Please read The Outer Banks Voice for an update by Editor Mark Jurkowitz.
According to a Voice article published today, SAGA notified the Town of Southern Shores by email Jan. 26 that it was withdrawing its application and did not cite a reason.
Mr. Jurkowitz interviewed Town Manager Cliff Ogburn and a representative from SAGA for his story, which presumably was prompted by the meeting agenda posted by the Town today. (See our earlier post.)
The Beacon has neither the time nor the staff to do the reporting that The Voice does. We appreciate Mr. Jurkowitz’s update on the application status.
The Beacon, however, did the “heavy lifting” on what happened with the Zoning Text Amendment, enacted by the Town Council last June that opened the door to mixed-use commercial/residential developments in Southern Shores. The Planning Board and the Town Council disagreed on the lot coverage limitation for such building projects.
We strongly believe that the Town should have notified residents of SAGA’s application withdrawal, rather than to leave the impression that the quasi-judicial hearing would be held on Feb. 6, as previously announced.
This is why allegations of a lack of transparency by the Mayor, the Town Council, and the Town Manager arise in Southern Shores.
All of the elected officials and the Town Manager know how passionately invested and interested Southern Shores homeowners have been and still are in SAGA’s permit application, but they did not consider it of compelling or even sufficient public interest to inform homeowners about SAGA’s withdrawal.
We respectfully disagree with their decision. We believe they erred.
THE BEACON, 2/1/24
The Southern Shores Beacon 
Concur…
Lindy Martin, 127 Clamshell Trail
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Thank you, Lindy.
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