Washington County recesses land‑use public hearing; approves home‑based salon permit

Washington County commissioners on Jan. 3 recessed a public hearing on a rewritten Land Use Plan and approved a Special Use Permit for a home‑based beauty salon in Creswell.

Planning Director Allen Pittman told the board the county must adopt a comprehensive or land‑use plan under North Carolina’s GS 160‑D and presented a simplified, roughly 20‑page Land Use Plan intended as advisory guidance rather than regulation. “It is an absolute pleasure to speak to you this evening subject of great importance to me: the future of Washington County and how development can evolve,” Pittman said, and described the draft’s emphasis on drainage, flooding research, natural‑resource protection, and matching development to infrastructure capacity.

Commissioner Ann C. Keyes asked for examples of changes from the prior plan; Pittman said the revision removes non‑land‑use material and focuses on whether land is suitable for building and whether infrastructure can support it. After discussion about scheduling, Commissioner Phelps moved and Commissioner Keyes seconded a motion to recess the public hearing on the Land Use Plan to Feb. 7, 2022; the motion passed on a unanimous roll call.

In a separate quasi‑judicial matter, Pittman presented the Planning Board’s unanimous recommendation to approve a Special Use Permit submitted by applicant Stephanie Beasley‑Walston to operate a home‑based salon at 565 Mountain Canal Road. Staff reported three neighbor responses with no objections and one outstanding neighbor (K. Phelps). The board voted to approve the Special Use Permit subject to staff reaching that neighbor and receiving no objection or, if requested by the neighbor, scheduling an additional public hearing. Commissioner Ann C. Keyes made the motion to approve, Commissioner Carol V. Phelps seconded, and the vote was 4‑0.

What this means: The Land Use Plan will return to the board in February for continued public consideration; the approved Special Use Permit allows the applicant to operate a small salon from her residence in the rural single‑family district under the county zoning ordinance’s hair‑salon provision, subject to the neighbor‑notification condition.

Authorities and next steps: Pittman cited GS 160‑D (North Carolina statute requiring a comprehensive or land‑use plan) as the governing statute for the planning work. The Special Use Permit was reviewed under Article 3A Subsection C(s) and Article 5(B) of the Washington County Zoning Ordinance, per planning staff. The board formally recessed the Land Use Plan hearing to Feb. 7 and vested staff to complete the remaining neighbor contact for the Special Use matter.