Sunset Beach planning board kicks off update to land-use plan, adds public comment period

At a May 1 special meeting, the Sunset Beach Planning Board began planning an update to the Town of Sunset Beach's land use (comprehensive) plan, hearing a presentation from consultant Wes Mloud of the Cape Fear Council of Governments and agreeing to add a three-minute public-comment period to the meeting.

Wes Mloud, the consultant, told the board that a land use plan is "an official document containing goals, policies, analyses, and maps that serves as a community's blueprint for growth," and emphasized the plan is guidance, not a regulatory code. He said the town council had included funds in the current budget, that staff will ask for a public hearing May 5 and that adoption could be sought June 2 if the budget and contract proceed on schedule.

The consultant listed typical plan components the update would include: public-engagement results, demographic analysis, natural-systems and environmental sections, community facilities and services, existing conditions and land-use patterns, goals and policies, and a future land-use map. He said the state Division of Coastal Management requires towns to reasonably maintain their plans and that the Coastal Resources Commission's review timeline can vary widely.

Board members asked how ambitious the plan should be. Planning board member Stuart (first referenced during discussion) said the town should aim for clearer, centralized strategic guidance rather than having goals scattered through the document. Another member urged the update to include a strong focus on transportation and Sunset Boulevard aesthetics, noting a separate bike-and-pedestrian plan or small-area plans could follow if the board wanted engineering-level detail.

Consultant and staff discussed public engagement tactics and budgets. Mloud estimated most participation will come from a focused community survey (ideally 10 questions or fewer) supplemented by targeted in-person outreach (pop-up tables at events, hard-copy surveys, and a dedicated project web page). The consultant proposed roughly six planning-board meetings over an eight-month work program if the contract is authorized; council review and Coastal Resources Commission certification would follow and can add months.

Early in the meeting a board member moved to include a three-minute public-comment period using the town's standard protocol (three minutes, no dialogue); the motion was seconded and approved. During public comment, a resident who identified himself as "Bradway" (provided his address) urged the board to develop an explicit town vision and a short-term strategic plan to accompany the land use update, saying the town could "preserve small town beach appeal" while preparing for sustainable, manageable growth.

The board discussed stakeholder interviews with commercial and residential developers and the formation of small subcommittees to conduct outreach, noting open-meeting-law constraints for official board subcommittees. Members also flagged resilience, emergency communications (including cellular network availability), and coordination with NC Department of Transportation work on the 904 corridor as topics they want the plan to address.

The board did not take votes on plan content at the meeting; it moved and seconded an adjournment after public comments and closed the session. If the council finalizes the contract and budget, staff and consultant expect to present a draft schedule and public-engagement plan for the board's review.

End note: the board approved adding the public-comment period and adjourned after one resident spoke; next procedural steps include council's May 5 hearing notice and potential June 2 budget adoption that would authorize the consultant work to proceed.