Planning board backs zoning text change to allow county‑operated solid‑waste collection on conserved buyout lots

Pender County staff asked the planning board to recommend a text amendment to allow 'public solid waste collection' as a permitted use in the Environmental Conservation (EC) zoning district on county‑owned buyout parcels. Staff said the goal is to use publicly owned uplands to locate low‑impact convenience sites for rural residents who currently travel long distances to dispose of household waste.

Staff and the county manager explained standards that would apply in EC — including strict buffers keeping development at least 100 feet from floodways, wetlands, Army Corps jurisdictional areas and steep slopes — and emphasized that compactors would not be allowed on EC sites (compactors require impervious pads). County Manager Colby Sawyer said the typical site would be about an acre of fenced gravel with closed containers rather than compactors. "About an acre, fenced gravel is what we're looking at," he said.

Board members asked whether the permitted use would allow private companies to site collection centers in EC; staff and the manager said the proposed 'public' category is intended for county‑operated convenience sites and that private operations would be handled under separate private‑use provisions. After discussion, the planning board voted to recommend approval of the text amendment, finding it consistent with conservation and low‑impact development policies when EC standards are met.

Staff noted that any specific site selected on publicly owned land would still be required to meet EC development standards and separation requirements and that operations would mirror current county convenience sites in scheduling and maintenance.