Benson approves special-use permit for manufactured home after neighbors raise septic and easement concerns

The Benson Board of Commissioners on May 22 approved a special-use permit (SUP-2025-06) allowing a single-wide manufactured home at 896 A Tar Heel Road, after neighbors testified about prior septic failures, easement disputes and ongoing maintenance concerns.

Planning Director Tanner O'Quin described the parcel (approximately 1.72 acres, zoned RA in the ETJ) and explained the special-use permit process; the Planning Board had unanimously recommended approval. Applicant Amelia Massengill said she had demolished a prior mobile home and intends to rent the lot. Massengill told the board she plans to replace the septic system and had a contractor lined up, saying the replacement would cost about $8,000.

Neighbor Teia Matthews, who said she holds an easement that provides access across the property, presented evidence including a 1987 septic and well permit, aerial photographs and an email from a septic vendor warning that driving on leach fields damages systems. Victoria Pulcini, another neighbor, said prior septic leaks reached her front yard and killed fish in her pond; she said she would be "put at ease" if county environmental approval and any required repairs were completed before occupancy.

Board members asked multiple procedural questions about who enforces septic and building permits. Planning Director O'Quin explained that town zoning approval and an approved site plan are prerequisites to a county building permit, and that the Johnston County Environmental Health Department or a licensed soil scientist typically evaluates septic functionality. Town Attorney R. Isaac Parker described general easement maintenance duties and cautioned trustees to base decisions on the evidence submitted at the hearing.

Commissioner William Neighbors moved through the required findings of fact — whether the proposed use would materially endanger public health, meet specifications, injure adjoining property values, or be detrimental to neighborhood uses — and each finding passed 6-0. The board approved SUP-2025-06 6-0; commissioners noted county permitting and Environmental Health approvals remain required before any structure is set.