July 07, 2026 Planning Board Meeting

The July 7, 2026 Planning Board meeting for Pender County focused primarily on two zoning cases. The first involved a conditional rezoning request from rural agricultural to a conditional zoning district to develop a private wastewater treatment facility by Pluris, designed to process up to 1 million gallons per day. The board discussed the facility's consistency with the county's future land use plan, environmental impacts, and concerns about infrastructure capacity, including roads and schools. The applicant emphasized regulatory compliance and environmental stewardship, while some board members and public speakers requested additional information and conditions, particularly regarding the total permitted capacity across multiple sites and environmental safeguards. The board voted to table the decision to the August 4 meeting to allow further review and potential conditions. The second case was a general use zoning map amendment to rezone a 0.31-acre parcel from residential performance to general business, which was supported by staff and a public speaker. Additionally, the board discussed proposed amendments to the county's tree preservation and mitigation codes to require tree save areas and legacy tree protections in residential developments, aiming to reduce clear-cutting and preserve natural vegetation. The meeting concluded with updates on recent appeals and upcoming cases, and a motion to adjourn was passed.