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Onslow County amends subdivision rule to match state rule on secondary access
Summary
County commissioners approved a text amendment raising the threshold for required secondary access from 30 dwelling units to 100, aligning the county subdivision ordinance with recent changes in state law and the North Carolina fire code.
On Sept. 3 the Onslow County Board of Commissioners approved a revision to the county subdivision ordinance (SOTA 2025-1) to change the county’s secondary-access threshold from 30 dwelling units to 100, bringing the local standard in line with changes enacted by the North Carolina General Assembly.
Planning staff told the board the change responds to House Bill 600, which amended the statutory authority for local development regulations (cited as 160D-702 in staff remarks) and the North Carolina Fire Code’s current threshold of 100 units for requiring secondary access for fire apparatus. Staff said the county must not maintain a stricter standard than the state code and therefore proposed the text amendment updating section 608.6.
The Onslow County Planning Board recommended approval 5–1 at its July 10 meeting; one planning-board member had preferred keeping the lower threshold for community safety reasons. At the Sept. 3 meeting several commissioners expressed concern about the safety implications of a higher threshold but acknowledged the county must align with state law.
A motion to approve the subdivision text amendment carried by voice vote.
Why it matters: The change affects how future subdivisions will be designed and when a second means of access must be provided for emergency response. Developers supported the change; at least one planning-board member and several commissioners noted local safety concerns.
Details: Staff noted no military impacts were presented to the planning board and that some developers commented in favor at the planning-board hearing. The county will now follow the 100-dwelling-unit threshold for requiring secondary access for fire apparatus.
