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Planning board recommends rezoning to let Old Bridge Historical Society relocate historic bridge
Summary
The Sunset Beach Planning Board voted to recommend rezoning a vacant shoreline parcel to allow the Old Bridge Historical Society to move its historic bridge onto property it controls and to expand its small museum; a public hearing is scheduled and the Town Council will make the final decision.
The Sunset Beach Planning Board recommended approval April 17 of a zoning map amendment that would allow the Old Bridge Historical Society to relocate a historic bridge and expand museum uses on a vacant shoreline parcel adjacent to the society’s existing site.
Ron Satterfield, planning staff, told the board the applicant seeks a change from Mainland Residential 2 to Mainland Business 1 to allow museum and related uses. "If rezoned, any development of the site would be required to comply with all of Town, Sunset Beach, UDO requirements, including parking, landscaping, buffering, tree preservation, setbacks, and height restrictions," Satterfield said.
Applicant Anne Bockelman, who identified herself as representing the Old Bridge Historical Society, described the nonprofit’s educational programs and artifacts, saying the society operates a "little museum with a lot of stories" and that MB1’s 5‑foot front setback would give the group flexibility around mapped wetlands. She told the board the wetlands on the parcel are certified Section 404 wetlands by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and that the proposed bridge relocation would be supported on pilings "over the wetlands."
Board members questioned whether a conditional rezoning would be more protective of adjacent residents. One member urged considering MB2, which carries a 15‑foot front setback, as a compromise; staff and the applicant replied that MB1’s 5‑foot setback allows the society to keep uses away from sensitive areas while avoiding the uncertainty of repeated variance requests.
After discussion about retaining two large oaks and increasing buffer width where feasible, a member moved to take Action A, which finds the map amendment reasonable and in the public interest given adjacent commercial zoning. The motion carried; the Chair announced the board "adopted Action A" and staff said the required public hearing will be scheduled for the May 5 meeting before the Town Council considers final action.
The board’s recommendation is advisory; the Town Council will make the final zoning decision after the public hearing. The applicant and staff indicated they will show specific buffering, tree retention and site layout when a plot plan and wetlands mapping are submitted.
