Planning Board sets special date to examine plats
By Steve Herring
Published in News on March 18, 2010 1:46 PM
The Wayne County Planning Board will meet in special session Friday at 4:30 p.m. in the third-floor conference room at the Jeffreys Building, 134 N. John St.
There is only one item on the agenda, consideration of a subdivision plat final for Steven and Robin T. Lancaster. The family project is located on True Vine Road just off U.S. 13, north of Goldsboro.
"They (Lancasters) are trying to get the first-time homebuyer's tax credit," County Planner Connie Price said. "The (subdivision) map must be recorded so they can get a deed in their name."
Price said it is his understanding that all of the requirements to apply for the tax credit must be completed prior to the end of April.
The plat was on the agenda for the board's March 9 meeting. However, that session was canceled because the board lacked enough members to have the quorum required in order to have a meeting.
No special meeting was discussed at that time and board members indicated they would not meet again until April 13, their next regularly scheduled session.
Although there was no March 9 meeting, board members did hear comments from one couple concerning a rezoning request and from another family concerning a subdivision plat south of the county airport.
That request, by Dwight Perry, also faced the tax-credit deadline. Perry said the house to go on the lot had to be purchased by April 1 to be eligible for the tax credit.
Perry was told that even if the Planning Board had been able to act on the request that night that it would be April 6 before it would go before county commissioners, who canceled their March 16 meeting.
Commissioners have final say-so on plats.
In response to questioning by Planning Board members Chris Cox and Mike Aycock, Perry said the total size of the property was somewhat more than 10 acres.
They told Perry that if he deeded the entire 10 acres to his daughter and son-in-law that he would not need county approval since state law exempts lots of 10 acres or more from subdivision ordinances.
Price said he was contacted by the Lancasters last week and was asked if it would be possible to hold a special session. Price said he told them there was "no reason" why one could not be held.
The Lancasters also contacted several Planning Board members who asked Price to schedule the meeting.
The Friday meeting date was settled on because several board members would not be able to meet next week, Price said.
Along with asking for the Planning Board's recommendation for approval, the Lancasters are seeking a variance on a subdivision rule that requires 100-foot lot frontage on secondary roads.
Price said one of the lots would meet the requirement, while the other would have only 95 feet. Price said the reasoning behind the requirement is to provide more separation between driveways on secondary roads.
Price said he did not think the 95-foot frontage would be an issue since only two lots are involved.
Should the Lancasters win Planning Board approval then it would go before commissioners at their April 6 session.