff Markup
• The project proposes a one-story, 85,000 square foot industrial building for the use of Other
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing. The North American Industry Classification System
(NAICS code 3329) describes the use as those “primarily engaged in manufacturing fabricated
metal products (except forgings and stampings, cutlery and hand tools, architectural and
structural metals, boilers, tanks, shipping containers, hardware, spring and wire products,
machine shop products, turned products, screws and nuts and bolts).”
• The company is specifically seeking to perform laser, metal fabrication, welding, and powder
coating surfaces at this location.
• The proposed building is in the southwest corner of the site oriented near the DOT facilities
and away from adjacent residentially zoned parcels to the east , and as far from the VORTAC
facility as possible.
• Two stormwater management facilities are proposed, one in front of the building to the west,
and another to the south.
• A circular drive is shown around the building with parking on three sides and with loading
bays on the northern portion of the building.
N
Stormwater
85,000 square foot
single story warehouse
Las Tortugas Drive
Truck Loading Area
Parking
Stormwater
Parking
S25-06 Staff Summary – Planning Board 11-6-2025 Page 4 of 10
ZONING CONSIDERATIONS
• Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing is permitted in the I-1 district with the approval
of a Special Use Permit. The ordinance does not prescribe any additional use specific
standards for Other Fabricated Product Manufacturing.
• While industrial in nature, the proposed use is not classified as an Intensive Industry in the
UDO, and no community information meeting was required for this application.
• The property is bordered by R-15 and (CZD) RMF-L zoning to the East, B-2 zoning to the South
and West, and I-1 zoning to the North where the FAA VORTAC facility is located.
• The project is required to provide 1.5 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of building, as
dictated by Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing found in Table 5.1.2.A in the Unified
Development Ordinance. The building measures 85,000 square feet, requiring 128 parking
spots. The plan shows 130 parking spaces, exceeding the number of required spaces.
However, if the special use permit application is approved, the applicant could reduce the
overall parking with a Parking Demand Study submitted during the Technical Review
Committee (TRC) review process. Parking Demand Studies must be performed by an engineer
to demonstrate data as to why the use does not require the level of parking specified by the
ordinance.
• Per Section 10.3.5.C.3 from the UDO, the applicant requested a preliminary Technical Review
Committee review to get feedback from the various agencies that review site plans during the
TRC process. Minor comments were provided but none indicated that any ordinance
provisions were not met by the proposed concept plan.
• If approved, the project would be subject to the Technical Review Committee and Zoning
Compliance review processes to ensure full compliance with all ordinance requirements and
specific conditions included in the approval. Only minor deviations from the approved
conceptual plan, as defined by the UDO, would be allowed.
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AREA DEVELOPMENT
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TRANSPORTATION
CURRENT CONDITIONS
Intensity of Current Zoning Typical development under current zoning allows for a
variety of industrial uses.
PROPOSED ACCESS
Primary Access Left-in, Right-out access onto Barbados Boulevard from
Las Tortugas Drive
EXISTING ROADWAY CHARACTERISTICS
Affected Roadways Holly Shelter Road Las Tortugas
Drive
Barbados
Boulevard
Type of Roadway Major collector Local street Local street
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Roadway Planning Capacity (AADT) 13,894 N/A N/A
Latest Traffic Volume (AADT)- 2023 5900 N/A N/A
Latest WMPO Point-in-Time Count (DT) 632 N/A N/A
Current Level of Congestion Available Capacity N/A N/A
Sources
Source of Planning Capacity: WMPO
Source of Latest Traffic Volume: 2023
Source of WMPO Point-in-Time Count: Holly Shelter Road:
East of I-40
THERE ARE NO NEARBY NCDOT STIP ROADWAY PROJECTS
TRAFFIC GENERATION
Traffic
Generation by
Present
Designation*
Traffic Generated
by Proposed
Project**
Potential Impact
of Proposed
Project
AM Peak Hour Trips 222 61 -161
PM Peak Hour Trips 195 56 -139
Assumptions *300,000 square feet of General Light Industrial
**Proposed Development – 85,000 square foot warehouse
Sources
Source of Trip Generation: ITE Trip Generation Manual, 11th
ed
TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS (TIA)
The site’s projected traffic does not exceed the 100 peak-hour trips that triggers the ordinance
requirement for a Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA).
