Land Use Plan-1987

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Division of Coastal Management
Land Use Plan
Pamlico County North Carolina
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Land Use Plan
Pamlico County North Carolina
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Adopted by the Board of County Conmissioners of Pamlico County
February 23, 1987
Certified by the North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission
June 5, 1987
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The preparation of this report was funded in part through a grant provided by •
the North Carolina Coastal Management Program, through funds provided by the
Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended, which is administered by the
United States Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Louise Muse
Patsy M. Sadler
Brad Rice
Robert Paul
Nancy Smith
PLANNING BOARD
Clifton E. Stowe
Frank T. Willis Grace Evans
J. David Simpson W. Odell Spain
Eugene Broughton, Secretary
Bernard B. Hollowell, Jr., Attorney
COUNTY MANAGER
W.R. Rice
COUNTY ATTORNEY
Bernard B. Hollowell

Consultants
David J. Brower
Timothy Beatley
Carolyn Ocel
Coastal Resources Collaborative, Ltd.
612 Shady Lawn
Chapel Hill, N.C. 27514
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Contents
Chapter
Page
1.0
Growth and Change in Pamlico County . . . . . . . . . .
. 1
2.0
Existing Land Use and Development Trends in the County.
. 10
3.0
Natural and Fragile Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 14
4.0
Economic and Industrial Development . . . . . . . . . .
. 32
5.0
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing . . . . . . . . . . .
. 38
6.0
Mining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 46
7.0
Mitigation of Natural Hazards . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 50
8.0
Traffic and Transportation . . . . . ... . . . . . . . .
. 58
9.0
Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 64
10.0
Recreation and Open Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 67
11.0
Public Facilities and Services . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 71
12.0
Protection of Aesthetic and Visual Resources. . . . . .
. 79
13.0
Land Classification System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 83
14.0
Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 88
15.0
Public Participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 90
16.0
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 91

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Index
Acreage: in farmland, 37, 38; of county 1, 10, 37, 38; of water in county, 1,
10
AEC's, 24-28, 29
Aerial photography, 12
Aesthetic and visual resources, 13, 25, 36, 41, 44, 63, 67, 68, 79-82
Age distribution, 4, 5, 6
Aged people. See Senior citizens
Agriculture. See Farms and farming
Air quality, 49
Alliance, N.C., 75, 78
Animals. See Birds and waterfowl; Wildlife
Aquatic plants, 16
Aquifers. See water quality and water resources
Arapahoe, N.C., 68
Archaeology and archaeological resources, 26, 27, 28, 68, 70, 80, 82
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Architecture and historic architectural resources, 24, 26, 27, 28, 80, 82
Areas of Environmental Concern (AEC's), 24-28, 29
Athletics, 67, 68, 69. See also Recreation and recreational facilities
Atlantic Ocean, 14, 25, 54. See also Coastal plain, coastal areas, and
coastal wetlands
Aurora, N.C., 59
Automobiles. See Motor vehicles
Bakeries, 33
Bars, 33
Bayboro, N.C., 1, 28, 37, 42, 50, 59, 67, 72, 74, 75, 78, 83
Bayboro Sewerage District, 83-85
Bay City Pocosin, 28, 46
Bay river, 20, 86
Bay River Metropolitan Sewerage District (BRMSD), 74, 75; diagrammed, 76
Bay River Soil and Water Conservation District, 45
Bays. See Sounds and bays
Beaches, 13, 54, 69
Beaufort County, N.C., 28
Benefit standard, 77
Benner's Plantation, 28
Bennett, N.C., 59
Biology. See Birds and waterfowl; Fish, fishing, and fishing industry;
Wildlife
Birds and waterfowl, 1, 20, 22, 24, 27, 86; land for, diagrammed, 2. See also
Wildlife
Board of commissioners, 90
Board of Education, 67, 68
Boats and boating, 25, 26, 31, 37, 42, 69, 70, 82
Bonds. See Fiscal affairs
Boundaries of county, 1, 28; diagrammed, 2
Bridges, 59, 60, 62

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BRMSD, 74, 75, 76
Broad Creek, 54
Building and building permits. See Construction and construction industry;
Housing
Business. See Commerce and trade; Economy and economic base; Industry and
industrial development
LAMA, 24-28, 29, 52, 55
Canals, 40
Cars. See Motor vehicles
Carteret County, N.C., 42, 59
Castle Hayne aquifer, 71, 72
Castle Hayne limestone formation, 14
CDBG Program, 64
Change, in county. See Growth and development
Chemical industry, 33
China Grove House, 28
China Grove Plantation, 67
Chowan Terrace, 14
Cities, towns, and municipalities, 1, 37, 75, 78, 79, 81, 85; diagrammed, 2.
See also specific cities, towns and municipalities
Civic clubs, 55
Climate, 15, 41
Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA), 24-28, 29, 52, 55
Coastal Complex Natural Areas, 27-28
Coastal plain, coastal areas, and coastal wetlands, 3, 14, 24,
27, 28, 29-30,
42, 44, 52, 54, 55, 56, 62, 71, 88
Coastal Resources Commission (CRC), 10, 27, 88
Coddle Creek, 54'
Colleges. See Education and educational facilities
Commerce and trade, 14, 25, 32, 33, 34, 36, 42, 53, 60, 63, 66,
71, 80, 81.
See also Economy and economic base; Industry and industrial
development
Commercial fishing. See Fish, fishing, and fishing industry
Commissioners, Board of, 90
Communications industry, 32, 33
Commuting. See Travel, transportation, and transportation industry
Computers, 52
Conservation and conservation programs, 15, 16, 18, 25, 45, 67,
68-69, 83, 86;
zones for, diagrammed, 84
Construction and construction industry, 6, 12, 13, 32, 33, 35,
53, 55, 57, 66,
79, 81
See also Housing '
Costs. See Fiscal affairs
Counties, 3, 42, 45. See also specific counties
County seat. See Bayboro, N.C..
Courthouses, 68, 74
Craven County, N.C., 1
CRC, 10, 27, 88
Creeks. See Rivers, ....
Crops. See Farms and farming
Cultural resource areas, 27
Cyclones, 50. See also Storms

