The Dare County Planning Board met Monday night, Oct. 14 at the Dare County Board of Commissioners Meeting Room in Manteo. Board members Terry Gore II and Beth Midgett were not in attendance.

The first item of discussion was a sketch review for the Georgia Rhodes Subdivision located off Lighthouse Road in Hatteras. David Dickson from Hatteras came up to answer questions from the board regarding the subdivision. Dickson is proposing construction of a new road with a 30 ft. right-of-way and 20 feet of pavement.

Michael Barr, board member, made note that a water management plan is needed to move this plan toward a preliminary plat. David Hines, board member, suggested that Dickson obtain a road maintenance agreement.

Donna Creef, planning director, recommended house, wastewater and parking improvements be made on the preliminary plat to be brought back to the board at a later date. Dickson made note of the suggestions and will work on a preliminary plat for the Georgia Rhodes Subdivision.

Th next item of discussion brought to the board was a preliminary plat review for a two-lot subdivision in Buxton. The lot is owned by William and Sarah Barley and sits off Daniel Lane.

During discussion, Creef suggested “drainage easements be established along all lot lines.” Also, she made note that the surveyor of the property needs to identify who the adjoining property owners are and what the use of the property is across the street from the Barley lot.

Hines pointed out the conflict of ownership that was mentioned on the plat. William Barley’s response was that the neighbor had claimed he, too, owned the property off Daniel Lane that is under review.

Barr made a motion to approve the proposed division with the following correction/additions: setbacks on the property need to be shown on the revised plat, adjoining property owners on the east side of Daniel Lane need to be identified and shown the plat, references need to be made to establish the road as private, and notes that the maintenance of Daniel Lane is the responsibility of all property owners that use it. Hines seconded the motion and it was unanimously approved.

Ray Meekins brought to the board two proposed preliminary plat reviews: one for a two-lot subdivision on the Osborne Hester property and another for a two-lot subdivision on the Pat Fearing property. Both are located on Roanoke Island.

The Hester property has an existing 30 ft. easement and already grants access to the back through a gravel pathway. The proposed plat is to subdivide one lot from the overall parcel. The board had little concern with the preliminary plat.

After reviewing the proposal, the board recommended that instead of making specific reference to the North Carolina Fire Code, there should be a broader and all-encompassing reference. Buddy Shelton, board member, made a motion to approve the proposed plat subject to adding one “catch-all” phrase that references the fire code. David Overton, board member, made a second to the motion and all were in favor.

Meekins then addressed the Fearing property. He explained the reasoning for the subdivision is to create a lot for Fearing’s caretaker. There is an existing easement, owned by Fearing’s son, to be extended to 20 ft. in width in the proposal.

Barr suggested increasing the width of the easement to more than 20 ft., being that the easement language as it is written does not set a limit on width. Meekins agreed to discuss the matter with the easement owner.

Shelton made a motion to approve the proposed plat subject to adding language that will secure a building permit. Barr made a second to the motion; the motion carried unanimously.

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