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Board approves Nags Head Church parking expansion, finding plan meets UDO standards
Summary
The board approved a vested‑right special‑use permit and major site‑plan amendment allowing Nags Head Church to add 42 parking spaces at 105 W. Soundside Road, bringing the total to 138 spaces; staff and the planning board found lot coverage, permeable surfacing, landscaping and septic capacity compliant.
The Nags Head Board of Commissioners voted Dec. 3 to approve a vested‑right special‑use permit and major site‑plan amendment submitted by Albemarle & Associates on behalf of Nags Head Church to expand on‑site parking.
Why it matters: The church property at 105 West Soundside Road sought additional parking to address overlapping services that create a peak parking demand. Staff and the planning board recommended approval after review of zoning, stormwater, septic capacity and buffering.
Staff presentation Planning Director Kelly Wyatt described the proposal, its zoning and the staff review. "For lot coverage purposes, they're allowed to have 30% lot coverage, but they can increase that to 45% with stormwater management facilities designed to infiltrate for the 2 inch storm. Proposed lot coverage here is 22.9%, so, they are well within compliance," Wyatt said. She noted the site is in an X flood zone with a local elevation standard of 9 and that the size of the shed might require meeting the regulatory base flood elevation at permitting.
Applicant evidence and board questions Mike Morway of Albemarle & Associates explained the parking shortfall during overlapping services and said the current plan mirrors a May 2023 approval. "This is the exact same plan that was approved in May 2023," Morway said, adding that buffers and perimeter vegetation will remain largely in place and that the project provides stormwater management features. Staff confirmed reviews of septic capacity, traffic circulation, stormwater and fire‑department access and said those agencies signed off on the design in the packet materials.
Board action A commissioner moved to approve the plan with incorporation of the five findings of fact required for a vested‑right special‑use decision; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The mayor and board thanked staff and applauded the applicant's attention to buffers and stormwater.
What was approved - Site plan amendment to add 42 parking spaces (proposed total 138). - Determination that lot coverage (22.9%) and proposed permeable parking surfaces meet UDO standards. - Requirement that any shed sized to trigger base flood elevation rules comply at permitting.
Next steps Conditions noted in the staff report and required permitting (including compliance with BFE and fire‑code requirements) will be handled at permitting and through the building‑permit process. The planning board had unanimously recommended approval at its hearing.
The board approved the special‑use/site‑plan amendment by voice vote; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the transcript.
