Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
After months of comment and legal debate, Dare County allows higher density but keeps Buxton Woods overlay protections
Summary
The board modified the Buxton Woods Special Environmental District (SED‑1) overlay to raise the dwelling‑unit cap to 4 units per acre, required indexing and mapping of the overlay, and directed subsequent review. Public comment and legal memoranda framed the discussion.
Dare County commissioners voted Aug. 4 to modify zoning text for the Buxton Woods Special Environmental District (SED‑1), increasing the density cap to allow up to four dwelling units per acre while keeping the overlay protections in place and directing staff to index and map the overlay area.
The issue drew extensive public comment from conservation groups, local residents and landowners and prompted a multiweek legal review. Speakers in the public hearing urged the board to retain the SED‑1 “zone of influence” buffer that protects Buxton Woods’ maritime forest, while others — including one applicant with a prior development approval that expired — sought relief from the zoning density limit.
Why it matters: Buxton Woods is one of the largest remaining contiguous maritime forests on the East Coast and serves multiple…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
