NASHVILLE, N.C. — Nash County commissioners on Aug. 11 approved a waiver to the Unified Development Ordinance that permits a private subdivision road longer than the county’s 1,200‑foot maximum, contingent on the developer paving the first 150 feet of the entrance.

The proposed Taylor Store Road Subdivision is a 20.98‑acre parcel in the A‑1 agricultural district in the county’s northwest corner. The developer proposed 10 residential lots served by a single private road that, because of the parcel’s narrow front and environmental constraints, must be about 1,608 feet long to reach developable land beyond wetlands, riparian buffers and steep slopes.

Planning staff and the Technical Review Committee flagged the issue and recommended approval of a waiver under the UDO when special circumstances create an unusual physical hardship. The Planning Board unanimously recommended the waiver, noting the physical shape of the parcel and the preclusion of a stub street solution because the road is private and intended to be maintained by lot owners.

Engineer Ethan Averitt of Stocks Engineering explained the site’s constraints, saying the first roughly 525 feet were “unsuitable for residential development” due to a stream crossing and steep slopes. The county sought conditions to balance access and long‑term maintenance concerns. The property owner’s representative agreed to discuss paving the entrance and, during the meeting, offered a commitment to pave between 125 and 150 feet; the board adopted the higher 150‑foot pavement condition before approving the waiver.

Commissioner discussion focused on emergency access and long‑term maintenance. Commissioners acknowledged the board’s 1,200‑foot standard aims to limit private roads’ length for public‑safety and maintenance reasons, and several members said they wanted staff to return in a future Unified Development Ordinance update to consider how private roads should be handled.

Why it matters: The waiver allows a 10‑lot private subdivision to proceed on a constrained parcel while reducing immediate emergency‑access concerns by requiring a paved entrance section. It also highlights tension between private‑road development and county goals for public maintenance and safety.

What’s next: The developer will provide a recorded homeowners association agreement to maintain the private road; the county will inspect road design and require compliance with other UDO standards. Commissioners asked staff to review private‑road standards as part of an ongoing UDO rewrite.