Off-Road Commercial Zoning request pulled from Agenda

In the 11th hour, the Developer pulls the request from the BOC agenda. Below is the article from the Daily Advance's Cindy Beamon

By Cindy Beamon
Staff writer
Monday, June 7, 2010
The developer of a proposed 302-unit inn on one of Currituck’s remote beaches has withdrawn his rezoning application amid outcry by nearby property owners that the project would spoil the landscape and strain scarce resources.

A public hearing on rezoning 37 acres in Swan Beach for the inn was scheduled for Monday but canceled at the request of Chip Friedman, owner of Swan Beach Corolla. Friedman, who notified The Daily Advance by e-mail of his decision Sunday, could not be reached for comment Monday.

Property owners identified as the “Currituck Off Road Community” had protested plans for the inn, claiming it was out of character with nearby residential housing and the natural surroundings.

The proposed project’s proximity to the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge, a Natural Heritage Area, was of particular concern to county planners who had recommended denial of the rezoning request. Planners were also concerned about the project’s impact on the delicate Outer Banks eco-system and unpaved roadways.

Friedman’s decision apparently halts the developer’s third attempt to bring commercial development to the off-road beach area.

In 2004, the developer requested that almost 19 acres be rezoned from residential to general business. The request was denied by commissioners. In 2008, another request that would have created an overlay district for the property was heavily opposed by nearby residents and also denied.

Friedman said earlier that the inn would have no greater impact than the “mega-homes” currently built in the area.

“If we build 12 mega-homes, like what is occurring right now, there will be a much higher intensive use of resources and far less conservation,” he said in an e-mail last week.