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Dairy industry, 33, 39. See also Farms and farming
Dare County, N.C., 42
Dawson Creek, 28
Dawson's Creek Bridge, 28
DCM, 27
Demography, 6
Development. See Growth and Development
Division of Coastal Management (DCM), 27
Doctors. See Health care and health facilities
Drainage, 15-16, 26, 29, 40, 42, 43, 44, 56
Durable goods. See Industry and industrial development
Dwelling units. See Construction and construction industry; Housing
Ecology. See Birds and waterfowl; Fish, fishing, and fishing industry;
Wildlife
Economy and economic base, 1, 32-36, 41, 43, 44, 49, 60, 62. See also
Commerce and trade; Industry and industrial development
Education and educational facilities, 6, 7, 32, 33, 34, 55, 63, 67, 68, 69-70,
74
• Effluents. See Sewerage and wastewater disposal
Elderly people. See Senior citizens
Electrical machinery industry, 33
Elementary schools. See Education and educational facilities
Employment, 32-35, 58, 59, 60, 79. See also Occupations
Endangered species. - See Rare and endangered species
Energy production, 46
Engineers, 33, 34, 52
Entertainment industry, 33
Environment: altered, 81; and farming and forestry, 44; and housing, 66; and
sewerage disposal, 77; attractiveness of, 79; concern about, 24; degraded,
42, 78; of county, 1; regulated and protected, 28, 35, 36; sensitive, 13,
78; use of, 81. See also entries immediately folowing
Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance, 29
Environmental Impact Statements, 30
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 75
EPA, 75
Erosion, 24, 25, 44, 53, 54
Estuaries. See Rivers,...
Ethnic composition, 6,7
Family income. See Income levels
Farmers Home Administration (FHA), 72
Farms and farming; 1, 10, 13, 18-20, 28, 29, 32, 33, 34, 35-36, 37-45, 49, 79,
87; soils for, diagrammed, 19. See also Rural areas; Soils
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 50
Federal Paper Hardwood Flats, 22; diagrammed, 23
FEMA, 50
Ferries, 60, 62
FHA, 72
Finance industry, 32, 33,.34
Firefighters, 34
Fiscal affairs, 3, 13, 45, 68, 69, 70, 75, 77, 88
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Fish, fishing, and fishing industry, 1, 13, 20, 24, 25, 32, 33, 34, 35-36, 37,
42-45, 49, 74, 86; nursery areas for, diagrammed, 21
Floating homes, 31 •
Floods and flood control, 15, 24, 25, 50-53, 54-55; insurance zones for,
diagrammed, 51; slosh areas in, diagrammed, 52a
Food industry, 1, 32, 33
Forests, forestry, and forest products industry, 1, 10, 16, 18, 26, 28, 29,
32, 33, 34, 35-36, 37-45, 49, 79, 81, 83, 87. See also Furniture industry
Fossils. See Geology •
Freshwater. See Water; Water quality and water resources
Funding. See Fiscal affairs
Furniture industry, 32, 33
Game. See Birds and waterfowl; Wildlife
Gaskill Seafood Co., Inc., 74
Gasoline stations, 33
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Geology, 14, 15, 24, 27, 28, 71
Goals: for natural and fragile areas, 29; for economic and industrial
development, 35; for agriculture, forestry, and fishing, 43-44; for mining,
49; for mitigation of natural hazards, 54; for traffic and transportation,
62; for housing, 65; for recreation and open spaces, 67, 69; for public
facilities and services, 77, 78; for aesthetic and visual resources, 80;
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general, 83
Goose Creek, 1
Goose Creek Island, 28, 56, 59, 72
Goose Creek State Game Lands, 20
Grants. See Fiscal affairs
Grantsboro, N.C., 59, 72
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Groundwater. See Water; Water quality and water resources
Growth and development: and aesthetics, 80; and archaeological resources, 26;
and coastal wetlands, 30; and farms and forestry, 44-45; and floods, 52;
and historic architecture, 26; and housing, 66; and hurricanes, 53; and
infrastructure, 63; and land, 44; and natural areas, 27, 29, 35, 36, 79,
81, 86; and natural hazards areas, 55, 56; and poorly drained areas, 15;
and public facilities and services, 77; and public water access, 70; and
quality of life, 88; and recreation and open spaces, 67, 69, 70; and roads,
60, 62-63, 79-80; and rural areas, 87; and sewers, 36, 78, 85; and
shorelines, 26; and urban areas, 10; and water system, 72; areas favored
for 85-85; described, 1-9, 44; diagrammed, 11; scale of, 88, 89; trends in,
6, 10-13. See also Commerce and trade; Industry and industrial development
Habitats. See Birds and waterfowl; Wildlife
Hardwood Flats, 22, 86; diagrammed, 23
Health care and health facilities, 20, 32, 33, 34, 44, 60, 74, 77
Health Department, 74
High schools. See Education and educational facilities •
Highways. See Roads and highways
History and historic architectural resources, 24, 26, 27, 28, 67, 68, 70, 79,
80, 82
Hobucken, N.C., 20, 42, 40, 68
Holton (Alonza) House, 67-68
Holton (Jeptha) House, 68
Homes. See Construction and construction industry; Housing
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Hospitals. See Health care and health facilities
Hotels, 25, 53
• Housing, 12, 13, 25, 31, 36, 60, 61, 64-66, 70, 79. See also Construction and
construction industry
Human resources, 74
Hunting, 20, 41
Hurricanes, 13, 24, 50, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 62. See also Storms
• Implementation, 88-89
Income levels, 8, 9, 32, 35
Industry and industrial development, 1, 29, 32-36, 42, 60, 62. See also
commerce and trade; specific industries
Insurance industry, 32, 33, 50, 51
Intracoastal Waterway, 72; diagrammed, 2
Islands, 30
Janiero, N.C., 54
Jones Island, 13
Junior high schools. See Education and educational facilities
• Kennels Beach, 54
Land: acreage of, see Acreage; agricultural value of, 37, 38; and
development, 88-89; and hurricanes, 53; and natural beauty, 81; and Texas
Gulf Co., 46; classification system for, 83-87; classification system for,
diagrammed, 84; conserved, 68-69; funds for, 68; productivity of, 44, 49.
• See also Land use and land use plans
Land and Water Conservation Fund, 68-69
Landforms. See Topography
Land use and land use plans: and conservation, 86; and habitats, 20, 22; and
•hurricanes, 52; and lower -income residents, 8; and mining, 49; and.natural
areas, 25; and natural beauty, 79; and rural areas, 87; and soils, 16; and
timber industry, 41; classified, 83-87; existing and trends in, 10-13;
planning for 69, 70, 90; public participation in, 90. See also Land
Land Use Plan, 69, 70
Lawyers, 33
Legal affairs. See Lawyers
Licensing, 42
Life, quality of. See Quality of life
• Lifestyle. See Quality of life
Light Ground Pocosin, 28, 46
.Livestock. See Farms and farming
Lowland, N.C., 42, 68, 72
Lumber. See Forests, forestry, and forest products industry
Lynch,* 22, 27, 29, 86
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Machinery industry, 32, 33
Manufacturing. See Industry and industrial development
Marshes. See Rivers,...
Master Plan for Parks and Recreation, 69
Medical care. See Health care and health facilities
• Merritt Hardwood Flats, 22; diagrammed, 23
Mesic, N.C., 20, 68, 75
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Metal industry, 33
Middle Bay Site, 68
Minerals. See Mining
Mining, 13, 28, 32, 33, 46-49, 87
Minnesott Beach, N.C., 13, 28, 59,
Minnesott Ridge, 14, 16
Mobile homes and mobile home parks,
Motels, 25
Motor vehicles, 33, 35, 58-59, 61,
Municipalities. See Cities, towns,
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12, 25, 30
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and municipalities
National Flood Insurance Program, 52, 54
Natural areas, 14-31, 35, 36, 49, 56, 63, 79, 81, 83-86. See also Natural
hazards; Natural resources
Natural hazards, mitigation of, 50-57, 62. See also specific natural hazards.
Natural resources, 1, 37, 44, 49, 66. See also specific natural resources
Natural scientists, 34
Nature trails, 69, 70
Naval stores, 40
Navigation. See Boats and boating
Neuse River,,l, 20, 54, 60, 86
New Bern, N.C., 59
Nondurable goods. See Industry and industrial development
Non-renewable resources. See Natural resources
North Carolina: age distribution in, 4, 5, 6; and Atlantic Ocean, 25; and
clean water, 75; and disaster assistance, 55; and housing, 66; and Pamlico
County, 1; and Public Trust Waters, 25; and septic tanks, 13; and water
systems, 72; coastal areas of, 3, 88; conservation in, 45; counties in, 3;
education in, 6, 7; ethnic composition of, 6, 7; growth of, 3; highways in,
14, 28; housing in, 64-65; income in, 8,9; parks in, 69, 70; population of,
3-7; poverty in, 8,9; roads in, 28, 62; roads in, diagrammed, 2; water
bonds of, 75. See also entries immediately following.
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
North Carolina Department of Human Resources, 74
North Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Community Development, 25
North Carolina Department of Transportation, 59
North Carolina Division of Emergency Management, 56
North Carolina Fisheries Regulations for Coastal Waters, 25
North Carolina General Assembly, 13, 45
North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management, 3
North Carolina Sedimentation Pollution Control Act of 1973, 26
North Minnesott Sand Ridge, 22; diagrammed, 23
Northwest Pocosin, 22, 46; diagrammed, 23
NPDES permits, 74
Occupations, listed,33-35. See also Employment
Olympia, N.C., 59, 68
Open spaces, 67-70
Ordinances, 29, 30, 56, 70, 80
Oriental, N.C., 13, 37, 42, 50, 54, 68, 72
Outdoor activities. See Recreation and recreational facilities
Pamlico, N.C., 37, 42
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Pamlico County, N.C.: Location and characteristics of, 1, 14, 79, 81;
diagrammed, 2. See also specific topics and entries immediately following
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Pamlico County Board of Commissioners, 90
Pamlico County Board of Education, 67, 68
Pamlico County Court House, 68
Pamlico County Courthouse Square, 74
Pamlico County Health Department, 74
Pamlico County High School, 74
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Pamlico County Junior High School, 68, 74
Pamlico County Planning Board, 90
Pamlico County Recreation Commission, 67
Pamlico Packing Co., 74
Pamlico River, 1
Pamlico Sound, 1, 14, 20, 24, 86
Pamlico Terrace, 14
Paradise Shores Hammocks, 68
Parks, 67, 68, 69, 70
Pastures. See Farms and farming
Peacock, , 22, 27, 29, 86
Peat deposits and peat mining, 13, 26, 28, 46, 48, 49; deposits, diagrammed,
48. See also Mining
Personal services. See Services industry
Pests, 37
Phosphate deposits and phosphate mining, 13, 46-47, 49; deposits, diagrammed,
47. See also Mining
Photography, aerial, 12
Pitch, 40
Planning. See Land use and land use plans; specific topics
Planning Board, 90
Plants. See Vegetation
Plumbing. See Sewerage and wastewater disposal
Pocosins, 15, 18, 22, 23, 28, 46, 68, 86
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Police, 34
Policies: for natural and fragile areas, 29; for economic and industrial
• development, 35; for agriculture, forestry, and fishing, 44-45; for mining,
49; for mitigation of natural hazards, 54-57; for traffic and
transportation, 62-63; for housing, 66; for recreation and open spaces, 69-
70; for public facilities and services, 77-78; for aesthetic and visual
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resources, 80-82; general, 83, 88
Pollution, 13, 24, 26, 29, 35, 43, 44. See also Sewerage and wastewater
disposal; specific pollutants
Poor people. See Poverty
Population, 1, 3-7, 58, 59, 60, 63
Post offices, 3
Poverty, 8, 9, 32, 60
Prehistory, 28
Printing and publishing industry, 33
Private sector, 30, 54, 55, 70
Professions, 33, 34
Property taxes. See Taxes
Psychology, 49
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Public areas, public administration, public facilities, and public
participation, 27, 32, 33, 34, 53, 54, 55, 56, 69, 70, 71-78, 81, 83, 90
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Public health. See Health care and health facilities
Public transportation. See Travel, transportation, and transportation
industry
Public trust areas, 24
Public Trust Waters, 25,,29
Public utilities, 32, 33
Public water system. See Water quality and water resources
Publishing industry, 33
Quality of life, 32, 35, 44, 64, 70, 80, 88
Railroads, 33
Rare and endangered species, 20, 22, 24, 27
Real estate industry, 32, 33
Recreation and recreational facilities, 1, 13, 25, 30, 33, 36, 41, 44, 56, 67-
70. See also specific forms of recreation
Recreation Commission, 67
Reel House, 68
Reelsboro, N.C., 68
Relief. See Topography
Religion, 33
Remnant species. See Rare and endangered species
Renewable resources. See Natural Resources
Rental housing. See Housing
Repair services, 33
Residences. See Construction and construction industry; Housing
Resorts. See Tourism and vacationers
Resources. See Natural resources
Restaurants, 25, 33, 53
Retail trade. See Commerce and trade
Retirees. See Senior citizens
Rivers, streams, creeks, watercourses, swamps, marshes, wetlands, shorelines,
and estuaries, 1, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 24, 25-26, 29, 30, 37, 42,
43, 44, 46, 49, 54, 68, 79, 81, 82, 86; diagrammed, 2. See also Coastal
plain coastal areas, and coastal wetlands; Drainage; specific bodies of
water
Roads and highways, 12, 14, 28, 37, 56, 58, 59-60, 62, 69, 72, 79, 81;
diagrammed, 2. See also Streets
Rocks and rock formations. See Geology
Runoff. See Drainage
Rural areas, 1, 3, 44, 79, 81, 87; diagrammed, 84. See also Farms and farming
Safir-Simpson Scale, 52
Sand Ridges, 15, 22, 86; diagrammed, 23
Sanitary services, 33
Scenic areas. See Aesthetic and visual resources
Schools. See Education and educational facilities
Scientists, 34
SCS, 15, 16, 18, 67, 68
Seafood industry. See Fish, fishing, and fishing industry
Sea Lake Overland Surge from Hurricanes (SLOSH), 52
Seasonal housing. See Housing
Seasonal visitors. See Tourism and vacationers
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Seat, of county. See Bayboro, N.C.
Secondary schools. See Education and educational facilities
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Senior citizens, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 13, 60
Septic tanks. See Sewerage and wastewater disposal
Services industry, 32, 33
Sewerage and wastewater disposal, 13, 20, 29, 30, 36, 43, 56, 64, 65,
74-78,
83-85, 87; sewerage district, diagrammed, 2. See also Pollution
Shorelines. See Rivers,...
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Sickness. See Health care and health facilities
Signs, 80
Site designs, 79, 81
SLOSH, 52
Smith House, 68
Social life and social services, 25, 33, 49, 61
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Soil Conservation Service (SCS) (U.S.), 15, 16, 18, 67, 68
Soils, 13, 15-16, 18, 20, 26, 29, 30, 37, 40, 41, 45, 48, 67, 68, 71,
74;
diagrammed, 17, 19
Sounds and bays, 1, 13, 25, 37, 54, 79, 82; diagrammed, 2. See also
Coastal
plain, coastal areas, and coastal wetlands; specific sounds and bays
South Minnesott Sand Ridge, 22; diagrammed, 23
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State Clean Water Bonds, 75
Stonewall, N.C., 75, 78
Stores. See Commerce and trade
Storms, 24, 50, 52, 53, 54, 56, 62. See also Drainage; Hurricanes
Streams. See Rivers, ...
Streets, 58, 60, 72. See also Roads and highways
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Subdivisions. See Construction and construction industry; Housing
Suffolke scarp, 14
Surface waters. See Water; Water quality and water resources
Swamps. See Rivers, ...
Swimming, 70
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Tar, 40
Taverns, 33
Taxes, 45, 79, 88
Taylor Co., 41
Teachers. See Education and educational facilities
Texas Gulf Co., 41, 46
Textile industry, 33
Thoroughfares. See Roads and highways; Streets
Tides, 24
Timber. See Forests, forestry, and forest products industry
Topography, 14, 15, 16, 20
Tourism and vacationers, 13, 36, 49, 65, 69, 80
Townhomes. See Housing
Towns. See Cities, towns, and municipalities
Traffic.. See Travel, transportation and transportatLon industry
Trailer parks. See Mobile homes and mobile home parks
Transition areas, 83-85; diagrammed, 84
Transition zones, 87
Transportation. See Travel, transportation, and transportation industry
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Travel, transportation, and transportation industry, 32, 33, 35, 56,
58-63,
85. See also Motor vehicles
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Trees. See Forest, forestry, and forest products industry
Tropical storms. See Storms
Trucking industry, 33
Turpentine, 40
Unincorporated communities, 1, 75
United States and United States government, 37, 55, 66, 75. See also entries
immediately following
United States Army Corps of Engineers, 52
United States censuses, 5, 6, 7, 9, 33, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 58, 59, 60, 61,
66, 64
.United States Department of Agriculture, 20
United States Post Office Department, 3
United States Soil Conservation Service (SCS), 15, 16, 18, 67, 68
Uplands, 15
Upper Broad Creek, 1, 60
Urban areas and urbanization, 10, 87
Utilities. See Public utilities
Vacationers. See Tourism and vacationers.
Vendemere, N.C., 37, 42, 68, 69, 72, 74, 75
Vendemere Site, 68
Vans. See Motor vehicles
Vegetation, 15, 16-20, 22, 27, 79, 86
Vehicles. See Motor vehicles
Visual resources. See Aesthetic and visual resources
Voting, 75, 88
Waste disposal. See Sewerage and wastewater disposal
Wastewater. See Sewerage and wastewater disposal
Water: access to, 70, 81; acreage of, in county, 1, 10, bodies of, see Sounds
and bays and Rivers, ...and specific bodies of water; conserved, 45, 68-69;
open, 1; surrounding county, 69. See also Coastal plain, coastal areas,
and coastal wetlands; Water quality and water resources
Watercourses. See Rivers,...
Waterfowl. See Birds and waterfowl
Water quality and water resources, 13, 14, 20, 25, 30, 40, 42, 45, 49, 68, 69,
71-73, 74, 75, 77, 87; water system, diagrammed, 73
Water table. See Water quality and water resources
Waterways. See Rivers,...
Wells. See Water quality and water resources
Wetlands. See Rivers,...
Weyerhaeuser Co., 41
White people, 6, 7
Wholesale trade. See Commerce and trade
Woodlands. See Forests, forestry, and forest products industry
Wildlife, 1, 15, 20, 22, 24, 27, 49, 69, 79, 86; lands for, diagrammed, 2.
See also Birds and waterfowl
Wilkinson Point, 54
Wood products. See Forests, forestry, and forest products industry; Furniture
industry
Workforce. See Employment; Occupations
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Yorktown aquifer, 71
• Yorktown formation, 14
Zoning, 78, 79, 80, 81
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Chapter 1.0
Growth and Change in Pamlico County
Introduction
Pamlico County, located on a peninsula in eastern North Carolina, is a
rich environment of land (213,400 acres) and water (151,000 acres). A variety
of habitats is found throughout the county, including open sound waters,
marshlands, and mixed pine -hardwood forests. This setting provides an
extensive natural resource base for agriculture, forestry, fishing and
recreation. A large portion of the county economic base is directly tied to
farming, fishing, and forestry, or indirectly in food processing, with the
recreation and retirement industry becoming a more important part of the
economy. Thus, the economic base of the county is very closely tied to the
natural environment.
Pamlico is a rural county with a total population of about 11,000 (see
Table 1.1). There are seven small towns and several unincorporated
communities with the county seat, Bayboro, being the largest with
approximately 800 citizens. The county is bordered by water: Goose Creek and
the Pamlico River on the north, the Upper Broad Creek forms the county's
western boundary with Craven County; Pamlico Sound lies to the east; and the
Neuse River to the south (see Diagram 1.1). The mixture of farmlands, trees,
marshes and open water make Pamlico County an attractive place to live, work
0 and visit.

