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Planning board backs exemption for county‑owned minor utility facilities to ease small infrastructure projects
Summary
The Currituck County Planning Board on May 12, 2026 recommended PB26‑05, a text amendment to exempt county‑owned minor utility facilities (water/wastewater pump stations and similar small structures) from certain dimensional, development and use‑specific standards to accommodate projects on easements and small parcels while encouraging compatibility where practical.
The Currituck County Planning Board voted May 12, 2026 to recommend PB26‑05, a text amendment to exempt county‑owned minor utility facilities from specified dimensional and development standards in the Unified Development Ordinance.
Planning staff said the amendment responds to practical constraints when county utilities place small facilities—such as 200–300‑square‑foot pump stations—on easements or on nonconforming small parcels. The proposed change would exempt county‑owned minor utility facilities (water and wastewater pump stations and similar minor structures) from Chapter 3 dimensional standards (lot coverage, setbacks), Chapter 5 development standards (parking, lighting, landscaping) and the use‑specific standards of Section 4.2.3, while encouraging compliance "to the extent practical" as determined by the county.
Staff showed an example booster pump station (approximately 267 square feet) sited near a high school easement to illustrate the modest scale of the facilities covered. Board members asked about maintenance, residential proximity, and expectations for site appearance; staff said the county would still review each project and suggest compatibility measures where appropriate.
A motion to recommend the amendment as consistent with the unified development ordinance and the Imagine Currituck 2040 vision plan passed by voice vote. The Planning Board’s recommendation is advisory; final action will be taken by the Currituck County Board of Commissioners.
