Pitt County Planning Board recommends rezoning of 12.56-acre parcel on NC 43 South

The Pitt County Planning Board on an evening meeting recommended approval of a rezoning request for 12.56 acres along NC 43 South, forwarding the recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners for a public hearing set for April 13.

Ben Rogers, a planning staff presenter, told the board the application from Pura Vida Fund LLC (parcel number 23109) seeks to rezone the rear portion of a split-zoned property from Rural Residential to General Commercial Conditional District to allow landscape and horticultural services, miscellaneous retail, mini storage/warehouse and contractor/flex-space uses. Rogers said staff "do find that this request is consistent with the NC43 South Corridor land use plan and the Envisioned Pitt County 2045 comprehensive land use plan" and recommended approval with conditions.

Rogers outlined the recommended conditions: submission of a site plan prepared per Appendix B of the zoning ordinance before issuance of a zoning compliance permit; a 10-foot landscape buffer planted per Section 10H to screen adjacent residential lots and public right-of-way; paved parking, access drives and loading areas; submission of a soil erosion and sedimentation control plan for disturbances over one acre; compliance with the Pitt County stormwater ordinance and nutrient-control requirements for projects over 15 acres; conformance with Emergency Management and fire-protection requirements; a driveway permit from NCDOT; a traffic impact analysis as required by NCDOT based on project size and location; and required permits from Pitt County inspections and environmental health for wastewater disposal.

An applicant representative, Bryan Pegundas, spoke in support on behalf of the owner and described market demand for "flex" contractor space and the applicant's intent to locate a landscape/horticultural business on the site. Pegundas said traffic studies will be completed as required and that any DOT-recommended roadway improvements would be implemented as part of later permitting. "A lot of those uses are really kind of starving for, hey, there's nothing available out there," he said, arguing the proposed mix would meet local market needs.

During board discussion, a member questioned whether the specific rezoning area has direct frontage on NC 43; staff clarified the front portion of the overall property is already zoned general commercial, and the requested rezoning covers the rear portion. Board member Steve Little moved to recommend approval consistent with staff findings and conditions; the motion was seconded and approved by a vote signaled by raised hands. The transcript records the board's approval but does not include a numerical tally.

The Planning Board's recommendation will be transmitted to the Board of County Commissioners, which the board noted is scheduled to hold a public hearing on April 13. The board said it will finalize the recommended language modification discussed at the meeting and provide the revised motion wording for the chair's signature.

Notes: acreage and parcel number taken from staff presentation. The transcript spells the applicant representative's name inconsistently in two places; this article uses the name the speaker gave when addressing the board. The planning staff recommended conditions were read into the record; the Board of County Commissioners will consider the rezoning at a later public hearing.