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Pender planners propose more pervious surfacing options to ease stormwater and costs for small businesses
Summary
Planning staff proposed UDO changes to allow pervious materials (porous asphalt, pervious concrete, permeable pavers, turf blocks) for small nonresidential parking areas to reduce runoff and give entrepreneurs more site flexibility, with board members asking about ADA compliance, maintenance and state performance standards.
Planning staff on the Pender County Planning Board walked members through a proposed unified development ordinance change to modernize surfacing requirements for nonresidential development and to allow alternative materials for small parking areas.
"We want to introduce alternative surfacing materials such as pervious concrete, porous asphalt, permeable pavers," Virginia Norris, senior long-range planner, told the board, adding the proposal would give designers more flexibility while preserving safety and accessibility. Staff suggested allowing these options on parking lots of 20 spaces or fewer as a starting point, subject to an approved design and maintenance plan.
Board members pressed staff on practical issues. One member asked what a "grass turf block" is, and staff explained many products use a grid or geogrid system to hold turf in place. Members also raised ADA and emergency-vehicle access concerns; Norris said accessible spaces and routes must remain ADA‑compliant and that any alternative surfacing must support emergency vehicles.
The board discussed long‑term maintenance and plan review. Staff noted porous pavements typically require periodic vacuuming to maintain infiltration and that the county could adopt performance‑based language tied to hydraulic conductivity standards instead of listing specific materials. A presentation referenced a state benchmark for hydraulic conductivity used in plan review.
Supporters said the change could make it easier and less costly for small business owners to develop or expand without creating large impervious surfaces and costly stormwater ponds. "Some of the pervious materials ... would help to reduce stormwater runoff, improved infiltration," Norris said. Critics urged caution, noting some gravel systems compact over time and can lose pervious properties.
Staff will refine the language to allow performance or engineering certification paths and will research maintenance, inspection, and state review triggers before returning a draft ordinance for formal consideration.