�,
/ �__
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L1Ofsa w... � .
i
N
I
• • • • • • • • • • •

3
Population
Pamlico County is a distinctly rural area which is growing along with the
rest of the coastal region and the state of North Carolina. Of thirty-two
eastern North Carolina counties, Pamlico ranks 26th in total population. The
• estimated county population in 1985 was 10,976, a 5.6% increase over the 1980
population (see Table 1.1). This rate of growth is consistent with the 9.8%
increase that was experienced between 1970 and 1980. Overall, the rate of
growth in eastern North Carolina counties is 13.4%. The North Carolina Office
of State Budget and Management has projected the Pamlico County population to
be 11,854 by April 1990 (see Table 1.2).
The population density in the county is between 20 and 40 persons per
square mile. According to the post office, there are 4,200 households in the
county with an average of three persons per household. Approximately 11% to
14% of the population is sixty-five years of age or older and most of these
people live alone.
40
1960
Pamlico
County 9,850
North
Carolina 4,556,155
Table 1.1
Population Estimates for Pamlico
Percent Percent
Change Change
1960- 1970-
1970 1970 1980 1980
9,467 -3.8% 10,398 9.8%
Percent
Change
1980-
1985 1985
10,976 5.6%
5,084,411 11.68 5,881,766 15.7% 6,253,951 6.3%
0 Source: N.C. Office of Budget and Management

4
Table 1.2
Population Projections for Pamlico County •
1985 1990 2000
Pamlico County 10,976 11,854 13,096
North Carolina 6,253,951 6,597,922 7,229,188
Source: N.C. Office of Budget and Management
Table 1.3 presents the age distribution for Pamlico County as well as for
North Carolina as a whole. Table 1.4 further aggregates and summarizes this •
data. The age distribution is roughly the same as for the state, and the
median ages are very close. The percentage of the population below the age of
twenty is approximately 32%, nearly identical to the proportion at the state
level. The percentage of Pamlico residents who are 65 or older is somewhat
higher than for the state as a whole, some 13.7% as compared with 10.3%.
Conversely, the percentage of Pamlico residents within the 20 to 64 age range
is somewhat smaller than for the state as a whole (54.1% compared to 57.4%).
n
u
E
11

•
5
Table 1.3
•
Age
Distribution of Pamlico Population
in 1980
Age
Pamlico
North Carolina
Total Persons
10,398
5,881,766
•
Under
5 years
696
404,076
5 to
9 years
735
447,688
10 to
14
years
949
482,228
15 to
19
years
971
566,322
•
20 to
24
years
756
579,512
25 to
29
years
824
502,579
30 to
34
years
651
461,169
•
35 to
39
years
518
368,492
40 to
44
years
547
314,142
45 to
49
years
544
296,939
50 to
54
years
685
304,396
55 to
59
years
577
295,910
60 to
64
years
521
255,132
65 to
69
years
483
222,696
70 to
74
years
402
164,891
75 to
79
years
278
109,126
•
80 to
84
years
164
61,265
85 years
and over
97
45,203
Median
32.1
29.6
Source: 1980 Census of Population
•

6
Table 1.4
Aggregate Age Characteristics of Pamlico County Population in 1980
Age Groups Pamlico County North Carolina
Under 20 years 32.2% 32.3%
20 to 64 years 54.1 57.4
65 and over 13.7 10.3
Median age 32.1 years 29.6 years
Source: 1980 Census of Population
Demographic Characteristics
Table 1.5 presents the ethnic composition of the county. Approximately
31.5% of the population of the county is black, and 68.5% are white. This
compares with 22.4% black at the state level and 76.6% white. No other ethnic
groups are reported for the county, although other categories are reported at
the state level.
The education level of Pamlico residents (25 years or older) is reported
in Table 1.6. About 6% of the residents have five years or less of elementary
school, identical to the percentage for North Carolina as a whole. Forty-
eight percent of Pamlico residents.are high school graduates, and about 8%
have had four or more years of college. As Table 1.6 indicates, these levels
of education are somewhat lower than the state average. The median number of
years of school completed by Pamlico residents was 11.8 in 1980, compared with
12.2 for the state as a whole.
Data are not available on seasonal population, but based on development
f
patterns and new construction in the past few years, the number of part time
residents and retirees in the county is increasing and will continue to grow
and become a more significant factor in the county.
40

7
Table 1.5
Ethnic Composition of Pamlico County Population
in 1980
Pamlico County
North Carolina
Black
31.5%
22.4%
White
68.5
76.6
Source: 1980 Census of Population
Table 1.6
Educational Level of Pamlico County Population
in 1980
(persons 25 years and older)
Pamlico County
North Carolina
Percent less than 5 years
of elementary school*
5.9%
5.9%
Percent high school graduates*
48.0
54.6
Percent 4 or more years
of college
8.1
13.2
Median years of school completed*
11.8
12.2
Source: 1980 Census of Population
.
*Persons 25 years or older
0

8
Income and Poverty Status
As Table 1.7 indicates, Pamlico County suffers from a higher than average
poverty rate, and lower income levels. Median family income in 1979, for
instance, is about 16% lower than the median family income levels for the
state of North Carolina as a whole. Mean family income and per capita income
depict similar relationships. In fact, per capita income for Pamlico is
approximately 21% lower than the state as a whole. The population of Pamlico
families with incomes below the poverty level was 17.5% in 1979, substantially
•
higher than the 11.6% of the families at the state level. The percentage of
persons in Pamlico with incomes falling below the poverty level was 20.6%
compared with 14.8% for the state as a whole. This statistic indicates that
more than 2,000 Pamlico residents were considered to be living below the
poverty level. This is an important statistic and suggests that the land use
plan must be sensitive to the impacts of its policies on the needs and
conditions of lower income residents of the county.
r-,
u
r-.

9
Table 1.7
Income and
Poverty Status (1979)
Pamlico County
North Carolina
Median family income
$14,509
$16,792
Mean family income
16,538
19,513
Per capita income
5,076
6,133
Percent families below
poverty line
17.5%
11.6%
Percent persons below
poverty line
20.6
14.8
Percent families below
125% of poverty line
22.7
16.9
Percent persons below 125%
of poverty line
26.3
20.7
Source: 1980 Census of Population
LM

•
Chapter. 2.0
Existing Land Use and Development Trends in the County
Existing Land Use
Diagram 2.1 presents a generalized view of the
patterns of existing land
use in the county. The county consists of 364,400
acres, with 151,000 acres
of this comprising water. Of the remaining 213,400
acres, forested land is
the largest existing use, encompassing some 157,000
acres, or 74% of the
county's total area (1980 Pamlico County land use plan).
As Table 2.1
indicates, crops and pasture comprise approximately
33,500 acres, marshland
•
comprises 19,000 acres and urbanized and developed
areas in the county
comprise approximately 2,900 acres.
Table 2.1
Existing Land Use
Land Use Acres
Percent
Forested 157,000
74.0%
Crops and Pasture 33,000
15.7
Urbanized/developed 2,900
1.4
Marshland 19.000
8.9
Total 213,000
100.0
Source: 1980 Pamlico County Land Use Plan

• 0 • • r • • • • •

12
7
Trends in Land Use and Development
Recent development trends in the county can be analyzed by examining
building permit information that includes new single family homes and
townhomes as well as mobile homes. Table 2.2 displays the number of permits
that were issued each year from 1979 through 1984. There was a peak in 1981
and 1982 of construction of new buildings that has dropped off since that
time. However, the number of mobile homes brought into the county increased
greatly from the previous years.
Aerial photography indicates that the majority of residents live along
the major roads in the county and especially at the intersections of those
roads.' A comparison of 1975 and 1981 photography led to the conclusion that
•
new houses in the county were being built alongside existing houses.
Therefore, development in the county tends to be in the same general areas,
(see Diagram 2.1) that is along major roads and in existing clusters.
Table 2.2
Building Permits Issued
1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984
New buildings 50 59 75 76 63 49
Relocated buildings 15 14 6 12 7 3
Mobile homes 187 153 188 155 235 169
Single wide 164 136 174 143 210 153
Double wide 23 17 14 12 25 16
7
•

13
The most critical factor by far concerning development in the county is
the suitability of the soils for wastewater disposal. Many of the soils in
the county are not suitable for septic tank drainage fields, although this has
been the primary method of waste disposal for years. Recent septic tank
failures, and state legislation requiring strict compliance with state septic
tank regulations has been cause for concern throughout the county.
New seasonal and vacation housing locating in the county appears more
attracted to riverfront and sound shore locations (e.g., Jones Island). This
development can cause pollution and other problems, in turn jeopardizing the
quality of the local water and hence fishing recreation resources. In
particular, the Towns of Oriental and Minnesott Beach are increasingly
experiencing vacation and retirement development pressures. Agricultural
runoff can also create serious water quality problems.
Additional critical factors concerning development are institutional and
fiscal capacity, hurricane evacuation, aesthetic character, protection of
environmentally -sensitive areas and peat and phosphate mining. Each of these
problems and issues is discussed further in subsequent sections of the plan.
L
40

•
•
Chapter 3.0
Natural and Fragile Areas
As part of the coastal plain, Pamlico County lies on nearly level land •
that was formed during periods of higher sea level. The eastern two-thirds of
the county, from the Pamlico Sound shoreline to the Minnesott Ridge, or
Suffolk scarp which runs parallel to N.C. 306, is called the Pamlico Terrace. •
The highest points in the county are located along the ridge and are
approximately 50 feet above sea level. To the west of the ridge is the Chowan
Terrace which includes the remaining third of the county. Here the land is •
still relatively flat, but gently sloping areas 25-50 feet above sea level are
common.
Numerous creeks and rivers run through the county, but flow is sluggish
•
due to the flatness of the land. Ground water is usually plentiful in the
area because of the underlying rock formations. The Yorktown formation is a
surficial aquifer that is thickest along the Minnesott Ridge and reaches a
•
maximum depth of 75 feet. Beneath the Yorktown formation is a very productive
artesian aquifer known as the Castle Hayne limestone formation which is the
main source of water in the county. Domestic wells tapping into this aquifer
will yield 20 to 50 gallons per minute, and commercial wells can yield several
hundred gallons per minute with little drawdown. The aquifer produces water
that is generally hard with a variable content of iron, and is somewhat salty
in some areas near the estuaries. Ph ranges from 7.2 to 8.2, and iron content •
ranges from .06 to .05 parts per million. Chloride content ranges from 10 to
40 parts per million, and is particularly low at depths exceeding 300 feet.
Li
•

•
15
The soils, natural areas and fragile areas of the county are discussed in
• the remainder of this chapter.
Soils in any area are related to geology, relief, climate and vegetation.
The underlying geologic material (sands, clays and marls) and low relief of
• Pamlico County have resulted in more than 50% of the soils in the area being
classified as poorly drained by the Soil Conservation Service. Table 3.1
lists the categories used by the Soil Conservation Service and the percentages
• of land in Pamlico County that fall into each category.
The county can be divided into four areas based on relief and drainage:
1) uplands and sand ridges, 2) pocosins 3) flood plains and 4) salt marshes.
• The uplands and sand ridges are gently sloping areas of excessively drained
and well drained soils with pockets of somewhat poorly to very poorly drained
soils between the ridges. Pocosins are areas of thick deposits of organic
material that appear to be flat, but have a very gentle slope from the center
•
outward; therefore, runoff is moderate, but very slow. The floodplains along
streams and the salt marshes both are nearly level areas and thus have very
poorly drained soils.
•
Few areas in the county are naturally drained because of the lack of
slopes. As a result, artifical drainage must be undertaken through small,
open ditches. These low, badly drained areas are less appropriate for
• development, and best reserved as wildlife and natural areas.
•
•
0

16 •
Table 3.1
Soil
Drainage Classes
•
Description
Percent of Land
Very poorly drained
50.8%
Poorly drained
28.6
•
Somewhat poorly drained
6.0
Moderately well drained
9.9
Well drained
2.3
•
Excessively drained
0.2
Small areas of water
2.2
General soils maps produced by the Soil Conservation Service show broad
•
areas that have a distinctive pattern of soils, relief and drainage. A map at
this scale can be used to compare the suitability of large areas for general
land use. These areas have been defined by grouping together several soil
•
types that share common characteristics. These groups of soil types, referred
to as associations, are listed in Table 3.2. The numbers in the table
correspond to the accompanying map (Diagram 3.1). This map was drawn from a
•
preliminary draft and actual boundaries may be shifted slightly in the final
version to be produced by the Soil Conservation Service. Onsite investigation
is necessary to precisely define and locate soils within one of these areas to
plan for intensive use. Detailed soils maps at a larger scale are available
and would be useful for onsite surveys.
The pattern of vegetation in Pamlico County follows that of soils and
topography. Along the estuarine shorelines, aquatic plants are found and
•
along the Minnesott Ridge, longleaf and loblolly pines grow. The majority of
•

r-�
18
Table 3.2
Key To Soils Map
Number
Soil Association
1
Yonges-Altavista-Fork
2
Goldsboro -Lynchburg -Norfolk
•
3
Stockade-Arapahoe-Wasda
4
Paxville-Rains
5
Argent-Brookman-Wahee
•
6
Leaf -Craven -Lenoir
7
Belhaven -Dare
8
Croatan-Dare
•
9
Lafitte-Hobucken
10
Leon -tomahawk -Rutledge
vegetation includes the saltgrass, rushes, cane, and cordgrass plants of the
marsh areas as well as, several varieties of oaks (swamp chestnut, laurel and
cherrybark), maples, gums, poplars, and pines found in mixed hardwood flats.
As mentioned previously, pocosins are areas of thick organic material
that appear to be flat, but are slightly higher in the middle. Pocosins have
a dense undergrowth of vines and plants, mixed with pond pines. Cypress and
oak are found in some of the higher areas.
The Soil Conservation Service has grouped soils according to their
limitations for field crops in a general way (Diagram 3.2). In Pamlico County
most soils have moderate limitations that reduce the choice of plants or that
require moderate conservation practices. Some have severe limitations that
reduce the choice of plants further or that require special conservation
practices. Other soils have very severe limitations that reduce the choice
•
40

Mr w 0 a 0 9 0
PAMLICO
SOIL LIMITATIONS
COUNTY
FOR FIELD CROPS
0 MODERATE
r.—rv-n
SEVERE
VERY SEVERE
EXTREME
I A
. A . . . . . . . . . . . A
7:
. . . . A . A . . . . . .X . . A A•
so
•LA
--- - - - - - - - -
.. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
%
A A A•
A A ruwrllf
.00
Diagram 3.2
•..........
. . . . . . . . . .
LEGEND
COUNT, a".
10-M&W.Is
T0.40
ft" LAOS GAOS""
of -Is -WIWAVS
OewA,, —,,A,

20
of plants to an even greater extent or that require very careful management.
A few areas have soils with extreme limitations that nearly preclude their use
for commercial crop production.
In most evaluations (U.S. Department of Agriculture and the State of
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services) soils with severe,
very severe or extreme limitations are not suitable for septic tanks.
The protection of farmland in the county is addressed more specifically
in Chapter 5.0. •
The varied plant communities, landforms and patterns of land use create
natural habitats for deer, squirrel, rabbit, fox, quail, mourning dove,
songbirds, raccoon, mink, muskrat, otter and oppossum. There are also a small
number of black bear in the northern part of the county near Mesic and
Hobucken. Rare or endangered species that have been sited within Pamlico
County include the American alligator, red -cockaded woodpecker, bald eagle,
peregrine falcon, and short -nosed sturgeon.
Along the Bay River, Neuse River and Pamlico Sound, fish and shellfish
can be found along with ducks, geese, herons and shorebirds. Impoundments
have been created in some areas to attract waterfowl and the Goose Creek State
Game Lands provide additional areas for wildlife conservation and hunting.
The shorelines of Pamlico County include primary nursery areas for young
finfish and crustaceans (see Diagram 3.3). The initial growing season for
these species is spent within the estuarine system because of factors such as
water temperature and salinity; they also find protection from predators in
the grasses and shallows or the nursery areas.

