Commission approves conditional business zoning for Pete Road landscaping site after contentious hearing

The Carteret County Board of Commissioners voted Oct. 20 to approve a subdivision and a conditional business rezoning that will allow a landscaping business and contractor storage yard to operate on a portion of 229 Pete Road (Newport area). The board approved subdividing a 6.157-acre parcel, leaving a southern lot in R-15 and rezoning a 3.556-acre northern lot to B-1 Conditional General Business to allow the specified commercial activity.

Planning staff explained the application and said the parcel is in a “limited transition” land-use classification and is bordered by a mix of single-family homes and industrial/wholesale zoned property. Planning staff told the board the applicant offered specific conditions limiting use to a landscaping business, contractor storage yard and office, and that required buffering will apply where commercial property abuts residential property.

The rezoning produced extensive public comment. Dozens of neighbors, many of whom identified themselves as family members who own contiguous lots, told commissioners they oppose converting the parcel to commercial use because truck traffic, material stockpiles, dust and noise have increased in recent months. Opponents asked the board to deny the rezoning or, if approved, require conditions including an alternate access easement for business traffic, limits on delivery times and truck size, limits on stockpiling materials for resale, and installation of a privacy fence and vegetative buffer.

Dana Tucker, an adjacent property owner, asked the board to deny the request and, if not denied, to impose conditions: a new easement for all business traffic separate from residential access; moving rock and stockpiles away from residences; limits on deliveries (8 a.m.–6 p.m., Monday–Saturday) and truck size (no more than six axles); and a six-foot privacy fence plus a 15-foot vegetative buffer. “If this cannot be met, the rezoning should be denied,” Tucker said.

Applicant Donnie Bryant told the board he established and expanded his family landscaping business over many years and said he did not realize some uses required a conditional zoning permit. “All I wanna do is what I’ve been doing, not no bigger,” Bryant said, asking for the board’s cooperation to preserve his livelihood while complying with requirements.

Some speakers supported Bryant, saying the family historically mixed residential and work uses on the tract and arguing the county already contains nearby commercial/industrial parcels. Planning and county staff noted that approval of the rezoning does not remove site-specific requirements: a site plan must still pass TRC review, the fire marshal will set access and turning-radius standards (often 20-foot travelway and large fire-turn radii), and stormwater and wastewater approvals remain necessary prior to expanded operations.

The board voted to approve the subdivision and rezoning; Commissioner Clark made the motion to approve the subdivision and rezoning and Commissioner Shin seconded. Commissioners also approved the Planning Commission’s statement of plan consistency and reasonableness, which cited a local history of mixed uses and the claim that the change is consistent with surrounding properties.

The approval attaches the applicant-proposed limitation that the rezoned lot be used only for operation of a landscaping business, contractor storage yard to support the landscaping business, and an office to support the landscaping business. The board did not add the other operational limits requested by neighbors (specific delivery windows, truck-axle limits or a guaranteed alternate easement); however, required buffering and site-plan review give county staff avenues to negotiate mitigation through the permitting process.