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The town's Planning Commission voted Wednesday night to approve planning staff recommendations to annex just more than 98 acres of land along May River Road-- property that is now a part of unincorporated Beaufort County. The recommendations will now be sent to town council for final approval.
If the town votes to annex the property, developers will be allowed to build more homes than they could have if the land remained a part of the county.
The owners of the Garvey Hall property, Michael Maloneyand Michael Hahn, requested a zoning allowing them to build one home per acre. The county's zoning designation would have allowed only one home for every three acres.
A spokesman for Maloney, who owns 87 of the 98 acres, and Hahn, who owns the remaining 11, said the two developers intend to put 93 residential lots on the land. Town planner Keia Butts said the town would allow that density only if the builders minimize negative environmental impact by providing continuous open spaces and preserving trees, among other things.
The Planning Commission accepted staff recommendations to zone the property as a "planned unit development," which could allow a range of densities and uses. Because of the property's proximity to the New River, however, some members of the commission expressed concerns about the environmental impact. Decisions on specific plans for development will be made by the Development Review Committee.
The commission did not move forward on a second annexation request -- about 2.5 acres in three parcels on Burnt Church Road.
Although planning staff recommended the properties, owned by Patricia Lee, be annexed and receive "village commercial" zoning, members of the commission voted to continue the discussion after Debbie Clark, aFern Lakes resident, said commercial development of the Burnt Church corridor is creating an unsafe environment for children.
As part of the county, the three properties could be used for many more undesirable purposes than they could as part of the town, commission chairman Donald Blair told her.
"You may be better off with the town's rezoning than you are now," Blair said.
But Clark said she and her neighbors do not want to be surrounded by commercial property -- whether part of the county or the town.
Lee will meet with Clark and other neighbors to discuss intentions for the land before the topic comes back to the Planning Commission.
