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At its January meeting, Dare County’s Planning Board addressed three development proposals and readied a camping cabin recommendation for the county’s Board of Commissioners.

The board reviewed and approved at five-lot subdivision with frontage on D. Victor Meekins Rd. on Roanoke Island. The West Side Subdivision is platted on 4.02 acres zoned R-1 Residential. The five lots range in size from the smallest at 30,545 square feet to the largest at 41,728 square feet, well over the required 15,000 square feet.

A dumpster site was shown on the preliminary plat, but Dare County’s planning director Donna Creef recommended eliminating the easement and dumpster site. “The likelihood of Dare County discontinuing door-to-door solid waste service is extremely low.”

Payne Estates Subdivision features seven lots accessed from a new road leading to Payne Road on Roanoke Island. The application lacks a stormwater management permit from the state. A fire hydrant is required within the subdivision.

Preliminary approval was granted subject to a state stormwater management permit and changes to be made on the plat document. No land disturbance is permitted until the stormwater permit is received.

Maritime Ridge Cluster Home Group Development was recommended for approval by the Dare County Board of Commissioners.

Christopher Clark and Kathryn Clark are the owners of the 7.85 acre-site at 50636 NC 12 in Frisco and propose to build four 900 square-foot, two-bedroom structures. An existing asphalt drive will be used for access. The draft Conditional Use Permit was changed to read 36 months to obtain building permits for the structures.

On October 19, 2020, the Dare County Board of Commissioners adopted a new ordinance for travel trailer parks and campgrounds, adding definitions and regulations for camping cabins or alternative camping units in travel trailer parks.

The ordinance passed with the recommendation of the Planning Board, however, the commissioners asked the board to study the percentage of camping cabins and travel trailer spaces. Under the current rule, “a minimum of 50% of all camping spaces shall be designated and used as travel trailer spaces.”

Dare’s commissioners have the option to leave the ordinance unchanged.

The planning board is presenting the following language as an addition: “or; the total number of camping cabins and alternative camping units shall be limited to a density of 14 units per acre with the remaining sites, if utilized, devoted to travel trailer camping sites.”

The effect of the additional language is to reduce density, as the percentage of camping cabins goes up the overall density declines.

Example of Ratio-Density Calculation based on a 10-acre site:

Ratio of Cabins/ACU	Travel Trailers	Cabins/Alternative Units	Total
50%	140	140	280 camping sites
60%	93	140	233 camping sites
70%	60	140	200 camping sites
80%	35	140	175 camping sites
90%	16	140	156 camping sites
100%	0	140	140 camping sites

In the recommendation to the commissioners, the Planning Board affirms the calculation for lot coverage, which excludes wetlands. The ordinance as written permits unpaved roadways and 60% lot coverage which balances out the wetlands restriction.

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