•
22
An intensive study carried out by Peacock and Lynch (1982) identified six
important natural areas within Pamlico County. All of these support some rare •
plant and/or animal species, but were not selected solely on that basis.
Questions that Peacock and Lynch asked during the survey of sites throughout
the county were:
•
1. Does the site have regional, state or county -wide significance as a
natural area?
2. Are there unusual habitat conditions present?
3. Has the site recovered from or escaped prior disturbance? •
4. Is the site representative of a type of habitat which is rapidly
being converted to other land uses?
5. Would loss of habitat constitute an irretrievable loss of resources
to Pamlico County?
The selection of the final sites was based on "size and age of canopy
species, biologic, edaphic and hydrologic diversity, extensiveness of
habitat(s) and contiguity with other natural areas, absence of intensive •
disturbance and recovery from past disturbance, and the presence of a full
range of communities and ecological conditions functioning as a system"
(Peacock and Lynch). The natural areas chosen by Peacock and Lynch are
•
identified on Diagram 3.4 and listed in Table 3.3.
Table 3.3
Natural Areas •
Natural Area
Acreaee
Hardwood Flats
A. Federal Paper
2,400 •
B. Stonewall
425
C. Merritt
1,500
Sand Ridges
A. North Minnesott
1,250
B. South Minnesott
380
Northwest Pocosin
12,500
•
•

PAMLICO COUNTY
NATURAL AREAS
i
EDHARDWOOD
FLATS
l
A. Federal Paper
�111
B. Stonewall
1
C. Merritt
SAND RIDGES
A. North Minnesott
B. South Minnesott
NORTHWEST POCOSIN
J
.00
IM M•
• B
• / M
I /
••#0t w /
�JI
\\ •r• �� ..wn //
/
MWN.i /
-----�' / Diagram 3.4
N...
......
.,.
LEGEND
.����.. ui•.aww ru.w.
- — - .iM.N�N.•.11..
KN.
N
W

24
Under the Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) several primary natural
areas called Areas of Environmental Concern or AEC's are designated. Among
those that have relevance to Pamlico County are: (1) coastal wetlands;
(2) estuarine waters; (3). public trust areas; (4) estuarine shorelines;
(5) coastal areas that sustain remnant species; (6) complex natural areas; (7)
unique coastal geologic formations and (8) significant coastal historic
architectural resources. Each of these Areas of Environmental Concern is
discussed below as they apply to Pamlico County.
Coastal wetlands are defined by CAMA regulations to include "any salt
marsh or other marsh subject to regular or occasional flooding by tides,
including wind tides ... provided this shall not include hurricane or tropical
storm tides" (07H.0205). These are extremely productive ecological
environments, which provide essential nutrients for various species of fish
and shellfish, and provide feeding and nesting areas for waterfowl and
wildlife. These areas also serve to reduce shoreline erosion, and serve to
filter pollutants and excessive nutrients. These areas also serve as natural
flood mitigation devices, in their ability to act as "sponges," retaining and
absorbing flood waters. Some 60,019 acres in the county are included in low
tidal and upland marshland areas and thus fall into this category (1980 Land
Use Plan). The majority of these areas are located adjacent to Pamlico Sound
in the Northeastern portion of the county. A substantial acreage of marshland .
is also found along the county's creeks and rivers.
The CAMA program places a high priority on protecting and enhancing these
natural areas. The stated management objective for these areas is the
following:
J

•
25
To give highest priority to the protection and management of coastal
wetlands so as to safeguard and perpetuate their biological, social,
economic and aesthetic values; to coordinate and establish a management
system capable of conserving and utilizing coastal wetlands as a natural
resource essential to the functioning of the entire estuarine system.
CAMA regulations stipulate which uses and land activities are appropriate
49 and which are not for such natural areas. Conservation uses and water -
dependent uses are to be given priority here. Such land uses as residences,
businesses and restaurants, hotels, motels, and trailer parks, among others,
• are considered unacceptable under the CAMA provisions.
Estuarine waters include "all the water of the Atlantic Ocean within the
boundary of North Carolina and all the waters of the bays, sounds, rivers, and
• tributaries thereto seaward of the dividing line between coastal fishing
waters and inland fishing waters ..." (7H-0206(a)). Waters in Pamlico County
classified as estuarine are listed in North Carolina Fisheries Regulations for
• Coastal Waters; Department of Natural Resources and Community Development,
Division of Marine Fisheries at p129 et seq. As with coastal wetlands, CAMA
regulations stipulate that conservation of these waters should be given
• highest priority, followed by water -related activities.
Public Trust Waters are defined by CAMA to include all waters of the
Atlantic Ocean and lands thereunder from the mean high water mark to the
seaward limit of state jurisdiction. Some art ifically-created bodies of water
are.also classified as public trust waters. In Pamlico County, there are some
348 miles of bay and estuarine shoreline, and 29 bays, rivers and creeks,
which are classified as public trust waters. Under the public trust doctrine
•
these areas are held in trust by the state for the public to use for
navigational and recreational purposes.
Estuarine shorelines are defined in the CAMA regulations to include those
0 "non -ocean shorelines which are especially vulnerable to erosion, flooding, or
0

26
other adverse effects of wind and water and are intimately connected to the
estuary." These are areas which are considered to be dry land. The entire
•
shoreline in Pamlico is included in this zone. The geographic range of this
area is specified in CAMA regulations as extending "from the mean high water
level or normal water level along the estuaries, sounds, bays and brackish
•
waters ... for a distance of 75 feet landward" (7H-0209(b)).
The specific use standards stipulated under CAMA for development in these
areas are the following:
(1) All development projects, proposals and designs shall substantially
preserve and not weaken or eliminate natural barriers to erosion,
including, but not limited to peat marshland, resistant clay
shorelines, cypress gum protective fringe areas adjacent to
vulnerable shorelines.
(2) All development projects, proposals and designs shall limit the •
construction of impervious surfaces and areas not allowing natural
drainage to only so much as is necessary to adequately service the
major purpose or use for which the lot is to be developed.
Impervious surfaces shall not exceed 30 percent of the AEC area of
the lot, unless the applicant can effectively demonstrate, through
innovative design, that the protection provided by the design would •
equal to or exceed the protection by the 30 percent limitation.
(3) All development projects, proposals and designs shall comply with in
the mandatory standards of the North Carolina Sedimentation Pollution
Control Act of 1973...
•
(4) Development shall not have a significant adverse impact on estuarine
resources.
(5) Development shall not significantly interfere with existing public
rights of access to, or use of, navigable waters or public resources.
(6) No major public facility shall be permitted if such facility is
likely to require extraordinary public expenditures for maintenance
and continued use, unless it can be shown that the public purpose
served by the facility outweighs the required public expenditures for
construction, maintenance, and continued use.
(7) Development shall not cause major or irreversible damage to valuable, •
documented historic architectural or archaeological resources.
Li
F"

27
A final category of AEC's relevant to Pamlico County are those which
contain natural and cultural resource areas. Several types of AEC's are
contained within this category, including: (1) coastal areas that sustain
remnant species; (2) coastal complex natural areas; (3) unique coastal
geologic formations; (4) significant coastal archaeological resources; and
(5) significant coastal historic architectural resources.
AEC's within the category of fragile natural and cultural resource areas
are not designated in advance, but rather are created under special nomination
and designation procedures. These areas may be nominated to the Coastal
Resources Commission (CRC) at any time by any person or group. Upon
nomination, the Division of Coastal Management (DCM) conducts a preliminary
evaluation which is presented to the CRC for their endorsement. If endorsed,
the DCM conducts a more detailed evaluation of the site, including a
management plan and use standards. After reviewing this detailed report, and
conducting a public hearing on the proposed designation, the CRC can then
officially designate the fragile natural and cultural resource area as an AEC.
Once designated, any development within the AEC must be consistent with the
0 management's plan and use standards.
Coastal areas sustaining remnant species are defined as including land
which supports "native plants or animals determined to be rare or endangered
(synonymous with threatened and endangered)... " While no areas have been
designated by the Coastal Resources Commission, the Peacock and Lynch natural
areas study did identify such areas.
Coastal Complex Natural Areas are defined as "lands that support native
plant and animal communities and provide habitat qualities which have remained
essentially unchanged by human activities." The 1980 land use plan identifies
the following areas in the county as satisfying these criteria:

28
Large pocosin areas in Pamlico County should be considered complex
natural areas. The two largest and most significant are the Bay City
Pocosin located north of N.C. Highway 55 between the western county line,
Goose Creek Island, and Beaufort County and the Light Ground Pocosin in
central Pamlico County between Minnesott Beach and Bayboro. These
pocosin areas should be considered fragile and should only be used on a
limited basis by select farming and forestry operations. Any mining of
the large peat deposits located in these pocosin areas should be
performed with strict compliance to relevant environmental regulations.
The CAMA regulations define unique coastal geologic formations to include
"sites that contain geologic formations that are unique or otherwise
significant components of coastal systems, or that are especially notable •
examples of geologic formations or processes in the coastal area." While no
such areas have been designated in the county, the 1980 plan identifies an
area on Benner's Plantation (in Dawson Creek area) which contains pleistocene
marine invertebrate fossils and fluestrial vertebrate fossils.
Areas of significant coastal archaeological resources contain
"archaeological remains (objects, features, and/or sites) that have more than
local significance to history or pre history." No such areas have been
identified in Pamlico County.
Significant coastal historic architectural resource areas are defined as
"districts, structures, buildings, sites or objects that have more than local
significance to history or architecture." Relatively few historically -
significant structures exist in Pamlico County. One identified in the 1980
land use plan was the China Grove House, built in 1790 (one-half mile east of
Dawson's Creek Bridge on State Road 1302). Historic and archaeological
resources are discussed further in Chapter 10.0.
•
•

29
Goal - Protection of Natural and Fragile Areas
• It is the goal of Pamlico County to preserve and protect its natural
resources and environmentally -sensitive and fragile areas. To the extent
possible, these important natural areas should be maintained in an undeveloped
0
•
f
1-1
PJ
state.
Policies - Protection of Natural and Fragile Areas
1. The county will attempt to discourage development in areas where
soils are particularly unsuited for septic tank use.
2. The county supports the objectives of CAMA in managing and regulating
Areas of Environmental Concern.
3. The county will continue to carefully restrict the extent of public
and private wastewater disposal entering the public trust waters within and
bordering the county.
4. The county will ensure that future development near shorelines
stringently adheres to state sedimentation control regulations and that all
appropriate actions are taken to minimize nonpoint pollution from
agricultural, forest and other resource -oriented activities.
5. The county will seek to preserve the unique natural areas identified
by the Peacock and Lynch study, including protecting them from any adverse
impacts from industrial development. The county's Environmental Impact
Assessment Ordinance is useful in evaluating proposed development.
6. The county will encourage development and site design in shoreline
areas which minimize the extent of impervious surfaces and storm water runoff.
7. The county will review the adequacy of existing setback requirements
for coastal wetlands and the estuarine shoreline and ensure that sufficient
buffers exist to minimize the effects of pollution and runoff. The county

0111
will encourage development and site designs which maximize the distance from
these sensitive areas and size of buffers around coastal wetlands. •
8. The extension of future sewer and water lines, and other public
investments, will be undertaken in such a way as to minimize future
development pressures on the sensitive natural areas identified in this
chapter.
9. The county recognizes the recreational and other positive uses of
natural areas and will consider policies for their protection. The county
r�
will initiate a study to consider options available for preserving these areas
and to determine which natural areas should be afforded the highest priority.
10. The county will consider incentives which will encourage the
maintenance of privately owned sensitive areas, including estuarine islands,
in their natural state.
11. The county will take whatever future actions are necessary, including
the regulation of development and the placement of septic tanks and other
sewage disposal systems, to ensure the protection of groundwater resources.
12. Because of the general unsuitability of the soils in Pamlico County
to accommodate septic tanks, and the threats posed to local water quality,
priority should be given to the timely but careful development of a sewer
system in the county (see Chapter 11.0). The use of package treatment plants
will be given careful consideration.
13. The Environmental Impact Statement process required for certain
development will be used to diminish the possibility of the despoliation in
natural and fragile areas. •
14. The Subdivision Ordinance is being studied and a mobile home park
ordinance is being prepared.

