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Reading through the minutes for the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners, I noticed that the Chocowinity Industrial Park has been a subject of discussion for the last couple of meetings. Zoning was the topic at all three meetings.

The Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) of Chocowinity was extended to include the property of the Chocowinity Industrial Park in 2006 by House Bill 25-24 passed by the General Assembly.

The land for the industrial park was purchased around 2007 for two industrial candidates which preferred to be located south of Chocowinity on Highway 17. Unfortunately, the 2008 financial crisis, sometimes called a mini depression, caused both not to happen. Both facilities were what I would identify as light manufacturing.

In 2016, a $200 million biodiesel manufacturing facility employing 350 employees, with three structures, was proposed for the park. It too has passed into history.

Two wood pellet manufacturing companies also looked at the property. One of them settled on a location in Ahoskie. To me, biodiesel and wood pellet manufacturing are heavy industry.

In 2014, people in the area objected to the construction of a Beaufort County Safety Center in the park which would have included a county jail. A biodiesel or wood pellet manufacturing facility could easily create environmental concerns that area residents might also object to.

Beaufort County Economic Development definitely looked at heavy industry and anything else which would locate in the Chocowinity Industrial Park.

Generally, light industrial zoning in North Carolina, I-1, is for small scale manufacturing, warehousing and distribution. Examples are electronic, component manufacturing, smaller end products, and component machine shops (job shops). They have low environmental impact and are generally quiet.

Heavy industrial zoning, I-2, is normally for large industrial facilities requiring a lot of land. Examples are electrical power equipment manufacturing, chemical, processing plants, sawmills, concrete plants, end -to-end fabrication and assembly manufacturing. They tend to need good access to highways, roads and sometimes rail. Environmental pollution and noise can be concerns.

There was much discussion about rezoning the industrial park at the October, November and December commissioner meetings from light industrial use to heavy industrial use. At the October meeting, the Board approved a motion to petition the Town of Chocowinity to change the zoning of the Chocowinity Industrial Park to heavy industry by a 6 to 1 vote.

In the past, zoning in the park has never been an issue but I-2, heavy industrial, is appropriate. The park is well suited for one large industrial industry but can also be broken up into several industrial sites to accommodate smaller business. Both approaches can be used at the same time to attract clients.

Just because an industry is zoned I-2, doesn’t mean the county and Chocowinity are required to accept the business and must allow it to be built. The county can deem the business inappropriate and not allow it to be built. I don’t know anything about zoning law but I would hope it allows for exclusions based on what a community considers inappropriate.

Chocowinity Industrial Park has seen little traffic over the years and hasn’t been marketed that much. Added attention should help but there are no guarantees. I have always believed that an involved proactive advisory board and strategic plan are a good foundation for any local economic development program.

Al Klemm is a Washington resident and a former Beaufort County Commissioner.