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After opening the March 8 Duck Planning Board meeting, board Chair James Cofield deviated briefly from the printed agenda to present fellow board member Tim McKeithan with a certificate of appreciation.

As previously announced, McKeithan resigned effective at the end of the March 8 meeting, which is just short of two months before the end of his current three year term.

In making the presentation, Cofield noted that McKeithan has served regularly since 2012, has always been prepared for meetings and has been an important contributing member of the board.

Duck Town Council is expected to name two new Planning Board members at its April meeting. One will replace McKeithan and another will take the place of Randy Morton, who has also resigned but was not at Wednesday’s meeting.

Returning to the printed agenda, the board next considered an application by Savage Land, LLC for a special use permit to expand the Scarborough Lane Shoppes at 1171 Duck Road by adding an outdoor dining and entertainment area.

Although located within the Village Commercial district, it was pointed out during discussion that the applicant was not seeking any guideline exceptions or waivers.

Constructed prior to the Town of Duck’s incorporation in 1995, more than 30 independent commercial units operate together as a single 30,000 square foot development in four retail buildings sitting on two adjacent properties.

According to community development director Joe Heard, proposed improvements will be at the back of the property and cover about 1,800 square feet, which is a small portion of the four acre site. He went on to say all changes comply with all setback requirements and that parking calculations round up to 171 spaces with 176 already there.

In response to Cofield’s inquiry about any ingress or egress issues, Heard explained that there are three vehicle access points that meet town ordinances and none are to be added.

When Cofield asked if any action is planned to limit noise complaints, David Klebitz, an engineer with the Bissell Professional Group, advised that most of the existing trees and shrubs will be kept in place, which would act as a buffer and that the existing elevation change of 18 feet around the proposed development area would also contain some of the sound.

At the end of discussion, the board gave a 4-0 vote to recommend council approval.

Other business for the evening included approval of a lot coverage definition change in Section 156.002 of the zoning ordinance to permit alternative ground cover materials such as pervious pavers and artificial turf, subject to certification by an engineer or documentation of installation consistent with manufacturer’s specifications and a zoning ordinance change to allow permeable surfaces, such as pervious pavement or artificial turf, to be used as part of coverage calculations provided the property owner provides written certification that the surface material was installed and will be maintained according to manufacturer specifications.

February 8 meeting minutes were also approved and it was noted that there will be a neighborhood stormwater management study open house March 30 at Town Hall from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Anyone interested will be able to talk with town staff and the project team regarding stormwater management project updates, as well as to learn more about potential recommendations.

The next scheduled Planning Board meeting is April 12 at 6:30 p.m.

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