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Swansboro Planning Board is sending a recommendation to town commissioners that metal buildings – without any other primary surface material – be allowed within the MI, or Light Industrial, zoning district.

If approved, it would alter a 2013 amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance that put certain appearance requirements in place for commercial structures in Swansboro and its planning and zoning district.

The planning board’s vote to recommend approval of the amendment was not unanimous.

Scott Chadwick, board chair, brought the matter to the planning board at the July regular meeting.

He shared with the board a situation that he found to be unreasonable.

Richard Peterson, a contractor, was denied a building permit for a building project on Seth Thomas Lane because the building was metal and did not meet the standards in place as of the 2013 UDO amendment, according to Chadwick.

The area is zoned MI.

“It was denied because the building was a metal building,” Chadwick said.

Peterson told Chadwick that he received a permit for a similar structure – a metal building – on Seth Thomas Lane in 2016.

That 2016 approval was subsequent to the ordinance revision in 2013 that should have restricted it, according to information from Jennifer Ansell, town planner. Based on that 2013 revision, “We do not allow metal as a primary material.”

In her investigation she could not find an exception that would have allowed the building Peterson obtained a permit for in 2016. Nonetheless, the metal building was permitted.

In response to Chadwick’s concerns, she proposed an exception that would apply only to structures in the MI district.

“It would just allow that material to be used,” Ansell said.

In that area, Chadwick asked if the buildings are primarily metal on the sides and rear.

There are “a few” buildings in that development that have different, acceptable, materials – some do have brick or stucco – façades, according to Ansell.

“But mostly those are metal buildings down Seth Thomas Lane,” Ansell told the panel..

Chadwick then asked about the building permitted in 2016.

“It has quite a bit of brick on the front, doesn’t it?” he asked.

Ansell said, “Just the entryway. It’s just the doorway. It is predominately a metal building.”

Edward Binanay, planning board member, asked for clarification on the MI zone. Ansell said it currently is only established on Seth Thomas Lane.

Binanay then asked, “This exception would only be in the industrial area?”

It would, according to Ansell.

This commercial-industrial district, which is off N.C. 24 and in the area of the Swansboro Branch Library, is nearly built out, according to Chadwick.

“So we are down to the last two lots in there,” he said.

As he encouraged discussion on the amendment proposal, Chadwick said that when he was made aware that Peterson would have to comply now, he said he believed that to be unfair.

“It would seem like a hardship to me,” Chadwick said. “He asked what we could do.”

Under the proposed amendment, Ansell indicated that the main difference would be that metal would be allowed as a primary material.

“He would have to comply with our other architectural character requirements,” she said. “There are still things he’ll have to do.”

Chadwick asked if the amendment should be altered, perhaps to require the use of one of the materials currently approved as a façade.

“Do we want to require more on the front of the building than is being required now?” he asked.

While the members shared thoughts on the value of requiring a more extensive façade treatment, the motion put forth by Sherry Hancock, planning board member, was to follow Ansell’s proposal.

“So your motion would be for the text amendment that Jennifer has already given us?” he asked. She said it would.

Once seconded, Laurent Meilleur, member, offered some counterpoints.

“The concern I would have permitting this change, because there are only two (lots) left, … number one is the MI could be extended,” he said. In other words, if other areas are ever zoned MI, the metal building would be allowed. “That ordinance then allows metal in areas outside of (Seth Thomas Lane). The other concern is (for) the people who have put up structures with facing … that just went up.

“So, I wouldn’t use the lowest bar.”

Nonetheless, when the vote was called, Hancock’s motion was approved 3-2

Chadwick, Hancock and Mike Favata voted for, Binanay and Meilleur voted against.

Email Jimmy Williams at jimmy@tidelandnews.com.

Purchase a July 27, 2022, Tideland News for more on this story.

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