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Pitt County approves conditional rezoning for 33.4-acre sand mine off NC 33 after neighbor consultation
Summary
HSP Investments LLC won approval to rezone 33.4 acres to a Rural Agricultural Conditional District for a sand mining operation, subject to buffers, state mining permits and routing truck traffic through existing mine access to reduce impacts on residents.
The Pitt County Board of Commissioners approved a conditional rezoning Aug. 18 for HSP Investments LLC to operate a sand mine on approximately 33.4 acres north of NC 33 East on Alvin Road.
Planning staff presented the request and said the county’s Envision Pitt County 2045 future land-use map designates the area as open space/conservation; staff found the conditional rezoning reasonable because the area has limited adjacent residential development and two active sand mines nearby. The planning board had unanimously recommended approval at its July 16 meeting.
Why it matters: the conditional rezoning allows a specific industrial use (mining) in a largely rural area while attaching conditions intended to protect nearby residents and environmental resources.
Key conditions and requirements - Proposed zoning: rural agricultural conditional district to allow a sand mine; the conditional district allows specific uses with conditions. - County zoning and state requirements cited: Section 8 of the county zoning ordinance includes operational standards for sand mines, notably a minimum 100-foot separation from the edge of any pit to the permitted boundary of the mine and state-issued mining permits are required. - Buffers and environmental protections required: a 50-foot buffer along stream features; compliance with floodplain rules; applicant must submit a soil erosion and sedimentation control plan to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) and obtain any required NCDEQ operation permits (Energy, Mineral and Land Resources Division). - Access and traffic: applicant proposed a haul road routing truck traffic through an existing mine access to Alvin Road to avoid disturbing residences and placed signage to prohibit truck traffic at a curve on Alvin Road. A commercial driveway permit from NCDOT is required for access. - Hours of operation: listed in staff materials as 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Public comment and applicant presentation - Ken Malpas, representing HSP Properties/HSP Investments, told commissioners the owner worked with adjacent property owners for about a year to secure an easement allowing access through the existing mine and said Tripp Brothers would operate the expansion. - Commissioners asked for clarification about the presence of a residence between two mine pits; staff identified a residence shown in the applicant materials and said the owner had granted permission for the access easement.
Discussion versus action - Discussion: commissioners and staff discussed buffers, floodplain limits and routing truck traffic to minimize impacts on residents. Planning staff stressed that no zoning compliance permit will be issued until a site plan is prepared and screening and floodplain requirements are satisfied. - Formal action: A commissioner moved to adopt the consistency statement and approve the request; the board voted to approve the conditional rezoning (transcript records 'Motion passes' but no roll-call tally was recorded).
Speakers quoted in this item are limited to those who participated in the hearing and staff presentation. The approval is a zoning action; the operation still requires site-plan review, state mining permits and other regulatory approvals before mining can begin.
