The Nags Head Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on March 1 to consider revisions to the town’s Unified Development Ordinance and a Zoning Map in the town’s Historic Cottage Row area, and review the current moratorium on new construction in the neighborhood.
Last October, commissioners temporarily prohibited all non-residential developments in the C-2, General Commercial Zoning District, from Hollowell Street south to Danube Street, between U.S. 158 and N.C. 12.
The moratorium followed complaints about a pizza shop that opened last summer and an essential housing development that was proposed for the Historic Character Area.
With backing from the Dare County Board of Commissioners, private builder and manager Woda Cooper had proposed a 4.7-acre, 54-unit workforce housing project at the intersection of South Croatan Highway and East Holloway Street, across from Jockey’s Ridge State Park.
Nags Head Pizza Company opened in a building farther down the Beach Road that was approved for use as a restaurant, but drew criticism from several adjacent property owners including former U.S. Senator Richard Burr.
The moratorium was followed by commissioners voting in January to remove multi-family dwellings as a permissible use in the district.
Mayor Ben Cahoon told Coastal Review that the C2 district was the only one in town where multifamily uses were permitted. “I believe we need multi-family housing. But multi-family is now not permitted in the town anywhere. It will take study, a proposed ordinance, and another public hearing to put it back.”
The proposed zoning classification change subject to the March 1 public hearing includes:
- some properties in the C-2, General Commercial district be rezoned to R-3, High Density Residential
- other properties be rezoned from C-2, General Commercial, to a new zoning district, C-5, Historic Character Commercial
“These zoning changes would create consistency with existing land uses and would be compatible with the current intensity of development in this area,” according to the town.
The March 1 meeting will begin at 9 a.m. at 5401 South Croatan Highway in the town’s Board of Commissioners Room. A live stream and arcnived video of the meeting will be available on the town’s Youtube page.
Additional information can be found on the town’s website.
