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Planning commission approves special-use route to allow schools in T2 Rural with public review and infrastructure conditions
Summary
The commission voted to permit public and private schools in T2 Rural as a special use, keeping water/sewer proximity and Transportation Impact Analysis requirements; the change aims to let the school district acquire potential sites while preserving community review at the time of development.
The Beaufort County Planning Commission voted to amend the community development code to allow public and private schools in the T2 Rural zoning district through the special-use (ZBA) process, preserving a public review step and retaining conditions tied to water, sewer and traffic impacts.
Staff member Mr. Merchant said the change responds to the school district’s request to expand its inventory of potential sites in rural areas while ensuring new school sites have necessary infrastructure and public scrutiny. “We believe with those conditions and it being a special use and having a public process built in, before a school site is approved, that this meets the objectives that the planning commission brought up at the March meeting,” he said.
School-district representatives and their engineer urged the commission to approve the special-use route rather than a staff-level conditional use. “Not allowing school uses of any kind in T2R as it currently sits really limits the school district’s hand in being able to plan for the future,” said Connor Bolainy of Ward Edwards Engineering. Robert Audin, representing the Beaufort County School District, confirmed the district’s willingness to proceed under a special-use framework so neighboring property owners receive notice and ZBA can consider site-specific conditions.
Commissioners questioned how the change affects three existing schools located in T2 Rural (Okati Elementary, Shanklin Elementary and Whale Branch Early College High School). Staff said nonconforming sites would not be forced to retrofit immediately, but expansions or redevelopment would trigger special-use review and applicable standards (including TIA when projections exceed the 50 peak-hour trips threshold). Mr. Merchant noted the special-use process gives the ZBA the authority to require mitigation such as larger buffers or circulation improvements.
A motion to amend Table 3.1.60, Table 3.2.40 and Division 4.1 to permit schools in T2 Rural by special use passed on a 5–2 vote; the motion was seconded and the staff recommendation and prior conditions (water/sewer proximity and TIA triggers) remain part of the record.
The commission’s action is a code amendment recommendation; implementation would proceed through the development-review and ZBA processes for site-specific proposals, and the item will move forward to the next legislative steps in county review.
