On Dec. 16, Dare County Board of Commissioners will conduct a public hearing on a request to allow commercial storage yards as a permitted use in the Highway 345 zoning district.

The zoning request was submitted by Dare Pitts LLC, which owns a parcel abutting Highway 345. The site was previously used for temporary construction offices and storage for contractors building the new Oregon Inlet Bridge.

The hearing is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

Noah Gilliam, the county’s assistant planning director, reports that Highway 345 zoning district applies to the southern portion of Roanoke Island. The district features a mix of residential and commercial areas with broad range of services. “Any text amendment to the Hwy 345 zoning district will apply to all lands zoned Hwy 345,” writes Gilliam.

A commercial storage yard, as defined by the Dare County Zoning Ordinance, is an open site providing “space for a fee for the storage of boats and boat trailers; recreational vehicles, travel trailers, and campers; automobiles; utility trailers; contractors’ towable storage trailers, and similar types of vehicles and equipment.”

The existing permitted uses in the zone “already allow for such uses that are more intensive,” like boat yards and travel trailer parks, states Gilliam.

At its Dec. 2 meeting, the board formally adopted the 2020 Schedules, Standards and rules for Real Property Appraisal.

The board approved the Construction Manager at Risk contract with A.R. Chesson Construction Co., Inc. from Williamston for the capital project at the Health and Human Services complex in Manteo. The renovation project is budgeted to cost $568,825. The architectural firm is Oakley Collier Architects, PA, Roanoke Rapids.

On the Dec. 2 Consent Agenda, the board took the following actions:

– Approved a budget amendment for the Avon and Southern Shores feasibility and pre-construction costs for potential beach nourishment projects. Appropriated fund balance from the Beach Nourishment Fund totaled $500,000 representing $250,000 for each area. Finance director David Clawson writes “The results of the beach nourishment model for fiscal year 2019 were $560,000 better than projected, therefore there will be no effect on projections for future years.”

– Approved accepting $138,459 from NCDOT as reimbursement for moving a waterline for a Kitty Hawk Road project. A portion of the reimbursement will be used for relocating another line in the same location.

– Approved a three-year contract renewal with Worxtime, which handles the Affordable Care Act reporting required by the federal government. The Affordable Care Act requires Dare County to show proof of insurance per employee per month. Worxtime organizes the information for distribution to the IRS and all employees. Worxtime also keeps tract of employee benefit eligibility per specific measurement periods. The contract is budget neutral as the cost covered by Mark III, writes Elizabeth Reilly, human resources director.

– Eight years ago, Dare’s commissioners adopted a resolution requesting that Sherwood Drive in Nottingham Phase II to be added to the NCDOT-maintained road system. NCDOT now indicates Sherwood Drive became eligible in 2019 for addition and has requested any resolution over one year old be resubmitted. Dare commissioners re-approved the resolution and granted county manager Robert L. Outten permission to update road request resolutions over one year old.

The commissioners made the following appointments to:

– Board of Equalization and Review: Nelson V. “Skip” Jones, Jonathan Waddill, Jeffrey Scott, Terry Gore and Charles Evans;

– Special Motor Vehicle Valuation Review Board: Danny Couch, Dock Sawyer and David Light.

During public comment, Jesse Davis of Manteo advocated building a mountain bike trail in Dare County. The trails are a recreation amenity and don’t necessarily go anywhere, said Davis. Such trails are usually built in wooded areas and are two to four miles long. To reach Davis, email jrd.art@gmail.com or call 252-305-7865.

Shannon Brooks, Dare County Cooperative Extension director, thanked the commissioners for the two new vans provided for the program. “It means the world to us.”

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