home

The Oriental Town Board voted Monday night to extend its “temporary” density formulas until June 5th. The formulas had been set to expire this week.

Monday’s vote means that for at least the next three months, those who wish to build multi-units (townhomes and attached condos) in town will have to have 5,000 square feet of land for the first unit and 4,000 for the subsequent units in Oriental’s R3, MU and MU1 neighborhoods. In the R2 neighborhoods, 6,000 square feet of land will be required for any residential unit and no more than two units — a duplex — may make up a structure.

Until late last year, the formula in all of those neighborhoods had beeen 5,000 for the first unit and 3,000 for subsequent units, aka 5,000/3,000. In the past two years, more than 200 units were built or approved in town. That sparked an outcry that if the town kept those loose density standards Oriental would lose its character which was based more on single family homes.

The Town Board initially adopted the 5,000/4,000 and 6,000/6,000 formulas last November. It was a temporary arrangement, set to expire this week, with the idea that in the four months between November and March, other changes might be made in the Growth Management Ordinance to reduce densely built structures.

A so-called Stakeholders Advisory Group (SAG) delivered recommendations in late January for making changes to the GMO’s Article Eleven. (Among them, changes in setbacks and minimum lot size and setting a maximum building size.) However, the Planning Board’s review of the suggested changes in the Majority and Minority reports is not yet complete and the Town Board had no final set of recommended changes from the Planning Board in time for March 7th.

Against this backdrop, the formulas on minimum lot size for multi-unit construction were extended another three months.

Meanwhile, the Town Board Monday night also took comment directly from the public about the what the town should do in changing the GMO regarding density.

Oriental resident Jacksie Pitts points to her property on the GMO map, assisted by Town Commissioner Barbara Venturi while Mayor Styron and meeting attendees look on.

Among the four residents who addressed the density issue at the public hearing there was support for the SAG Minority report written by George Smith over the SAG Majority report. The area of concern with the Majority SAG report was that in the MU1, the Majority Report would allow the very same density — 5,000/3,000 —- that so many people in town said they wanted changed.

Jacksie Pitts, who lives on Hodges Street in the MU1 and owns an adjacent lot, told the board that the SAG Majority’s report could initially allow 4 units and ultimately 6 units on her 15,000 square feet. By contrast, under the current temporary formula only 3 condos could be built there; George Smith’s plan would bring a similar result. For that reason Pitts — along with two other residents — said they supported Smith’s Minority Report.

A fourth resident , Grace Evans, expressed related concerns. She said that because the MU1 lies alongside the waterfront and creeks, special care should be taken to keep the waters cleaner by looking at the density and the runoff. Both are issues that would be addressed more fully in the Minority report.

No one who spoke backed the SAG Majority’s plan.

The Town Board took no action on those issues as it is waiting for the Planning Board’s recommendations.

The Planning Board holds a special meeting at 6:30pm on Monday March 26th to continue to review the Stakeholders’ recommendations. The Planning Board says it hopes to have the Stakeholders joint them for that meeting which will be open to the public.

Posted Tuesday March 6, 2007 by Melinda Penkava

email this story | back to top