Duck Planning Board members approved two conditional use permit requests and held a brief discussion on setting maximum residential building sizes at their March 14 meeting.

Presenting information on the first conditional use permit request, Community Development Director Joe Heard explained that expansion plans for the Sanderling Inn call for adding 11 new hotel rooms, a new fitness center, some parking improvements along with adding a patio, decking, and walkways for those areas.

According to Heard the work planned is an amendment to existing projects for the Sanderling Resort and Spa which consists of three separate parcels of land on both sides of 1461 and 1574 Duck Road.

On the east side of Duck Road, plans call for converting existing storage areas and a second floor guest room in the Event House into additional conference space and adding a third floor with six guest rooms for a net gain of five new rooms. Then the Beach House in the main part of the inn would be expanded to include four new guest rooms.

There would also be a covered walkway on the first floor of the South Inn and seven new parking spaces.

On the spa property at 1574 Duck Road a new, 1,966 square foot, single-story fitness center would be constructed on the northern side of the property with connecting walkways and decking to an existing pool and spa building.

After assurances that all setback and height requirements would be met, there was a concern from the Board over the addition of a third floor to the event house or possible construction of a new structure.

Christopher Nason, an architect for the project, explained that if the existing structure could be used a third floor would be added, but there may be some piling and floor load issues and if those proved to be inadequate it would require a new building within the same footprint as the existing one.

Another Board concern was resolved by a requirement that parking at the new fitness center be limited to hotel guests only and not be available to the general public.

The second conditional use permit request, to establish a kayak and stand-up paddleboard rental and launching facility in the Waterfront Shops, at 1240 Duck Road, received a quicker approval.

As explained by Heard, the owner has sold package tours for events at other sites, the request before the Board is to establish two 100 square foot areas underneath existing boardwalk, decking, and building for kayaks and paddleboard storage with launching into the water at an existing water access landing on Currituck Sound not far from the rental building.

“This looks pretty simple,” said Planning Board chair Joe Blakaitis just prior to the vote of approval.

Also discussed, with no action taken, was possible action on setting maximum residential building sizes.

A number of ideas had been discussed at a February Retreat, and members presented a few additional thoughts for Heard to consider in order to prepare a more detailed presentation for the next Planning Board meeting on April 11.