City Council to consider code amendment for boat storage facility

Published 12:30 pm Friday, September 10, 2021

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Washington City Council on Monday will consider a request from Bridge Harbor Marina LLC to amend the city code in order to facilitate the development of a dry stack boat storage facility and commercial marina on the south side of the Pamlico River.

The applicant is seeking the following amendments: Allow dry stack boat storage facilities as a special use within an office and industrial zoning district; modify the building height limitations found in the specific criteria for dry stack boat storage facilities; and allow certain accessory uses to dry stack boat storage facilities.

Dry stack boat storage facilities are currently allowed as a special use in B-2, I1 and I2 zoning districts.

The planning board voted unanimously to recommend approval of the developer’s request.

The property is located on U.S. Business 17, directly across the river from downtown Washington. The plans for the Bridge Harbor Marina project include five parts: the Bridge Harbor Clubhouse, 152 wet slips with boatlifts and three fuel docks, a 272-slip dry stack facility, a repair and office building attached to the dry stack facility, a wedding venue pole building, and a parking and boat launch and hauling site on the west side of the highway.

Monday’s meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Washington municipal building. Face masks are required.

Other items on the agenda include a vote to adopt a resolution accepting the 15th Street safety improvement design created by Stantec Engineering. In supporting documents included with the agenda, City Manager Jonathan Russell said he spoke with North Carolina Department of Transportation officials and they recommended that the city accept the proposal.

“The design includes a reduction in scope that would allow the project to remain on the current project list with an engineering start date of 2025 and right of way (ROW) acquisition taking place in 2029,” the document says.

Council will also consider some code changes, including the addition of an unlawful assembly section to the city code, as well an amendment that would correct language in the “prohibited acts” section of the city code to allow the feeding of ducks, turtles and fish from the new feeding stations along the boardwalk and promenade.