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Lowe’s endorsed by Planning Board
Some speakers urged against allowing the loss of a rare stretch of undeveloped, wooded property.
Board members told a crowd that filled the meeting room they had little choice but to recommend forwarding the site plan to the Board of Commissioners because it met the town’s zoning requirements.
“There’s no way this board can control who sells this property to who,” said board member J. Howard Kimble.
The vote was 4-2. There was considerable debate about whether the board should approve sending the proposal to the Board of Commissioners before a list of details was cleared up. It was approved on the condition that they be resolved first.
About a dozen speakers, most of them from neighborhoods abutting the site, expressed concerns about lighting, the lot elevation, traffic and the fact that it will be next door to the Wright Brothers National Memorial.
“I have now resigned myself to the fact that my house will never be the same,” said Margaret Carter, whose house on Canal Drive would be directly behind the store.
Lowe’s wants to build the 120,587-square-foot-store on the north side of Landing Drive and south of First Street. It would include a 38,467-square-foot garden center for a total of 159,054 square feet. The 12.8-acre site is owned by the Meekins family and Times Printing Co.
Although pipes, swales and retention ponds are planned to handle runoff, several speakers were wary of specifications calling for the lot to be elevated 10.5 feet under the store. The area being covered by the project was also a concern.
With the fill, said Michael Lowack, “the water will run off and it will run off into our neighborhoods.”
The building has to be above the flood level, which is 9 feet, said town Planner Shanda Davenport. She said neighboring lots are elevated 5, 6 and 7 feet.
Plans call for a right turn entrance and exit on U.S. 158. Landing Drive on the south side of property would be widened to three lanes to provide another entrance to the store, and a light has been proposed at its intersection with U.S. 158.
Residents of Porthole Court said their small residential street would become a shortcut off U.S. 158 to Landing Drive. Porthole runs from U.S. 158 to Landing Drive after making a 90-degree turn north. They asked that it be made a dead-end street or that some other measure be taken to prevent through traffic.
Speakers also expressed concerns about plans for 38-foot light poles. Davenport said that by the time the light reaches the perimeters of the property, “you’re talking about moonlight levels.” Lowering the poles would mean installing more of them, said Todd Simmons of Freeland & Kauffman, Lowe’s engineering consultant.
Among the exceptions the Board of Commissioners will have to approve is the 409 parking spaces in the plan. Town zoning would require 795. Simmons said that the company knows from studies and experience that it would not need that many.
Commissioners also have to sign off on the entrance and exit on U.S. 158, planting fewer trees along U.S. 158 and variances from lighting levels. Davenport said lighting levels overall would be lower than mandated but they would not match up precisely to the various levels required for different situations within the project.
Board member Jerry Froelich urged those attending to take their concerns to the Board of Commissioners, which has the final say on the site plan and the exceptions requested by Lowe’s. If the half dozen details listed by the planning staff are cleared up, the plan could go before the Board of Commissioners Sept. 13
Froelich suggested that citizens can have a voice in the matter, saying the last time he saw the meeting room as filled in the past 10 years was when a public outcry helped defeat plans for a crematorium.
“I’ve seen it,” he said. “I’ve seen it happen.”
Previous story: Lowe’s unveils plans for store at Landing Drive »
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FW says:
Just why oh why do we have covenants, architectural committees and the like.
When at the whim of a few they are just swept aside!
Don’t any Politicians listen to their constituents????
Another “sad day” for the neighborhood!
Who will stop this madness??
Has anyone shown a total benefit to this project??
FW says:
A benefit ….
The Wright Brothers would have saved a fortune .. not needing to go to Ohio for materials!
Paul Buske says:
FW
What items were swept aside? I am very interested in hearing about them. I received a report this morning with the Planning Boards notes which contained 7 items that needed to be addressed before it come to the BOC. We were also made aware of the public’s concerns during the public comment time. This tract of land is zoned commercial and they have to meet the requirements for that zone which was the concern of the Planning Board. Please elaborate. And some, maybe not all, politicians do listen to their constituents, they just usually don’t show up at meetings or call us. Posting on a blog is not the best way to have your voice heard.
FW says:
Mr. Buske,
Please show the true cost benefit analysis for this undertaking!
Do you really believe people come here to shop for building supplies?
They come for the natural beauty that is quickly being destroyed!
J.C. Towler, Jr. says:
Does anybody else see a connection between a new Lowe’s coming to the area and the inevitable raising of the height restrictions for buildings in Kill Devil Hills?
Of course not. Purely coincidence, just like the sudden demand for sluice boxes and gold pans around Sutter’s Mill in 1849.
Marshall says:
Go Lowe’s!
Love it!
