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Planning board recommends approval for countertop fabrication and contractor use at existing commercial building on U.S. 421
Summary
The board recommended approval of a conditional rezoning to allow stone cutting/finishing and specialty trade contractor work at an existing 3,500 sq. ft. commercial building on U.S. 421, finding the use consistent with the property’s historical commercial character and limited traffic impact.
The Pender County Planning Board unanimously recommended approval of a conditional rezoning that would permit countertop fabrication (stone cutting and polishing) and specialty trade contractor activities at a 3,500-square-foot building on U.S. 421 north of Shiloh Road.
Planning staff noted the property has a long history of commercial use and that the proposed operation would occupy an existing building and include screened outdoor storage. "This building has been there for a number of years ... operating commercially," planning staff told the board, and staff recommended approval because the proposal was compatible with the existing site and the rural-agriculture future land use designation that allows limited nonresidential uses.
The application would allow two principal elements: an indoor stone cutting/finishing operation for kitchen and bathroom countertops and a trade-contractor component for installation at off-site homes and businesses. The applicant proposed perimeter screening for outdoor storage and said operations would comply with the Unified Development Ordinance and all applicable state and federal regulations. Staff estimated the use would generate modest traffic — roughly 30 vehicle trips per day based on standard trip-generation rates — and noted that the U.S. 421 corridor in that area already carries substantially more traffic than many local roads (staff cited approximately 4,500 trips per day on the segment cited in the packet).
Board members asked about noise, dust and wet-cutting methods; staff and a board member with industry experience said stone fabrication is typically a wet process that reduces airborne dust and can be contained within the building. The board also noted an existing special-use-permit history for the parcel that previously allowed other light industrial and commercial uses.
The board voted to recommend the conditional rezoning with two straightforward conditions: compliance with the UDO, and compliance with all local, state and federal permits and regulations. The recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners for a public hearing scheduled Oct. 20 in Burgaw.