31
15. The use of non-selfpropelling floating homes or boats for permanent
residences (for more than two continuous weeks) will be discouraged.
•
•
i
C7
•
C

Chapter. 4.0
Economic and Industrial Development
Without a local and regional economic base residents would not be able to
a
remain in Pamlico County. Furthermore, developing and expanding the county's
economic base and local economic activities are essential to enhancing the
quality of life for residents of Pamlico county. Given the relatively high
percentage of county residents below the poverty level, expanding employment
opportunities and increasing income levels should be an important priority.
Much of the regional employment base, as discussed earlier, is resource -
oriented, with heavy reliance on agriculture, forestry, fishing and mining. 41
Table 4.1 presents a list of employed persons in Pamlico County by type of
industry. Approximately 18% of local workforce was employed directly in these
resource -related industries in 1980. Table 4.1 indicates that employment in
other sectors is also extensive. Approximately 18% of the local workforce is
employed in manufacturing, with about half of this in the manufacture of
nondurable goods (e.g., food and allied products) and half in the manufacture
of durable goods (e.g., furniture, lumber and wood products, machinery and
transportation equipment).
Approximately 13% of the workforce is employed in retail trade, and 7% in
wholesale trade. A relatively large portion (21%) of the workforce is
employed in the services (a large portion of this is education and health -
related areas). Public administration comprised about 88 of the workforce,
•
about 3% in finance, insurance and real estate, and about 5% in
transportation, communications and public utilities. About 300 workers, or
about 8% of the workforce, were employed in construction.
E

33
40
i
•
i
Table 4.1
Industry of Employed Persons in Pamlico County
Pamlico
Employed persons 16 years and over
3,734
Agriculture
264
Forestry and fisheries
239
Mining
159
Construction
294
Manufacturing
671
Nondurable goods
375
Food and kindred products
117
Textile mill and finished textile products
153
Printing, publishing, and allied industries
6
Chemicals and allied products
62
Durable goods
296
Furniture, lumber and wood products
115
Primary metal industries
4
Fabricated metal industries, including ordnance
8
Machinery, except electrical
31
Electrical machinery, equipment, and supplies
2
Transportation equipment
127
Transportation, communications, and other utilities
170
Railroads
-
Trucking service and warehousing
51
Other transportation
48
Communications
30
Utilities and sanitary services
41
Wholesale trade
258
Retail trade
476
General merchandise stores
30
Food, bakery, and dairy stores
166
Automobile dealers and gasoline stations
74
Eating and drinking places
82
Finance, insurance and real estate
116
Banking and credit agencies
62
Insurance, real estate, and other finance
54
Services
792
Business services
21
Repair services
53
Private households
50
Other personal services
70
Entertainment and recreation services
17
Professional and related services
581
Hospitals
75
Health services, except hospitals
100
Elementary and secondary schools and colleges
314
Other educational services
15
Social services, religious and membership organizations
53
Legal, engineering, and other professional services
24
Public administration
295
Source: 1980 Census of Population

34
Table 4.2 presents the occupation of Pamlico County workers. The largest
occupational category is operators, fabricators and laborers, in which about
24% of the workforce falls. Managerial and professional specialty occupations
comprised about 15%, and technical, sales and administrative support
occupations about 19% of the workforce. About 11% of the workforce is
employed in service occupations, and about 13% is employed in farming,
forestry and fishing occupations.
Table 4.2 i
Occupation of Employed Persons for Pamlico County
Pamlico
Employed persons 16 years and over
3,734
Managerial and professional specialty occupations
548
Executive, administrative, and managerial occupations
254
Officials and administrators, public administration
13
Management related occupations
37
Professional specialty occupations
294
Engineers and natural. scientists
42
Engineers
31
Health diagnosing occupations
10
Health assessment and treating occupations
19
Teachers, librarians, and counselors
168
Teachers, elementary and secondary schools
117
Technical, sales, and administrative support occupations
713
Health technologists and technicians
59
Technologists and technicians, except health
48
Sales occupations
200
Supervisors and proprietors, sales occupations
47
Sales representatives, commodities and finance
39
Other sales occupations
114
Cashiers
50
Administrative support occupations, including clerical
406
S
Computer equipment operators
-.
Secretaries, stenographers, and typists
107
Financial records processing occupations
78
Mail and message distributing occupations
10
Service occupations
426
Private household occupations
48
Protective service occupations
30
Police and firefighters
13
Service occupations, except protective and household
348
Food service occupations
101
Cleaning and building service occupations
124
E

•
35
Table 4.2 (Continued)
Farming, forestry, and fishing occupations
498
Farm operators and managers
115
Farm workers and related occupations
135
Precision production, craft, and repair occupations
649
Mechanics and repairers
199
Construction trades
250
Precision production occupations
167
Operators, fabricators, and laborers
900
Machine operators and tenders, except precision
193
Fabricators, assemblers, inspectors, and samplers
94
Transportation occupations
152
Motor vehicle operators
125
i Material moving equipment operators
56
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers and laborers
405
Construction laborers
42
Freight, stock and material handlers
70
•
Source: 1980 Census of Population
Goal -- Economic and Industrial Development
It is the goal of Pamlico County to encourage future economic growth and
development to provide adequate employment and income levels for all residents
of the county.
Policies -- Economic and Industrial Development
1. The county will continue to encourage the location of small scale
industrial development.
2. The county will not welcome future energy facilities, industrial and
• economic growth which has substantial negative effects on the natural
environment and the high quality of life which currently exists in the county.
For instance, the county is not interested in attracting a large, polluting
industry, even though such an industry might generate substantial employment
and economic activity for the county.
3. The county does not wish to promote future industrial growth or
energy facilities at the expense of its existing traditional economic base,
namely farming, forestry and fishing. For instance, the county does not wish
to encourage the location of an industry if it will substantially impede the

36
future of the fishing, farming, forestry or recreation industries.
4. The county will review the adequacy of its existing industrial and
commercial sites, to ensure that they are consistent with the goals and
objectives of this plan. '
5. The county recognizes that the aesthetic and recreational qualities
of the area represent important economic resources, and will seek to protect
these resources in the future. The county recognizes that vacation and
second -home recreational housing will become an increasingly important part of
the local economy, and will seek to accommodate this economic sector to the
greatest extent possible. However, the county will seek to ensure that such
future development does not have negative effects on the natural environment
and does not serve to undermine the other goals and policies delineated in
this plan.
6. The construction of the public sewer system will be used to focus
development where it will be less likely to conflict with the policies of this
plan.
i
0

•
Chapter. 5.0
Agriculture. Forestry and Fishing
The many miles of navigable waterways, extensive forests and productive
soils have provided a rich natural resource base for fishing, forestry, and
farming since the county was settled. The towns of Bayboro, Vandemere,
Pamlico and Oriental grew from small fishing settlements at the heads of
.
rivers, creeks and bays. Later, as the road system developed, people moved
into the interior to farm.
Agriculture is the leading industry in Pamlico County. Wheat, oats, rye,
corn, cotton, peas, rice, potatoes, cattle, hogs and sheep were early
agricultural products. By 1879 the leading crops were corn, cotton and sweet
potatoes, but pests later caused cotton and sweet potato production to die
off.
Table 5.1 presents some basic information about farming and agriculture
in Pamlico County, derived from the Federal Census of Agriculture. In 1982,
approximately 44 thousand acres were contained in 136 farms. This constitutes
about 20% of the county's acreage. The average farm size in 1982 was 324
acres. Comparing 1978 and 1982 data indicates that while the number of farms
in the county is declining, the average size of the remaining farms is
increasing. This parallels a national trend as farms become increasingly
mechanized and specialized. The number of acres in farmland has remained
roughly the same, though it increased slightly between 1978 and 1982. The
average per farm value of land and buildings was $336,463 in 1982, registering
a substantial increase since 1978. The average per acre value of land and
buildings in Pamlico County farms was $1,076 in 1982.

CA
38
Table 5.1
Characteristics of
Agriculture in Pamlico
County
1978
1982
Number of Farms
174
136
Acres in farms
42,597
44,045
Average size in acres
245
324
Approximate county land area
213,400
213,400
Proportion of county land in farms
19.5%
20.2%
Average per farm value of land
and buildings
$232,718
$336,463
Average per acre value of land
and buildings
$870
$1,076
•
Source: Census of Agriculture for
1978, 1982
As Table 5.2 indicates, of the acreage in Pamlico farms, about 30,000
acres are used as harvested cropland. The majority of Pamlico farms,
according to the 1982 Census of Agriculture, were involved in growing cash
grains (94 farms). A substantial number (20 farms) produced other field
crops, specifically tobacco (14 farms) and sugar crops, Irish potatoes, hay,
peanuts and other field crops (6 farms) (see Table 5.3).
Table 5.2
Farm Land in Pamlico County ,
1978 1982
Total cropland acres 30 „ 023 32,445
Harvested cropland acres 28,129 30,718
•
Cropland used only for grazing 573 297
Total woodland acres 11,188 9,927
Source: 1982 Census of Agriculture
•
40

39
Table 5.3
Tomes of Farms in Pamlico County in 1982
(Farms by Standard Industrial Classification)
Number of Farms
Cash grains 94
Field crops, except cash grains 20
-cotton --
-tobacco 14
-sugar crops, irish potatoes, hay,
peanuts and other field crops 6
Vegetables and melons 2
Fruits and tree nuts 3
Horticultural specialties 2
Dairy farms --
Poultry and eggs --
Animal specialties --
General farms, primarily livestock --
Source: 1982 Census of Agriculture
Table 5.4 presents the market value of the agricultural products produced
by Pamlico County farms. In 1982, these products were valued at nearly $12
million. The average value of farm products was $88,151 in 1982. As Table
5.4 indicates, and as already noted, the largest cash value productions is in
the area of grains (corn, grain, wheat, soybeans, etc.), which amounted to
more than $6 million dollars in 1982 and other crops produced market values of
over $3 million dollars. Tobacco production accounted for about $2 million
dollars.
0

PI
40
Table 5.4
Market Value
of Agricultural Products
Sold by Pamlico
Farms
1978
1982
Total Sales
$10,691,000
$11,989,000
Average per farm
61,442
88,151
.
Grains (corn, grain, wheat, soybeans, etc.)
4,776,000
6,193,000
Tobacco
2,308,000
1,875,000
Vegetables, sweet corn
and melons
390,000
490,000
Nursery and greenhouse
products
31,000
---
Other crops
2,027,000
3,033,000
Livestock, poultry and
their products
1,155,000
376,000
Source: 1982 Census of Agriculture
One important characteristic of agriculture in Pamlico County is its
dependence on artificial drainage. Because of the county's high water table
most of the county's agricultural soils are classified as containing wetness
limitations. Consequently, drainage is necessary to farm in most of these
soils and an extensive surface drainage network of canals and ditches exists
throughout the county (CRC, Ltd. 1984).
The largest use of land in Pamlico County is for forestry operations.
Historically, tar, pitch turpentine and lumber were important forest products.
County extension agent estimates of receipts for timber sales put them at over
$3.6 million for the county in 1983 (CRC, Ltd. 1984a). The 1983 timber
harvest was estimated at 296,500 cords of pulpwood and 5.48 million board feet
of saw timber.
17,
0

41
Loblolly pine is the most important commercial timber species grown in
s the county because of its high market value. The loblolly pine is well
adapted to the soils and climate of the area and grows quickly making it easy
to establish and manage. "In addition to pines, several varieties of oak, and
maples, gums, hickories, and poplars are used to produce wood products.
Several large timber companies own substantial areas in the county.
Table 5.5 presents the acreage owned in the county by the primary companies.
• Timber and wood products represent an important component of the local economy
and future land use planning and management in the county should attempt to
enhance and protect these resources. These resources also represent important
recreational resources, which could be used for hunting and other outdoor
activities. Protecting the county's forest resources will also protect its
visual and aesthetic character.
Table 5.5
Commercial Timber Companies in Pamlico
Companies Ownership in Pamlico County
Weyerhaeuser 36,116.14 acres
Texas Gulf 16,336.00 acres
Taylor 14,051.20 acres
. Total 66,503.34 acres
Source: 1980 Pamlico County Land Use Plan
•

42
Commercial fishing was Pamlico County's second leading industry in 1983,
generating over $7 million in dockside earnings and substantially more in the
processing, wholesale, and retail trade of fish products. County landings, in
weight and value, for the'last six years are shown in Table 5.6. Throughout
this period, the county has consistently ranked third in value landed among
coastal counties, after Dare and Carteret. Principal species landed are
shrimp, flounder, blue crab, grey sea trout, croaker, and spot.
Major fishing ports in the county are Lowland, Hobucken, Vandemere, 0
Bayboro, Pamlico, and Oriental. A total of 848 commercial vessel licenses
were purchased in 1983, consisting of 272 full-time licenses, 188 part-time,
and 388 pleasure. (The figure of 272 full-time licenses is misleading, as it
0
is doubtful that all of these vessels were used by bona fide full-time
fishermen. Only 108 of these vessels were over 25 feet in length; 111 were
under 21 feet, and undoubtedly many of these were probably not used full-
time.) The county had 58 licensed seafood dealers in 1983, with the greatest
concentrations in Lowland, Bayboro, and Oriental.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing are not always complimentary economic
sectors. It is clear that agricultural and forestry activities can create r
severe negative environmental impacts on fish habitats, and thus on the long-
term sustainability of the fishing resource. Runoff into sensitive estuarine
areas is a problem. Farming drainage canals often empty into primary nursery
areas or into creeks leading to these nursery areas. Freshwater runoff can
reduce the value of estuarine nurseries by reducing average salinities.
s
LJ