Bobby says:
Funny how the residents can gripe on a message board or worse on a blog but won’t go to a meeting to raise their issues. I don’t think the Commissioners can use a message board to decide issues. Makes you wonder if they are even registered voters?
Chuck Ball says:
Paul,
The number one fear that most people have, according to many surveys, is public speaking. Most people will not come to a formal board meeting and have to stand at a podium with a time limit to try to express themselves. It is proven by the contrast in the attendance at the open forum meetings which are more casual that the town has periodically. When I was in office, I said the same thing. People do not come to the meetings, so how am I supposed to know what they want? Ask them. Ask them in any way possible. On the beach, in the store, in the gym, at church. You may be doing this, as I suspect you are, but blogs are also a legitimate forum. Look how many people have responded to this one. I don’t see you in my day-to-day life, but we can have a discussion from our computers no matter where we are. A completely legitimate way to communicate in this day and age. Potshots can be discounted but meaningful discussion should be welcome in any format. If I am wrong about the
5-0 vote to increase height, then I accept that, but only time will tell.
mag says:
Why doesn’t everyone who is against this raise up like they did in Manteo against food lion coming to their town. Still do not see a food lion in Manteo, do you?
Bobby says:
Chuck, it is a bit naive to think that any message board is a good forum to learn how people really feel about the issues. Most posters choose to post anonymously or with several different aliases. Yea sure, there are the well meaning posters that state who they are and can discuss the issues civilly but they are by far the minority. Many fear the wrath and retribution of those they debate. Yes, they will track you down in the parking lot, inside the grocery store or even call your home. Yes, the fear of public speaking is probably the number one fear known to man. But they also fear what some will do when they don’t want your opinion if it opposes theirs and the lengths they will go through to get in your face! Many people want to point fingers…..they never offer solutions nor do they want to be part of a solution if it isn’t in their favor.
DP says:
Number One: This is not a re-zoning issue..the property is zoned commercial just like K-mart or Kellogs. Fact.
Number Two: You have to be careful what you try to protest away, sometimes things get worse. I’m in real estate. I know the other offer involves a water park, go-kart track and other amusements involving a guy who already has demonstrated the financial capacity to own half the commercial tracts on the Outer Banks . . . sound familar? The alternative is not open space for free, it is some other land use that will make money on a 12-acre site. Want open space . . . get your money together and BUY IT.
Number Three: People should be smart enough not to bite the hand that feeds them. The posters on this blog . . . one in particular . . . would not be able to afford to live here or would not have a job if not for a growing tax base. Ask the guy who created the blog about a declining economy and what happens when push comes to shove.
If you don’t like growth or certain merchants . . . don’t shop there.
Gary says:
To me, as a family man living in First Flight Village, the water park and go cart track would be preferable. At least it would give families more options for something to do.
Bob Samuels says:
DP, “BUY IT”?
The large majority of the tax payers and full-time residents of KDH/OBX don’t have the ability to buy a property like this. So, I guess, you want us all to just lay down and let the wealthy decide our futures for us; status quo. The realtors have won once again. Congratulations
Towns and counties can buy open space with, yes, tax money. Open space, if managed correctly, is a good thing. It increases the value of our properties and entices our visitors (who feed the hand that feeds you as well) to return. Selling property begins with a community, not a sale.
David F Henderson says:
Here is a online petition to help us battle this.
http://www.gopetition.com/petition/38587/signatures.html
An even stronger impact is made by writing our commissioners and mayor. The parking variance is our best legal angle. If people take action and tell them (not just your friends) we may be able to defeat this atrocity. Here are their contacts.
http://www.kdhnc.com/documents/Administration/boc.webpage.12.14.2009.PDF
David F Henderson says:
I just read Mr. Buske’s and Mr. Ball’s posts above. Some of these commissioners really listen and try to take our concerns into account. If you don’t write to them by e-mail or letter they don’t know what you’re thinking. Blogs and posts are great to reach the community and raise energy, but to actually have an impact we must petition our representatives. Just coming to this discussion board lets us know that these two are trying to listen. Write your commissioners.
Stan Clough says:
The parking is no big deal, legally. KDH parking regulations are designed for restaurants, etc. Look at the Kmart, It has never been anywhere near half full even on Black Friday! The Lowe’s has a right to be there unless enough people want to get together and buy the piece of land and make it a park. If you want to stop it that’s your way. Other than that, we need to make sure they INCREASE the vegetive buffers on the front and back and protect Porthole Court.
JCA says:
Parking is indeed an issue. It happens to be the way the town has some ability to regulate the size of a project. If Lowe’s was held to the KDH zoning regarding parking, they would not be able to put such a large building on that property.