Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Planning Board Powers topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council tables UDO change that would shift major site plan approvals away from planning board
Summary
Facing criticism from residents and planning board members, the Town of Sunset Beach council voted May 4 to table a proposed Unified Development Ordinance amendment that would remove the planning board as the final decision maker for major site plans and preliminary major subdivisions.
The Town of Sunset Beach council on May 4 voted to table a proposed text amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) that would have moved approval authority for major site plans and major preliminary subdivision plats from the planning board to an appointed UDO administrator.
Staff presented three documents labeled attachments 1–3: an initial staff/council draft (attachment three), a planning board recommended version (attachment two) and supporting analysis about what code sections would require changes. Planning staff summarized how the item originated, the sections affected and why the changes were proposed.
Multiple members of the planning board and residents said the change would remove public transparency and community input from major development reviews. Planning board members who spoke at the public hearing said the board performs administrative review consistent with current code and that moving approvals to an administrator would eliminate a public review step for projects with significant community impact. The town attorney advised the council that moving administrative decisions to an administrator can be consistent with Chapter 160D of North Carolina law, but remedies for aggrieved parties would remain available (for example an appeal to the board of adjustment or superior court review).
Council members discussed the legal analysis and the need for clearer red‑line language. One council member asked that staff provide a clean copy of the proposed language so members could read it more easily. A motion to table the amendment to the next meeting carried by voice vote; council asked staff to schedule two‑by‑two meetings and line‑by‑line reviews so members could better understand the consequences before taking action.
The motion to table preserves the planning board's current role while council and staff conduct additional outreach and clarify the language. Council and planning board members suggested a facilitated two‑way dialog to clear up miscommunications and to identify whether narrow fixes could address any statutory consistency issues.
Next steps: staff will prepare a clean copy of the proposed UDO text, coordinate small‑group meetings between council and planning board members under open‑meetings rules where appropriate, and bring revised language back for council consideration.
