The Nags Head Planning Board met Tuesday morning, September 17 to discuss considerations to site plans at Kitty Hawk Sports and Jacob Street Public Beach Access. Board members Mark Ballog and Meade Gwinn were not in attendance.

Michael Zehner, planning and development director, presented the revised site plan for Kitty Hawk Sports. It now includes 38 parking spaces with two bike racks made up of five parking spaces each. The dumpster will be moved to the of parking lot of Kitty Hawk Sports.

The addition of a multi-use path, no less than 8ft. in width, was included in the new site plan. Concerns involving compliance with NCDOT and space for the multi-use path were presented to the board. Megan Lambert, board member, had reservations about the plan if the multi-use path was not included. “If NCDOT doesn’t have the room for the path, adjustments must be made on the development end to incorporate it,” she said.

David Elder, board member, made a motion to approve the revised site plan contingent upon the items noted in the staff report: allowances and modifications need to be made for parking and for access to the dumpster, along with the addition of the multi-use path. The motion was seconded by Mike Reilly and approved by the board.

Zehner proposed a site plan for a grant-funded project to improve the Jacob Street Public Beach Access in South Nags Head. The current right-of-way consists of a pedestrian path. The additions presented by Zehner include additional parking, bike racks, trash facilities, lighting, updated landscaping, storm water infiltration and an access ramp to the top of the dunes with stairs leading down to the beach.

Elder had concerns with emergency accessibility given his experience with other public accesses in South Nags Head. “The drive-overs there now are very tight,” he said. Elder suggested that attention be placed on “reorienting the accessibility to run along the length of the lot rather than back and forth.” This would preserve green space and allow more room for emergency vehicles.

Elder made a motion to approve the site plan for the development of the beach access contingent upon his previous concerns. Reilly amended the motion to be approved with “concerns” rather than contingent on. Elder added a final comment: patrons can see the lifeguard stand from the access. Lambert seconded the motion and it was approved by the board.

The only town update Zehner presented to the board was that he received a sketch for a subdivision that will be brought up at the October meeting. The sketch is for South Ridge Phase 6. It includes the nine acres of land between the Nags Head Post Office and Nags Head Church, which holds approximately 18 lots.

The board discussed the Board of Commissioners meeting that took place Monday morning, Sept. 16. Lambert was “surprised some of the residents seem to lack a concern for affordable housing.” Megan Vaughan, board member, felt there was little recognition from the public that the affordable housing problem is worse now then before. The goal of the board is to encourage people to make public comment because the commissioners do take into consideration what the public has to say.

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