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Onslow County raises allowed campground deck size to 300 square feet after public testimony
Summary
After testimony from campground operators and discussion about tax and livability implications, commissioners amended a proposed text change and approved a zoning amendment allowing up to 300 square-foot decks or porches for campground lots.
On Jan. 6 the Onslow County Board of Commissioners amended and then approved ZTA 2024-5, a zoning text amendment revising accessory-structure standards for campgrounds. The board voted to allow up to 300 square feet of deck or porch area per campground lot, changing the planning staff's original recommendation of a 200-square-foot combined allowance.
Planning staff said existing rules limited each lot to two accessory structures each no larger than 10 by 10 feet (100 square feet each) and that the proposed text would have allowed a combined 200 square feet per lot to provide flexibility while retaining limits intended to prevent decks from being attached to campers. “Campgrounds currently are regulated with a myriad of additional required standards... each one limited to have two accessory structures on every lot,” Carter Metcalfe of the planning department said during the staff presentation.
A campground owner, Bud Shipp, who said he is building an RV park in Swansboro, urged a larger allowance and provided cost and market arguments. Shipp told commissioners that moving from 100-square-foot porches to larger sizes would increase construction costs but also increase property value and market competitiveness compared with neighboring jurisdictions. “If you put the gazebo style roofs and allow some shade for the folks that have campers there, it goes to 3.5,” Shipp said, describing cost scenarios in his park.
Commissioners raised questions about tax treatment, enforcement and whether larger structures would encourage full-time occupancy of RV lots. Tax assessor Turner told the board that taxation depends on ownership and attachment: if a porch is attached to a vehicle it is treated differently than if it is owned and affixed by the park owner. “If it's not attached, it's personal property,” Turner said when asked how decks are listed for tax purposes.
Planning staff told commissioners they surveyed 34 jurisdictions in the county's market region and found only one—Cedar Point—allowed 300 square feet; 200 was the next-highest standard and the staff-recommended median. Several commissioners said they preferred the larger limit. Commissioner Bennett moved to amend the ARS standard to 300 square feet; the motion was seconded and the amendment passed with no recorded opposition. The board then voted to adopt the text amendment and its statement of consistency.
Why it matters: The change expands the maximum permitted accessory area in campgrounds and may affect park design, property values, tax assessment questions and enforcement of attachment rules intended to preserve recreational rather than residential use.
What's next: County staff will implement the ordinance change; the record does not show additional formal requirements such as returning to the planning board. Tax assessment and enforcement questions were raised for follow-up.
