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Development services director Kevin Kemp presented to the Currituck Board of Commissioners a rezoning request for four parcels totaling 3.55 acres at the intersection of Walnut Island Boulevard and Caratoke Highway in Grandy. Three parcels are General Business and one is Single Family Mainland; the proposal is for a rezoning of Conditional-General Business for the purpose of building a 5,280 sq. ft. Royal Farms convenience store and gas station.

There are approximately 250 Royal Farms locations throughout Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland and, according the applicant’s lawyer Clinton Cogburn, “they’re very excited for this site, which will hopefully with your approval be the first site for Royal Farms in North Carolina. They’re looking to expand into North Carolina, they are hoping to develop a number of sites in the state but this is the launching point for what they foresee being a successful venture in the state of North Carolina.”

The site was previously a 7-Eleven but is now a retail sales store. The rezoning request was approved, 5-0. After the vote, board Vice Chair Paul Beaumont said to those representing the applicant, “Let me be the first to say welcome to North Carolina, and if you had to pick a place to start, we were the first county, we deserve to be the first with the Royal Farms . . . welcome to our neighborhood.”

Kemp again introduced a text amendment proposed to bring consistency to the approval process required when seeking potential sites or major renovations for elementary and middle schools in the county in areas that are zoned agricultural or single-family. According to the agenda summary, “By expanding the zoning districts in which these schools are permitted without the special use permit process, the number of sites that the School Board may be able to consider will expand.” The motion passed unanimously.

During commissioner reports, as it is a time for new year’s resolutions, commissioner Selina Jarvis said “I encourage you to be selfless, resolve to help children, resolve to help the elderly, and those people that cannot help themselves. Resolve to make our community better in 2022 . . . resolve to make Currituck County a better place to live.”

In several items of new business, commissioners moved quickly to approve the maximum price for the Moyock Middle School addition and renovation project in the amount of $7,163,039, followed by an approval of phase 2 of the dune walk-over design with an alternate option to include showers. The median bid is $704,450, with an additional $67,900 for showers, with the bid awarded to WM Dunn of Powell’s Point. Lastly, commissioners approved an easement agreement between the county and Eric B. Kean for an easement extending from Lot 17 Corolla Bay across Currituck County property to the Currituck Sound.

Commissioners also recognized a moment of silence for the loss of a 20-year county employee, Crawford Fire Chief Ryland Lee Poyner and for the loss of Veteran Advisory Board member Aaron Sterling.

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