Zoning would be new to unincorporated areas of Craven County

Craven County Commissioners will meet with planners July 6 for a work session on zoning possibilities for Township 6 and Township 7.

There is county zoning in place for the Township 7 area around Coastal Carolina Regional Airport but zoning would otherwise be new to unincorporated areas of Craven County.

When Commissioners began looking at zoning there in late 2007, those areas east of New Bern were the fastest growing in the county, said Chad Strawn.

Large residential and multiple-use developments, including Taberna and Carolina Colours, and an assortment of other residential and commercial construction accounted for a surge in building permits and the end looked nowhere in sight.

Building slowed, but did not stop, during the recent economic downturn, perhaps as much because of lack of available space as a lack of interest or financing. Growth there continues.

Commissioners held three public meetings to get a sense of how residents and land owners felt about zoning after Commissioner Steve Tyson, who represents Township 7, said people were asking for some kind of plan for more organized development.

Study by planners has continued for a zoning ordinance proposal commissioners asked for in September 2008.

Planners talked with local property owners, residents and business people, said Don Baumgardner, county planning director. His staff researched ordinances in similar communities in the state including those in Chatham County, Wayne County, Pitt County, Lenoir County, Williamston, Stallings, Oriental and Fuquay-Varina.

Jason Frederick, county planner, told commissioners on Monday the preliminary ordinance began with a focus of "protection of residential property owners from business encroachment, landscaping, outdoor lighting, and off-street parking issues."

Frederick said they took their findings to Holland Consulting in February and narrowed the focus of possible zoning along the U.S. 70 corridor and surrounding area. The preliminary draft cites "protection for residential property owners" as its main objective, and notes that an ordinance addressing "landscaping, outdoor lighting sign regulations and off-street parking would be more appropriate in a city ordinance."

He said they presented a preliminary draft to the Craven County Planning Board in late March. That board met again May 28 and asked the staff to get information from commissioners and schedule a joint work session to look at it more closely.

The proposed ordinance has three districts - residential, commercial, and mixed use - and does not include a mandated lot size. It would limit home businesses to 25 percent of the residence space and require proof of compliance with Department of Transportation regulations for building.

Frederick said modifications to the originally proposed ordinance involve new concepts and techniques and it was "retrofitted to better fit our community and offer greater flexibility while maintaining the spirit of the ordinance in regards to the community."