43
Table 5.6
Seafood Landings. Pamlico County, 1978-1983
Year
Landings
Dockside Value
(thousands of pounds)
1983
14,022
7,135,000
1982
14,020
7,688,000
1981
17,329
6,710,000
1980
21,381
9,737,000
1979
19,524
6,573,000
1978
15,412
4,317,000
Source:
Preliminary seafood landings, N.C. Division
of Marine
Fisheries, Morehead City, N.C., as cited in
CRC, Ltd. 1984a
Juvenile forms of a number of species of fish and shellfish have been found to
be more abundant in nursery areas where no man-made drainage existed and where
salinity levels were more stable (see CRC, Ltd. 1984a). Farming and forestry
practices can also create substantial sedimentation problems, as well as the
introduction of nutrients into estuarine areas, such as nitrogen and
phosphorus. Pathogenic bacteria is also introduced through animal wastes, and
human wastes from malfunctioning septic tanks. Together this off -site
pollution constitutes a serious threat to the fishing resource upon which the
county heavily depends.
Goal - Agriculture. Forestry and Fishing
It is the goal of Pamlico County to protect and strengthen the
agricultural, forest and fishing sectors which today comprise such an
important part of the local economy. It is essential that the county do
everything it can to protect the natural resource base upon which these
economic sectors rely.
17,

44
The county also recognizes that certain agricultural and forestry
practices may have adverse impacts on the long-term productivity of the land,
on the productivity of estuarine waters, and on the environmental health of
the county. It is a goal'of the county to support the modification or
elimination of these deleterious practices, so as to ensure the long-term
productivity of the county's resource base and to protect the quality of life
of county residents.
Policies - Agriculture. Forestry and Fishing
1. The county will, to the extent possible, direct future growth and
development away from the most productive agricultural and forest lands in
rural areas. Future development will be encouraged to locate on less
productive land in existing communities or transition areas.
2. The county values its forestlands as both economic resources and
aesthetic and recreational resources. To the extent possible it will •
discourage future development in highly productive forested areas. The county
will take whatever actions it can to encourage the retention of these areas in
their current uses.
•
3. The county supports and encourages the use of sound forest management
practices. This should include an adequate restocking of forestry after
harvest.
4. The county recognizes the economic importance of fishing and will
manage future growth and development to minimize damage to commercial fishing
resources. Among other policies, the county will seek to restrict the extent
of damaging erosion and runoff, and the entrance of other pollutants into
sensitive coastal waters (see Chapter 3.0). More specifically, the county
will seek to modify agricultural and forestry practices which have negative
environmental consequences through at least the following means:

L:
45
a. The county should consider additional funding for specific projects
and manpower needs in resource conservation that have a strongly
demonstrated need and a high probability of success.
b. The county should develop a closer working relationship with the Bay
River Soil and Water Conservation District, and should encourage and
assist the District in expanding its scope and funding support in
becoming a more aggressive advocate of resource conservation.
c. The county should request the General Assembly to provide counties
with the ability to require conservation plans on the installation of
appropriate conservation treatments as a condition of eligibility for
use -value property tax assessment.
d. The county should initiate formation of an ad hoc county water
management task force to bring together the disparate local interests
in water management and to begin work towards a comprehensive water
management plan for the county.
5. Marinas are an important part of water based activity in the county
but if not located and managed carefully can contribute to the degradation of
the water that makes that activity possible. The county, therefore, endorses
all the state policy that applies to the location and management of marinas
0 and further discourages them from locating in primary nursery areas,
shellfishing areas and other highly sensitive areas. It encourages each
marina in the county to make pump out facilities available and to use best
practices to avoid spillage of fuels, wastes and other pollutants.
J
7

Chapter 6.0
Mining
Within the sedimentary rock that underlies Pamlico County, phosphate
pellets occur in varying amounts. Beds of phosphate -rich sand may exist
throughout the county, but are more likely to be found in areas where the
average rock composition is sand. Thus, the highest concentrations can be
expected in areas of greater than 75 percent sand and moderate concentrations
where the rocks are 50 to 75 percent sand (Diagram 6.1). Texas Gulf owns land
in the county that could be mined for phosphate, although no mining is taking •
place currently.
In addition to phosphate, Pamlico County contains rich deposits of peat.
Peat is found in the marshes and in areas known as pocosins (Diagram 6.2).
There are three major pocosin areas within the county: the Light Ground, Bay
City, and Northwest. The Light Ground pocosin contains the most suitable peat
for energy production and ranges from 0-12 for mining peat within this area,
but the lack of a firm market for peat has delayed mining operations.

•
1

PAMLICO COUNTY
M PEAT RESOURCES
,:..::���.� te.-.;�,• � �^ yam•
.r•u. c.�ti. � .rr.
r
/i
t
.a
�- ---
Diagram 6.2
LEGEND
00

49
Goal - Mining
It is the goal of Pamlico County to encourage the development of these
local peat and phosphate deposits provided that such development will not have
a serious negative effect on the other natural resources in the county and
that such development will make a positive contribution to the economic,
social and psychological well-being of the people of the county. It is
especially important that the development of these non-renewable resources
• does not hinder the development or continued use of renewable resources, such
as farmland,.forestland or the estuaries.
Policies - Minina
1. The adjacent natural environment and human activities should not be
adversely affected to an unreasonable degree, including such features as:
a.' water quality and quantity, both of surface waters and ground waters;
b. the natural function of streams, wetlands and estuaries;
c. air quality;
d. wildlife and fish populations
• e. the natural beauty of the county; and
f. farming, fishing, tourism, forestry, and other economic activities.
2. The development of the resource should have a positive economic and
r fiscal impact on the county in both the short- and long-term.
3. Once the peat or phosphate is removed, the site should be restored to
a condition either approximating its original natural state, or capable of
supporting productive uses of the land which are compatible with the land use
plan.

Chapter 7.0
Mitigation of Natural Hazards
0
Hurricanes and Coastal Floodine •
Coastal North Carolina experiences hurricanes, tropical storms and severe
extratropical cyclones usually referred to as northeasters. Since 1900,
fifty-six hurricanes have passed across or close to the North Carolina coast.
Of these fifty-six storms, twenty-one were major hurricanes, and twelve of
those were destructive in Pamlico County. During major hurricanes that
occurred in the mid 1950's, flood elevations of 6.1 to 8.7 feet at Oriental,
5.5 to 6.5 feet at Hobucken, and 5.6 to 8.9 feet at Bayboro were recorded
(FEMA 1984).
Flood Insurance Rate maps have been completed for unincorporated areas of
Pamlico County by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The 100-
year.flood has been adopted by FEMA as the base flood for purposes of
floodplain management measures. This line represents the level that water
would reach during a flood that is expected to occur on the average of once
during a 100-year period. This means that there is a 1% chance of a flood of
that magnitude occurring during any one year. The 500-year flood is used to
indicate additional areas of flood risk in the county. Floods of this
magnitude have a 0.2% chance of occurring during any one year.
Diagram 7.1 shows the approximate boundaries of flood insurance zones
which represent areas of flood potential or hazard. The areas designated as
Zone V are special flood hazard areas along the coast that would be inundated
Li

• • • • • • • • • • •
PAM LI CO COUNTY
FLOOD ZONES
(WHITE AREAS NOT INCLUDED IN STUDY)
•;•..�. • ZONE V
ZONE A&B
ZONE C
•r' .:::��:::�':•. mot..
N•
C
:''::''.'':. .. f••rya 1 : l
r..
�r. .
• meµ,;;::;;:::; .•. ':;: •', ••
,'•hill,'. • �•:`•••�I
Diagram 7.1
LEGEND
C•..TT •OYY•MT
To.. L...'•
i
to..$
. ----..
I Y i.KM•T•...To m-
uu u.• &-.T
-f`-
•T•T• YNY..1•
CMYTT MN•
•C•l•
Ln
r

52
by the 100-year flood and that have additional hazards due to the velocity of
storm waves. The V zone generally extends inland to the point "where the 100-
year flood depth is sufficient to support a 3-foot breaking wave." Because
of the additional hazards'associated with high energy waves, the National
Flood Insurance Program regulations require much more stringent floodplain •
management measures in these areas, such as elevating structures on piles or
piers.
Due to the scale of the map, zones A and B were combined. These areas
are between the V zones and the 500-year flood line and are subject to 100-
year floods. The third category shown, Zone C, is subject to only minimal
flooding.
In 1986 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers prepared maps of coastal North •
Carolina using a computer based model. This model, SLOSH (Sea Lake Overland
Surge from Hurricanes), projects the flooding that will occur as a result of
hurricanes of a large variety of characteristics (e.g., wind speed, direction,
time, etc.). Diagram 7.2 shows the composite of these projections for storms
in categories 1 and 2, 3, and 4 and 5 using the Safir-Simpson Scale: Number
1, winds between 74 and 95; Number 2, winds between 95 and 110; Number 3,
winds between 111 and 130.; Number 4, winds between 131 and 150; and Number 5
with winds over 150 miles per hour.
The two diagrams (7.1 and 7.2) show that virtually the entire county and
all of its development is subject to some degree of flooding in the most
extreme conditions.
The land use plan guidelines for CAMA were modified in the spring of 1983
to specifically address hurricane hazard mitigation and post -storm
reconstruction. Local land use plans must now incorporate mitigation policies
and post -storm reconstruction plans. The mitigation and reconstruction •

• • •
PAMLICO COUNTY
SLOSH AREAS
4...1
Areas flooded by Categories 1d2
Additional areas flooded by Category 3
aim Additional areas flooded by �
� Categories 435
LEGEND
r✓ u..uNi •.w.lw
.eu
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53
policies that localities are required to prepare must consider at least the
following:
1. Separate policies which deal with the effects of high winds, flooding,
wave action and erosion for those hazard areas where such forces may
be expected;
2. Means of dealing with structures and uses which do not conform to the
hazard mitigation policies;
3. Means of encouraging hotels, restaurants, and similar large commercial
structures to locate outside of erosion -prone areas;
4. Policies which deal with the acquisition of parcels located in hazard .
areas or rendered unbuildable, for the purpose of public access
(Section .0203 (b)(a)).
The development of post -disaster reconstruction policies are intended to
assist localities in making development and redevelopment decisions in the
aftermath of a hurricane or severe storm, where the pressures to rebuild are
great and where opportunities for careful deliberation are often few (see
McElyea, Brower and Codschalk). Reconstruction guidelines are to address,
among other things: "the timing and completion of damage assessments; the
timing and imposition of temporary development moratoria; and the development
of standards to which repairs and reconstruction shall conform" (.0202 •
(a)(b)(iv)).
Localities are to establish schedules for staging reconstruction
"according to established priorities assigned to the restoration of essential
services, minor repairs, major repairs and new development" (.0203 (a)(b)(v)).
Localities are also required to prepare policies to direct the repair and
reconstruction of public facilities, and to consider their possible relocation
outside of high hazard zones. Consideration must also be given to the
establishment of a "reconstruction task force," to oversee post -storm recovery
and to deal with the policy questions which arise during the reconstruction
phase. 9

54
While these requirements are intended to be most relevant in oceanfront
localities, Pamlico County is vulnerable to the effects of hurricanes and
coastal storms given its large amount of sound and river shoreline.
Shoreline Erosion
Shoreline erosion is a natural hazard existing in the county. Of the 348
miles of bay and estuarine shoreline, with 30 miles classified as critical and
24 miles classified as non -critical erosive shoreline (1980 Land Use Plan).
ID These erosive areas exist along the Neuse River and along portions of creeks
and streams..'.
"... extending southeast from Kennels Beach around Wilkinson Point then
northeast to a point approximately halfway between Janiero and Oriental, then
continuing from a point just west of Coddle Creek to a point just west of
Broad Creek. The positions of the shoreline from Wilkinson Point northeast
are generally low and also subject to flooding while the shoreline southwest
of the Wilkinson Point area are high banked shorelines dropping off sharply
where the land meets the water" (1980 Plan, p. 59).
Goal -- Mitigation of Natural Hazards
It is the goal of Pamlico County to minimize the risks to human life, and
the risks to public and private property posed by hurricanes, coastal
flooding, shoreline erosion and other natural hazards.
Policies Mitigation of Natural Hazards
1. The county supports the objectives of the Natural Flood Insurance
Program. Future development located in coastal floodplains will be subject to
the elevation and floodproofing requirements specified under the regular phase
of the National Flood Insurance Program.

