Planning board approves amendment to drainage-easement rules, shortens required widths

The Currituck County Planning Board on Aug. 10 approved a staff-initiated amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance that narrows required maintenance-access drainage easements and requires those easements to be dedicated to the county.

Planning staff told the board the change clarifies chapter 7 (stormwater management) and reduces the required easement width along major waterways from 50 feet to 25 feet. Staff said the Board of Commissioners directed removal of a prior prohibition on septic systems and related encroachments after a work session earlier this year. "Staff does recommend approval of the text amendment, because it's consistent with the land use plan policy, water quality policy 6, that the county supports the retention or preservation of vegetative buffers," Planning staff said during the presentation.

The staff report referenced the 2006 land use plan and water-quality policies (WQ 6 and WQ 8) to justify the amendment as consistent with county objectives to protect water quality and to support a countywide drainage and flood-management plan. Staff also told the board the amendment clarifies that maintenance-access drainage easements "shall be dedicated to the county to ensure access to maintain that drainage infrastructure." The revised ordinance language was provided in the meeting packet for members' review.

Chair opened the public hearing; no members of the public spoke. A board member moved to approve PB 20-16 on the basis that the amendment is consistent with the cited policies and in the public interest; the motion was seconded and the board voted to approve.

The amendment is intended to make maintenance access and county responsibility for drainage infrastructure clearer; staff said the change is a reasonable, low-cost measure that supports vegetative buffers and county drainage planning. The board took no other action on the item at the meeting.