THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 8, 1995 TAG: 9509080493
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CURRITUCK LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
After months of rejecting developments in the northern end of Currituck County, two small subdivisions have won initial approval in the Moyock and Crawford areas.
Hunter's Run was given the go-ahead from the Board of Commissioners to begin developing up to nine lots along Guinea Road in the Moyock area. Five lots were approved Tuesday; the others were affirmed last year.
Crestwood was granted permission to proceed with two additional lots in the Crawford Township, bringing the total to six.
Crestwood's developer had asked that a decision be postponed until September after the commissioners began denying sketch-plan approval for several large developments in February.
One of those denials - for the 601-lot Plantations in Moyock - is being legally challenged.
The panel at that time cited its newly created adequate facilities ordinance as the main reason for the rejections. The ordinance requires that county services be available for new residential and commercial developments.
Other growth controls also have been put into place to allow Currituck officials time to bring services and school facilities up to pace with expanding populations.
Hunter's Glen and Crestwood are not expected to generate many public school children, earning them approval from both the planning staff and Currituck County Planning Board.
Another elementary school will be made available once a high school, currently under construction, opens next fall.
No one spoke at a public hearing before the Crestwood vote, but several residents living near the proposed Hunter's Run voiced their opposition to the double-wide manufactured homes planned for the small community.
"There is a great concern about this becoming a great big mobile home park," a woman said. "We honestly feel that it really will devalue the surrounding properties."
Single-wide mobile homes are no longer permitted in the county, but double-wides are treated the same as other types of single-family dwellings, said Jack Simoneau, director of Currituck's planning and inspections department.
Other neighbors worried about poor drainage and possible septic-system contamination.
After the vote, a woman in the audience yelled to the commissioners: "I wonder how many of you all would like to have 10 or eight trailers in your front yard!"
She then joined a small crowd outside the courtroom that continued yelling their displeasure with the decision.
In another matter, the board unanimously approved the special-use permit for a competition park off U.S. 158 in Powells Point.
The park, south of Peachtree Road, will include a track for go-karts and four-wheelers, fishing pond, horseback riding trails, paintball course, swimming pool and concert stand.
Developers H.D. Newbern and Finley Newbern said in their application that the park would not endanger public safety or lower adjoining property values.
Just prior to approving the permit for the park, commissioners agreed to rezone the 20 acres from agriculture to general business to accommodate the Newberns' plans.
A public stir arose earlier this year when the business partners applied to have the land rezoned to heavy manufacturing.
Protesting property owners in an adjacent subdivision suddenly found a dilapidated trailer parked at the entrance to their neighborhood. H.D. Newbern removed the trailer from his farmland shortly after county officials visited the site.
Commissioners then amended a county ordinance to allow go-kart race tracks on property zoned general business. by CNB