Two projects to bring 800 homes to Moyock

Two projects to bring 800 homes to Moyock
By DAVID MACAULAY
Staff Writer Daily Advance
Thursday, May 10, 2007

CURRITUCK — County commissioners overcame initial concerns about school overcrowding and approved two large subdivisions Monday that will bring more than 800 new homes to Moyock.The projects, Currituck Reserve on Tulls Creek Road, and South Ridge on Survey Road, are also scheduled to donate enough land for the county to build a second high school and a new Moyock library. In addition, the developer of Currituck Reservehas offered to pay the county $3,000 for each of its proposed 688 housing units as a contribution to the county schools.Both projects were initially held up because of concerns that they would overburden a county school district that is seeing some of its schools already nearing capacity. According to the county's original estimates, Currituck Reserve was projected to generate 273 elementary-school students, 54 middle-school students and 101 high-school students. County planners also believed the 121-unit South Ridge subdivision would generate 50 elementary-school students, 10 middle-school students and 18 high-school students. With those projections, Currituck County High School would have been pushed to 109 students over capacity, county officials said.Under a new method for calculating schoolcapacity, however, the two subdivisions aren't expected to overcrowd the schools. The new method is based on a 2004 study of school capacity completed by Tischler & Associates, Planning Director Sarah Keifer said.South Ridge and Currituck Reserve will be mainland Currituck's first planned unit developments. As well as houses, both plan to set aside landfor ponds, open space and commercial uses. Keifer said 56 percent of the Currituck Reserve project would be dedicated to open space. Richard Browner, the project's developer, has offered the county just under 50 acres of that space for a new high school, an additional 10 acres for soccer fields and four acres for a public library. John Morrison, an attorney for Browner, said the project will be built in phases, and that it will be two years before the first homes are built. He also said the developer is willing to have lot owners pay a "voluntary impact fee" to the county as a way to help mitigate Currituck Reserve's effect on the school district."The folks at Currituck Reserve will put in their sales contracts that at the time a building permit is obtained $3,000 must be paid to Currituck county school system, per lot," Morrison said.The offer is substantially less than the fee Currituck is currently considering as part of a new adequate facilities ordinance. The ordinance envisions developers paying a per-home voluntary impact feein excess of $12,000. The ordinance has stalled amid criticism. Some members of Currituck's Planning Board again expressed their reservations about it on Tuesday, agreeing to hold up making a recommendation until after meeting on the subject with the Board of Commissioners. Keifer said Monday that South Ridge developer Charles Friedman has also offered the county land in his development for a public library. Project engineer Mark Bissell said South Ridge would be an "integrated community" and would include lakes, picnic areas and trails. Just under four acres would be set aside for the library and include land for a playground area.

2 projects to bring 800 homes to Moyock

Blogged with Flock