55
2. To the extent possible, the county will minimize the extent to which
people and property are placed at risk in designated flood hazard areas.
3. The county will,take efforts to inform residents and prospective
landowners of the nature and extent of the coastal flood hazard by publicizing
the hazardous areas and encouraging the schools, civic clubs and others to
spend some of their time becoming aware of the hurricane hazard.
4. The county will -attempt to discourage future development in high
hazard erosion areas.
5. The future location of public facilities and structures will take
into consideration the existence and magnitude of natural hazards. To the
•
extent possible, such public investments will avoid hazardous locations. •
However, where location in high hazard areas is inevitable, such structures or
facilities will be designed so that future damages from hurricanes and other
natural hazards are minimized.
6. The county will consider the formation of a post -hurricane recovery
and reconstruction task force, as recommended in the CAMA storm hazard
planning provisions. This team would provide oversight and direction during
the reconstruction phase and would assist in the identification of mitigation
opportunities.
7. The county will establish a post -hurricane damage assessment team,
also recommended under the new CAMA provisions. This team will facilitate the
acquisition of federal and state disaster assistance funds, will facilitate
decisions concerning rebuilding and reconstruction, and will also assist the
reconstruction task force in identifying mitigation opportunities that may be
present following a hurricane or coastal flood.
•
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8. The county should be prepared to take advantage of the opportunities
• to mitigate future hurricane and storm losses following the occurrence of a
hurricane or severe coastal storm. These opportunities may take the form of
relocation of damaged structures outside of particularly hazardous sites, the
public acquisition of high hazard areas, and other policies which reduce the
permissible density at which redevelopment can occur. To ensure that hasty
redevelopment does not occur, and that opportunities to mitigate future
• natural hazards are not foreclosed, the county will consider an ordinance to
permit local officials to impose a temporary reconstruction moratorium
following a major disaster.
9. Septic tanks and drainfields which are substantially damaged must be
repaired or reduced in accordance with the rules and regulations in effect at
the time the repairs or replacement takes place.
10. The county will consider ways it can reduce exposure to natural
hazards in the future through public acquisition of high hazard parcels. Such
acquisition could be coordinated with other needs and objectives of the
county, including the protection of important natural areas, and provision of
adequate recreational facilities.
11. The county will periodically evaluate the capacity of its existing
road and transportation system to evacuate residents in the event of a
hurricane or severe coastal storm. It should identify any trouble areas and
take appropriate actions to correct these problems. The county must make
particular efforts to ensure that residents in the Goose Creek Island area are
able to evacuate in a timely manner. The evacuation plan is currently being
reviewed and will be revised with the assistance of the North Carolina
Division of Emergency Management.
12. The county will periodically evaluate the adequacy of existing
designated hurricane shelters. This evaluation must consider both the

M
structural adequacy of the buildings and their location relative to hurricane
hazards.
13. The county will,periodically conduct simulated hurricane evacuation
and emergency management 'drills to familiarize county officials and residents
with emergency procedures.
•
40
•

•
•
Chapter 8.0
Traffic and Transportation
• The use of the automobile is the primary mode of transportation for
Pamlico County residents. The importance of this mode of transportation, and
the quality and condition of county thoroughfares upon which it depends, is
• evident by the relatively.large number of residents who must commute
substantial distances to work daily. As Table 8.1 indicates, in 1980 some
1450 Pamlico residents, or approximately 41% of the county's workforce, had to
commute a distance equivalent to 30 minutes or greater of travel time. 893
•
residents, or one -quarter of the local workforce, traveled 45 minutes or more
to work daily. The importance of the street and road system is further
indicated by Table 8.2 which shows that few alternative transportation modes
• are currently being used.
Table 8.1
Travel Time for Pamlico County Workforce in 1980
• Mean travel time 28.2 minutes
Less than 10 minutes 749 workers
10 to 19 minutes 761 workers
• 20 to 29 minutes 558 workers
30 to 44 minutes 557 workers
45 or more minutes 893 workers
• workers 16 years and over who did
not work at home 3518 workers
Source: 1980 Census of Population
•
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Table 8.2
Modes of Transportation to Work for Pamlico Countv Residents in 1980
Workers 16 and over,
3,673
Percent worked outside area of residence
42.3%
Modes of transportation
Private automobile
3,253
Public transportation
56
Bicycle
15
Motorcycle
2
Walked only
156
Others means
106
Worked at home
85
Source: 1980 Census of Population
A thoroughfare plan for the county was developed by the State Department
of Transportation, and adopted by the county in 1971. Under this plan roads
in the county are classified as minor arterial, major collector roads or minor
collector roads. Two segments of minor arterial are identified as existing in
the county: the north -south Highway 306 between Minnesott Beach and Bennett
(and north to Aurora), and east -west Highway 55 between Grantsboro and Olympia
(west to New Bern). (See Diagram 1.1.) The remainder of Highway 55, and
Highway 304 generally between Bayboro and Goose Creek Island are identified as
existing major collector roads. The only road improvement proposed in the
1978 plan is the construction of a bridge to Minnesott Beach from Carteret
County, and thus to connect this minor arterial to the South.
n
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•
•
11

•
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The outdated nature of this thoroughfare plan suggests the need for a
• full analysis of existing street and road conditions, and the preparation of
an updated list of needed street and thoroughfare improvements.
In developing this list of needed improvements, consideration should be
• given to the importance of such improvements to economic growth and
development in the county. One of the primary deterrents to industrial
development in Pamlico has been the lack of a major north -south route.
• Although ferries do cross the Pamlico and Neuse Rivers, they are not suitable
for heavy commercial traffic. Upgrading of roads and the construction of
bridges to the north and south would increase the development potential of the
county.
•
There are indications that a substantial segment of the Pamlico County
population, particularly the poor and the elderly, experience mobility
problems. Problems may exist in finding transportation to healthcare,
•
hospital, shopping and other facilities or in finding adequate transportation
•
to and from employment. As Table 8.3 reiterates, the county contains a
relatively high proportion of these low -mobility groups.
Table 8.3
Potential Mobility Problems in Pamlico County
1960 1970 1980
•
Percent housing units in the county
without automobiles -- 23.8% 14.4%
Percent families in the county
under poverty line -- 27.6% 17.5%
•
Percent individuals over 65
years of age 9.0% 11.7% 13.7%
Source: 1966, 1970 and 1980 Census of Population
1970, 1980 Census of Housing
•
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As Table 8.4 indicates, some 530 dwelling units in the county did not
have access to any type of private vehicle in 1980. These statistics suggest
that the county should consider the feasibility of initiating limited forms of
public transportation. These types of services could include van -pool,
limited dial -a -ride services, or special transportation services provided by
county social service agencies. Collaborating with other nearby jurisdictions
is also a possibility.
Table 8.4
Vehicles Available to Pamlico County Households
(by dwelling unit)
Total:
None
1
2
3 or more
Automobiles
None
1
2
3
Trucks or vans
None
1
2
3 or more
Source: 1980 Census of Housing
530
1166
1265
717
641
1867
965
205
2210
1290
173
5
7
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Goal - Traffic and Transportation
It is the goal of Pamlico County to provide an adequate street and road
system to provide for the safe and easy movement of traffic in the county. It
is the county's goal to provide adequate transportation services for all
residents of the county.
Policies - Traffic and Transportation
1. The county should make whatever future road and street improvement
are necessary to ensure that traffic congestion and dangerous traffic
conditions do not exist. To this end the county should update, or request
that the state update, the 1971 thoroughfare plan.
2. The county acknowledges the importance of its road and thoroughfare
system for encouraging future economic and industrial development in the
county. The county should in the future identify key street and road
inadequacies and work to eliminate them. It appears, for instance, that a
primary deterrent to future industrial growth in the county is the absence of
a major north -south route. To the extent possible, the county will work to
40 provide such a route.
3. Future road and street improvements should take into consideration
the presence of hurricane and coastal storm hazards. Future roads in the
0 county which may serve as evacuation routes in the event of a hurricane might
be elevated, for instance. Where possible future streets and roads in the
county should be located outside of high hazard flood areas. The county
should carefully examine the capacity of the existing bridge and ferry system
to evacuate residents in a sufficient period of time (see Chapter 7.0).
4. Because much of the recent development in the county has occurred
along its roads and thoroughfares, the potential congestion and safety
problems presented by this pattern of development are substantial. The county
should work to carefully regulate future growth and development along these

•
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transportation routes. Among other things the county should seek to limit the
proliferation of individual driveways and accessways, and should encourage
creative development projects which incorporate common access points and well -
designed internal traffic flows. The county will discourage the proliferation
of strip commercial development along its roads and thoroughfares and will
encourage or require the development of common access points.
5. The county recognizes that a major segment of the population may have
serious transportation problems and will take whatever actions are possible to •
provide adequate transportation services to these individuals. The county
will investigate the feasibility of a limited form of public transportation
(e.g., through the use of county vans, school buses during off hours, a dial- .
a -ride service, etc.) to provide access to key destinations both within and
outside of the county. The county will seek the cooperation of neighboring
jurisdictions in providing such services.
•
6. Future road and street improvements should be designed so as to
minimize their impact on fragile and sensitive areas and to preserve the
aesthetic resources of the county.
•
7. The county recognizes the importance of not shifting the burden of
current expenses to future residents, industries or generations and will,
therefore, explore ways of insuring that new development pays its own way by,
•
among other things requiring that new residential development pay for required
infrastructure.
8. The county recognizes the importance of the military to the national
security and also to the local economy but also recognizes the importance of
recreational and agricultural activities to the overall quality of life in
Pamlico County in the long term and therefore it is the policy of the county
that military activity in and around the county be consistent with the •
policies of this plan to the maximum extent feasible.
•

Chapter. 9.0
Housing
The housing stock in any locality is an important component of the local
quality of life. Analysis of recent housing data indicates a number of
important facts about housing in Pamlico, and raises a number of important
• planning issues for consideration. Table 9.1 presents several crucial
statistics concerning the county's housing stock. The 1980 census of housing
indicates that 83% of the year round housing units in the county are owner
occupied.
The existence of inadequate and substandard housing in the county can be
detected from several statistics. As Table 9.1 indicates, 11.4 percent of the
occupied housing in the county is lacking complete plumbing. This amounts to
40 some 350 dwelling units. This is considerably higher than the proportion of
such housing existing at the state level. As well, some 144 units, or 4.7% of
total year round occupied dwelling units contain more than 1 person per room,
the generally -accepted standard for overcrowded housing. While this is about
the same percentage that exists at the state level, this represents a
considerable number of dwelling units. An effective CDBG Program has made a
significant impact on this problem but there is more to be done.
Availability of local housing is often gauged by very low vacancy rates.
As Table 9.1 indicates, the vacancy rate for owner occupied housing is low,
the vacancy rate for rental housing in the county is relatively high. This is
somewhat surprising given the low number of units of rental units in the
40

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Table 9.1
Characteristics of Housing in Pamlico County
Pamlico County North Carolina
1980 1980
Ll
Total housing units
5,011
2,274,737
Total occupied units
3,064
2,043,291
Median rooms (occupied housing)
5.3
5.2
Lacking complete plumbing
(for
exclusive use; occupied
housing)
11.4
4.1
Owner occupied
3,064
1,397,425
With 1.01 or more persons
per
room (occupied)
4.7
4.5
Median value
36,000
36,000
Median contract rent
125
134
Vacancy rate - homeowner
1.0
1.5
Vacancy rate -rental
8.4
7.8
Source: 1980 Census of
Housing
county. The value of owner occupied units is exactly the same as the average
for the state as a whole, and the median contract rent is very similar to the
state's as well.
The 1980 census confirms the existence of a fairly high percentage of
seasonal or vacation housing. Of the total housing units of 5,011 reported in
1980, some 906 or about 18% were found to be vacant, seasonal or migratory
(this excludes temporarily vacant units).
Goal - Housing
It is the goal of Pamlico County to ensure that adequate levels of
housing exist for existing and future residents, and that this housing stock
provide an adequate diversity of price and type.
11

•
66
Policies - Housing
1. The county acknowledges that there are a significant number of
substandard housing units in the county, and will take whatever actions it can
in the future to facilitate the renovation and rehabilitation of the housing
in the future. This will include efforts to secure federal and state funds
for such rehabilitation.
2. The county will ensure that through its development regulations and
other local policies it provides for a range of housing choices.
3. The county will ensure that it does not discourage the construction
of affordable forms of housing in the county.
4. The county will seek to prevent any incompatibilities between
different types of housing, and between housing and other types of land uses.
For example, adequate buffers will be required between residential and
commercial uses.
5. To the extent possible, the county will protect and enhance the
integrity of existing residential neighborhoods in the county.
6. The county will encourage and/or require future housing development
to adhere to innovative site designs which reduce the extent of their
intrusion on the county's natural environmental and natural resources (see
other accompanying chapters).
J

Chapter 10.0
Recreation and Open Space
Pamlico is a county rich in recreational and open space resources. To a
address the recreational needs presented by future growth, the county's
Recreation Commission prepared a master plan for parks and recreation which
was adopted by the county in 1980. This plan establishes recreational goals
for the county, provides an inventory of existing facilities, and identifies
immediate, intermediate and long-range facility needs. Among the general
goals enumerated in the 1980 plan are the following:
40
1. Endorse the concept that recreation is a basic need in the life of
every individual.
2. Facilities and programs shall take full advantage of existing
resources.
3. The Department will cooperate fully with local advisory boards and
commissions, the Board of Education and with other concerned agencies
in its efforts to provide for the recreation needs of the residents
of the County.
4. The quality of the recreation experience and its contribution to the
growth and development of the participant is of utmost concern.
5. The Department should coordinate efforts with other agencies in order
that a total recreation program may be offered to the citizens of
Pamlico County.
The 1980 recreation plan identifies a number of existing facilities in r
the county. Among these are eight multi -purpose courts in eight different
communities (see Table 10.1) and tennis courts, a play lot and basketball
court in Bayboro. A number of scenic and historic areas have been identified
by the Soil Conservation Service, including a number of historically -
significant buildings (China Grove Plantation; Alonza Holton
C

68
Table 10.1
Recreational
Courtsites in Pamlico County
1.
Lowland
Tennis
court,
two stationary basketball goals -asphalt;
2.
Hobucken
Tennis
'court,
one permanent basketball goal -asphalt;
3.
Mesic
Tennis
court,
one swing -around basketball goal;
4.
Vandemere
Tennis
court,
two permanent basketball goals -asphalt;
5. Oriental Tennis .court;
i 6. Arapahoe Lighted tennis court and two basketball goals;
7. Reelsboro
Olympia Lighted tennis court, asphalt;
8. Multi -purpose courts built by the Pamlico County Board of Education with
six-foot fencing at the ends of two courts. Located at Pamlico County
Junior High School and made of concrete.
Source: 1980 Pamlico County Master Plan for Parks and Recreation
House; Jeptha Holton House; the Pamlico County Court House; the Reel House;
and the Smith House). Also identified are several important archaelogical
sites, including: the Paradise Shores Hammocks, the Middle Bay Site and the
Vandemere Site. A number of scenic pocosin and wetland areas are also
identified in the SCS survey.
Among the specific immediate goals outlined in the recreation plan are:
the preparation of an administrative manual; the identification of current
r recreational resources; and the solicitation of private funds for recreation
projects. Among the short-range goals (three to five years) are the following:
the need to coordinate with schools for joint utilization of facilities; the
construction of a centralized recreation complex, and the utilization of water
resources. The need for a centralized recreation complex was addressed in
1984 with the purchase, with the aid of a Land and Water Conservation Fund
matching grant, of an 88-acre tract of land. When fully completed this

