The Town Planning Board adjourned last night after a 3 ½-hour meeting without taking any action on the special use permit (SUP) application submitted by Ginguite, LLC/SAGA for its proposed creekfront condo-retail-office-restaurant development at 6195 N. Croatan Hwy.
The Board will continue its review of Ginguite’s SUP 23-01 at its Nov. 20 meeting. In the interim, the Town will prepare a list of further information items identified during the meeting that the Board needs in order to make a recommendation to the Town Council and give it to SAGA’s representatives to fulfill. The Board may recommend approval of the SUP, with conditions, or denial of the SUP.
Among the many concerns addressed by the Board yesterday were the functionality and capacity of the wastewater treatment plant that would serve the development; the impact that the development would have on traffic in the area; the location and any adverse effects on wetlands on the property; the building setback and vegetative buffer between the east boundary of Ginguite’s property and the Southern Shores Landing community; and the appearance of the development, once constructed.
Board Alternate Michael Zehner drew enthusiastic applause from residents in the audience when he said that the Planning Board should not take any action until a traffic impact study is done and its results are reviewed by an independent expert. The conduct of a traffic study is one of the conditions of the permit’s approval.
Calling the Board “the first line of defense in a process,” Chairperson Andy Ward observed approvingly at the end of the meeting discussion that “We’re moving the process forward.”
He declined to schedule a special meeting to resume the Board’s review before Nov. 20.
(Please Note: We are in transit today and tomorrow and do not know yet when we will be able to expound upon our report. We will do our best to provide further details about the Board meeting before the next meeting. You may view a videotape of the meeting through the Town of Southern Shores You Tube website. Thank you.)
The Beacon, 10/17/23
The Southern Shores Beacon 