THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 29, 1997 TAG: 9701290521
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY CATHERINE KOZAK, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: KILL DEVIL HILLS LENGTH: 82 lines
Heritage, growth and property rights have apparently been woven into a zoning map acceptable to both Colington Island residents and county planners.
``I feel we have a pretty good consensus of support,'' Planning Board Chairman Elmer Midgett told residents at Monday night's hearing on a draft map for Colington. ``But we've got some fine tuning to do.''
As he has told Colington residents attending each of the previous four input sessions, Midgett said the Dare County Board of Commissioners will not approve a zoning plan unless there is agreement in a community.
Since August, independent planning consultant Glenn Harbeck has tried to convince skeptical residents that zoning could protect their interests. Most of Colington Island is part of unincorporated Dare County and is zoned S-1, which permits almost any development.
A divergent group of native families, newcomers and established businesspeople worked together to address the individualized needs of this growing community. With only two-lane Colington Road leading in and out of the island, many of its 4,500 residents expressed fears that uncontrolled development could hinder traffic flow and destroy the quaint charm of the fishing and crabbing community. Others equally feared government restrictions on their rights to build and develop their property as they choose.
But planners repeatedly reassured residents that a zoning plan could be tailor-made to their desires, incorporating existing neighborhoods, crab shedders, fish houses and other businesses.
``I think you should be commended for the work you have have done,'' resident Dorothy Beasley told planners. ``Probably 99 percent of the people will be satisfied with the map you've done now.''
Several others in the filled meeting room also lauded the board for the care they took in the process. Others remained unconvinced that the draft map tacked up on the wall would be able to achieve a fair balance between preservation and development.
``I get a bad feeling . . . like I'm being blown off,'' said Baum Bay Harbor resident Joe Alleva after the meeting.
Alleva, one of numerous speakers at the hearing who oppose more townhouses being built in Baum Bay Harbor, said residents want the suggested R-1A zoning in the area to exclude new multi-family dwellings. He said the neighbors are concerned that the possibility of subsidized rental housing in the residential neighborhood could create a negative impact.
``Our neighborhood is 25 years old,'' Alleva said. ``This is a lot more than a little adjustment - this is a serious sticking point.''
Baum Bay Harbor residents recently opposed proposed construction of 44 units in the Pirates Moor subdivision located in the neighborhood. The affordable housing project fell through when the Kentucky developer failed to qualify for tax credits.
The new owner of the property, Ed Moore, told planners he is concerned that the proposed zoning would prevent him from building townhouses. He also said he hopes a new map would not prevent him from operating a contact lens business for himself and a horseback riding enterprise for his wife at other Colington locations.
Besides a 40-acre parcel near Pirates Moor, Moore also owns land behind the Baum Cemetary and in Swan View Shores. He said he is in the process of relocating from Portsmouth, Va., and Kansas City, Mo.
``I respectfully ask that you don't mess my plans up,'' he said. ``I've been trying to get here for two years. I've already spent a half-million dollars.''
Even with the divergent viewpoints about the townhouses, Planning Department Director Ray Sturza said he believes a middle ground can be found.
``I haven't heard anything tonight that can't be tweaked and turned here and there,'' he said, adding that the intense animosity he has witnessed during zoning processes in other communities has not surfaced in Colington.
Planners created four new zoning districts for Colington: R2-B, which would include crab shedding as a permitted use; VC-2, which is the existing village-commercial district except it permits crab shedding and forbids fast-food restaurants; R-1A, which includes crab shedding in conjunction with residential uses and permits low-density townhouses; and CS, a commercial district that is oriented toward service land use, but does not allow restaurants, hotels, or outdoor amusements.
The planning board is expected to have a recommendation ready to present to the commissioners by April. If the planners recommend adoption of the map and the commission approves it, a public hearing will be scheduled before final approval.
In the meantime, planners said they will accept written comments on the proposal until Feb. 10.
``Hopefully, we'll come out with something that will make as many people as possible happy and be good for the county and good for you,'' Midgett said.