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After zoning confusion, planning commission asks Board to provide legal counsel and to correct GIS records
Summary
Commissioners cited a county GIS zoning discrepancy and inconsistent staff information during the Kate Estates hearings and voted to ask the Board of Supervisors to provide legal representation at planning commission meetings; staff also committed to correct and certify official zoning records and requested wetland/topographic information from the applicant.
A discrepancy between the county’s online zoning map and official records and several procedural concerns raised during a rezoning hearing prompted the Southampton County Planning Commission to formally ask the Board of Supervisors to consider providing legal representation for commission meetings.
Commissioners said inconsistent information — particularly a county GIS display that an applicant said showed the parcel as R‑2 when staff records showed Agriculture — created confusion for both the public and the commission. Staff acknowledged the digitization process introduced parcel discrepancies and told the commission the GIS display was inaccurate: “The GIS system is incorrect. It shows it as R2. That is incorrect,” staff stated.
Multiple commissioners said the mapping error and variable staff responses on technical matters made it difficult to reach a clear decision; one commissioner moved and the body approved a request that the Board of Supervisors consider making the county attorney or legal counsel available to the planning commission. The commission asked staff to verify and disclose the zoning certification that led to the misunderstanding and asked that the applicant produce wetland delineation, topographic mapping and written proffers prior to further action on the rezoning application.
Commissioners emphasized the request for legal support is intended to reduce procedural errors and help the commission respond to complex technical and statutory questions during public hearings. The commission voted to forward that request to the Board of Supervisors for consideration.