SUMMARY
This project is in the vicinity of Holly Shelter Road, a primarily commercial corridor and the I-40
interchange. The site has access onto Barbados Boulevard through existing commercial development
and does not have direct access through any existing residential areas. While not operational at this
time, DOT has recently installed new traffic signals on Holly Shelter Road from the I-40 access ramps
which are intended to address traffic access and movement at the interchange. While below the
threshold for a TIA, the site is adjacent to the NCDOT offices and will require review through DOT’s
driveway permit process.
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ENVIRONMENTAL
• The property is not within a Natural Heritage Area or the Special Flood Hazard Area.
• The property is within the Holly Shelter Creek watershed.
• Per the Classification of Soils in New Hanover County for Septic Tank Suitability, soils on the
property consist of Class III (Severe Limitation) soils; however, the project is expected to be
served by CFPUA water and sewer if developed.
• The conservation resource map indicates pocosin wetlands cover on the property however
they are not underlaid with Class IV soils which triggers additional development standards.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Context and Compatibility
• The parcel is an undeveloped industrially zoned parcel located between existing commercial
and light industrial uses to the west and a mix of low to moderate density residentially zoned
parcels to the east.
• The site is accessed from the west through the existing commercial development, and the
project orients the proposed use near the DOT maintenance yard and away from residentially
zoned parcels and the adjacent FAA air navigation facility.
• The Holly Shelter Road corridor to the north is a commercial and industrial corridor with recent
local and state infrastructure projects to support future growth, including the water and sewer
main extensions on Holly Shelter Road and new traffic signals at the I-40 interchange.
• Given the access, existing zoning, and proximity to existing commercial uses, the site is less
likely to be developed residentially.
2016 COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN
The New Hanover County Future Land Use Map provides a general representation of the vision for
New Hanover County’s future land use, as designated by place types describing the character and
function of the different types of development that make up the c ommunity. These place types are
intended to identify general areas for particular development patterns and should not be interpreted
as being parcel specific.
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Future Land Use
Map Place Type General Residential
Place Type
Description
General Residential: Focuses on lower-density housing and associated civic
and commercial services. Typically, housing is single -family or duplexes.
Commercial uses should be limited to strategically located office and retail
spaces, while recreation and school facilities are encouraged throughout.
Types of uses include single-family residential, low-density multi-family
residential, light commercial, civic, and recreational.
Analysis
While the parcel is designated as General Residential, it is also an
undeveloped industrially zoned property located between existing
commercial and light industrial uses to the west and a mix of low to moderate
density residentially zoned parcels to the east. Given the access, existing
zoning, and proximity to existing commercial uses, the site is less likely to be
developed residentially
The site is also adjacent to the Employment Center place type which serves as
an employment and production hub where office and light industrial uses
predominate. It can also include residential, civic, and recreational uses, but
should be clearly delineated from rural and conservation areas.
Because of the general nature of place type borders, sites located in
proximity to the boundaries between place types could be appropriately
developed with either place type, allowing site-specific features and evolving
development patterns in the surrounding area to be considered.
Proposed Conditions
There are no applicant proposed conditions at this time.
PRELIMINARY FORUM
The Planning Board does not make a decision or recommendation on special use permits. The
board is requested to hear the presentation of staff, the applicant, and the public to facilitate an
open and transparent discussion of the special use permit application. Questions and comments
related to the following topics are encouraged:
• Components of the proposal that are not clear or where additional information is needed to
understand the project,
• Advice to the applicant on the presentation they will be giving to the Board of
Commissioners,
• Advice to the parties speaking in opposition on what they may want to consider when
preparing for the Board of Commissioners meeting, and
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• Advice to both parties on potential issues that should be addressed before the public
hearing.
Following the Preliminary Forum the special use permit will be scheduled for the October 6 Board of
Commissioners meeting for a quasi-judicial hearing. There are four principal conclusions the Board
of Commissioners must make when considering a special use permit request based on clear,
substantial evidence presented at the hearing.
• Conclusion 1: The Board must find that the use will not materially endanger the public
health or safety where proposed and developed according to the plan as submitted and
approved.
• Conclusion 2: The Board must find that the use meets all required conditions and
specifications of the Unified Development Ordinance.
• Conclusion 3: The Board must find that the use will not substantially injure the value of
adjoining or abutting property or that the use is a public necessity.
• Conclusion 4: The Board must find that the location and character of the use if developed
according to the plan as submitted and approved will be in harmony with the area in which it
is to be located and in general conformity with the Comprehensive Land Use Plan for Ne w
Hanover County.