69
40
facility will include several ballfields, a track, a jogging trail, a nature
trail, and tennis courts, among other facilities. The facility is located on •
Ireland Road, off Highway 55.
The need to obtain and develop water access identified in the
recreational plan is further supported in the 1980 Land Use Plan:
Present public access areas to the waters surrounding Pamlico County
is very limited. At the present time the county does not own any public
beaches or other recreational areas adjacent to water. There are three
wildlife boating ramps in use and also a public ramp at Vandermere. The
county policy is to support and encourage the development of public
facilities which will insure every county resident with easily accessible 46
access to the water. (1980 Land Use Plan, p. 144)
The plan also lays out a number of long term recreational goals for the
county (five to fifteen years). Among these are: the need for a joint
county -state park, the need for nature trails, the need for neighborhood park
facilities, and the continued solicitation of funds for recreational purposes.
Coal - Recreation and Open Space
It is the goal of Pamlico County to expand open space and recreational
opportunities commensurate with future growth and development. The county
will ensure that such opportunities are of appropriate type, quality, quantity
and location so that all residents of the county are able to take advantage of
them. The county acknowledges, as well, the importance of these opportunities
for attracting tourists, and seasonal visitors, and it is the goal of the
county to accommodate these recreational needs as well.
Policies - Recreation and Open Space
40
1. To the extent possible, the county will seek to implement the goals 0
and objectives identified in the Master Plan for Parks and Recreation. More
specifically, and consistent with the plan, it will continue to develop its
88-acre centralized recreation facility, will seek to coordinate with county
40

70
schools for joint utilization of facilities, will continue to pursue the
concept of a joint county -state park, and will continue to encourage or
develop nature trails and neighborhood parks. The county will continue to
obtain funds and resource's for recreation from the private sector.
2. The county acknowledges the critical importance of its natural open
space areas to the quality of life in the county and will do what is possible
to protect and preserve these areas. This policy has also been expressed in
• other components of the plan.
3. The county should modify its subdivision ordinance to ensure that
future development projects incorporate and set aside sufficient open space.
This could be accomplished, for example, through clustering requirements. As
well, such developments should incorporate neighborhood recreational
facilities, such as tot lots and playgrounds, sufficient to serve neighborhood
needs. Future development should also be required to contribute to the
provision of larger, community -wide parks and open spaces.
4. Both the recreation master plan and the previous county land use plan
have identified access to the water as a critical and important recreational
resource for the county. In the future the county will work to expand water
access points (for boating, swimming, etc.). Future private development along
the water should also be required to incorporate, to the extent that this is
feasible, public access (or at least not foreclose opportunities for public
access). This policy is particularly applicable to larger projects and
developments.
5. The county supports the protection of its historically -significant
buildings and archaeological resources.
L
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•
Chapter 11.0 •
Public Facilities and Services
Water SUDDly and Service
•
Three aquifers currently supply the water needs of the county (CRC, Ltd
1984b). The deepest and most extensively used of the three is the Castle
Hayne aquifer. Varying in thickness from 200-400 feet and buried at depths
•
ranging from 80 feet in the western part of the county to.over 350 feet in the
northeast, the aquifer is composed of shell limestone and beds of calcareous
sand. It is highly productive: domestic wells easily yield 20-50 or more
gallons per minute, and large diameter commercial wells produce several •
hundred gallons per minute with very little breakdown.
Above the Castle Hayne lies the Yorktown aquifer, containing interbedded
layers of sand, shell, and clay. The sand and shell beds yield moderate •
quantities of water, and small diameter wells can generally provide a supply
adequate for domestic use. Above this, in the western part of the county, the
unconfined or water table aquifer provides an adequate source of water to •
shallow wells.
The quality of water in the Castle Hayne and Yorktown aquifers is
similar; it is characteristically hard and alkaline and may contain •
significant iron. Chloride content is for the most part low, but in the
eastern part of the county residual salt water or contamination from brackish
surface waters may result in high chloride levels. Hydrogen sulfide may also •
occur in the Castle Hayne in this area. Water quality in the unconfined
aquifer, on the other hand, is generally soft and free of odor, though often
with a high iron content. Chloride contamination is very low in inland areas
•
but higher along the coast.
0

•
72
The county presently operates a public water system. County water lines
have been laid along many of the roads that run through the county (see
Diagram 11.1). Current development patterns correlate with this system which
further illustrates the trend of growth in the area.
At the present time there are 230 miles of line carrying an average of
16,400,000 gallons per month, which is estimated to be approximately 40
percent of the total capacity of the system. The county draws water from
Castle Hayne aquifer which exhibits very little draw down at the county's
wells. Approximately 80 percent of the county residents are on the water
system and others are adjacent to the lines but are not hooked into the
system. There are three pump sites located in the county (Bayboro,
Grantsboro, and Vandemere) with two wells at each of these sites. An elevated
tank was constructed at Lowland as a safeguard to protect against a water
shortage in the event that the water line running across the intracoastal
waterway to Goose Creek Island is damaged.
Any future extensions to the county water system are likely to depend on
the availability of grant money from the State or the FHA. The addition of
feeder lines to the system would bring approximately 100 more residents on the
system, but this would cost around $150,000.
In addition to the county system, municipal systems are also operated by
• the Towns of Oriental (about 400 connections) and Minnesott Beach (about 150
connections).
•
•
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a'.iagtam a s • s

74
Wastewater disposal
Public sewerage has been recognized as a major problem since 1969. It
has already been indicated that the suitability of soils in the county to
accommodate system tank use is low, and that the need for some form of public
sewerage system is great. While most areas in the county are unsuited for
septic tanks, this has been the primary sewage disposal technique. The county
health department has granted septic tank permits on a conditional basis
• instead of imposing a total moratorium on new building.
0
A recent survey of septic tank performance conducted by the Department of
Human Resources, Shellfish Sanitation unit, in conjunction with the Pamlico
County Health Department included a majority of the area within the BRMSD (Bay
River Metropolitan Sewerage District; see below). The study was conducted
during the drier, low water table period of the year; yet, 356 citations were
issued for improperly operating septic tanks.
The number of existing malfunctioning septic tank systems and the
extensive preparations required to allow development of marginal new
systems clearly indicate the need for a central sewer system (p. 3-3).
Although a central sewerage system does not currently exist in the
county, several wastewater collection or treatment plants are in use. Three
public facilities with such systems in use are: Pamlico County Courthouse
Square (package treatment plant); Pamlico County High School (sewage lagoon);
Pamlico County Junior High School (sewage lagoon). At least two of these
three systems have been reported to be in violation of the discharge limits
established under their NPDES permits. Two seafood processing plants in the
county -- Gaskill Seafood Company, Inc. of Bayboro and Pamlico Packing Company
of Vandermere -- also hold NPDES discharge permits. These plants (only
requiring screening) are apparently meeting the limitations of their permits.

75
A 201 wastewater facilities planning study was completed for the county
in 1979. This study, required for local eligibility for federal grant funds, •
considered several alternative wastewater treatment and collection facilities
(see Moore, Gardner and Associates, Inc., 1979b). This study concluded that
the most appropriate facility was a centralized land treatment system serving •
all municipalities plus unincorporated areas. The proposed system would be
regional in nature and would serve all of Alliance, Bayboro, Mesic, Stonewall,
Vandermere and portions of the county (see Diagram 11.2). Treatment capacity
would be .2 million gallons per day (GPD), with a land treatment facility to
be located northwest of Bayboro (Moore, Gardner and Associates, 1979a). Prior
to the completion of 201 study, the Bay River Metropolitan Sewerage District
•
was created as a legal entity.
A follow-up study completed in October of 1979 provided a detailed
examination of the financial feasibility of the proposed system. Total
project costs were estimated then to be $5,888,200, of which $3,031,200 was •
expected to be covered through grants from EPA. It was also predicted that
the county would be eligible for additional funds from the Farmers Home
Administration and State Clean Water Bonds. The local share of the project •
could be financed through the issuance of bonds.
The sewerage project was approved by the Palmico County voters in a
referendum in September of 1986. It has been estimated that construction of •
the system will begin in early 1987 and will take about 18 months.
•
u

ENLARGED AREA
BAY RIVER METROPOLITAN
SEWERAGE DISTRICT
I
v
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Diagram 11.2

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Goal - Public facilities and services
It is the goal of Pamlico County to provide its residents with adequate
levels of essential public services and facilities. These facilities and
services will be provided in a cost-efficient manner and will be provided at
levels commensurate with growth and development in the county.
Policies - Public facilities and services
1. The county recognizes the negative environmental and public health
reports of heavy reliance on septic tanks and places a high priority on the
establishment of central sewerage system in the county. It will take all
future actions necessary to bring about this system, including the funding and
other recommendations contained in the sewerage feasibility studies.
2. Until such time as a central public sewerage system is available, and
in areas where service from this system would not extend, the county should
encourage the use of package treatment plants.
3. The county should take all actions possible to ensure that existing
collection and treatment systems operate within their permitted effluent
discharge levels. 10
4. The county should take whatever actions are necessary to ensure that
septic tank failures are corrected and damage to water quality is minimized
(e.g., Chapter 3.0 also).
5. The county will make appropriate improvements and extensions of the
local water systems commensurate with future levels of growth and development.
6. To the extent possible, the county will finance future sewer and
water improvements, and other public services and facilities according to the
benefit standard. This standard suggests that those individuals who most
benefit from such services and facilities ought to bear the greatest
proportion of the costs. •
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7. The county will prepare, and periodically update a capital
improvements program.
8. In future decisions concerning the extension of public services and
facilities, such as sewer and water service, the county will carefully
consider the impacts of these decisions on other local goals and objectives.
Public sewer service, for instance, may encourage inappropriately heavy growth
in sensitive environmental areas in the county (see Chapters 3.0 and 7.0 in
• particular).
9. The future existence of a public sewerage system in the northern
portion of the county has substantial implication for future growth
management. Because these will be the areas which will be best able to
accommodate future growth, with the least amount of environmental degradation,
higher densities of growth should be designated to occur here. Zoning and
other regulatory measures should be modified to funnel future development to
• these areas, and away from non -serviced and more environmentally -sensitive
areas of the county.
10. Within the sewerage district, priority should be given to permitting
and/or encouraging future growth increase contiguous with existing towns and
settlements (i.e., Bayboro, Alliance, Stonewall).

•
Chapter 12.0
Protection of Aesthetic and Visual Resources
Pamlico is a rural, undeveloped county containing numerous aesthetic
resources. Among them are its river and sound shorelines, its visual access
to water, its wetlands and forestland, its farmland and open fields, and its
wildlife. Residents of Pamlico County value the beauty and serenity of the
landscape and should seek ways to protect these resources.
While future growth and development can offer many benefits, including
employment and increases in the local tax base, it can also serve to undermine
these unique visual resources of the county. Future growth and development in
the county can occur, however, in ways which minimize the destruction of the
natural beauty of the county. The county can, for example, require future
developments to protect, through clustering and innovative site designs, large
amounts of land in open space and undeveloped uses. The visual integrity of
the shoreline can be protected by requiring homes to be setback from the water
to such a distance that they are visually unintrusive. Heavy use of
vegetative buffers can minimize visual intrusion as well. There are, then, a
host of zoning and site design provisions the county can adopt to ensure that
the destruction of visual resources in the county is minimized.
In addition to the loss of natural beauty that development often
precipitates, the manmade environment is often itself visually unattractive.
The county should take steps, for example, to ensure that the height and scale
of future building are consistent with the existing rural and small town
environment. The fact that historically much of the development in the county
has occurred along its primary roads and thoroughfares may raise an additional

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set of visual problems. Strip commercial development can occur, creating a
visual mess of signs, lights, logos and automobile congestion. Through
careful control of development along the county's thoroughfares, this type of
visual intrusion can be avoided.
There are a number of architectural, archaeological, and historic
resources in the county that are important not only for their intrinsic value
but also for their support to the general quality of life in the county. This
can also contribute greatly to the value of the county as a resort area. An
architectural inventory was done in the late 1970s that should be useful for a
number of planning purposes, historic preservation efforts, historic tours,
tourism, etc.
Goal - Protection of aesthetic and visual resources
The county recognizes the importance of its visual and aesthetic
resources and it is the goal of the county to protect the natural beauty and
the present high scenic quality of the environs. Future growth and
development in the county should not be achieved at the sacrifice of these
important local qualities.
Policies - Protection of aesthetic and visual resources
1. The county will modify its zoning and other development controls in
order to encourage future project designs which are sensitive to their visual
impact. Future development should be encouraged or required, through site
design and other public review processes, to minimize their impacts on the
scenic and visual environs.
2. The county will consider the need to regulate and manage the
location, size and design of signs. The need to prepare and adopt a county
sign ordinance will be carefully studied.

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3. The county will consider the imposition of a building height
limitation on future growth. The county will prohibit the construction of
buildings whose scale is.not consistent with the county's rural and small town
atmosphere.
4. The county will manage the location, intensity and design of future
commercial growth to minimize the visual clutter which typically results from
strip commercial development. The county will modify its zoning regulations
to prevent this type of commercial development.
5. The county will encourage or require future development to
incorporate landscaping and vegetation which increases the visual
attractiveness of future development. The county will review its existing
zoning regulations and site design criteria with these needs in mind.
6. The county will discourage major alterations of the natural
environment, such as the loss of trees, during future land development.
7. Future development should be managed to maintain the public's visual
access to the water. The ability of residents and visitors to see the water
is an important visual resource that must be protected.
8. The county recognizes the importance of wetlands, forestlands, and
farmlands to the visual integrity of the area and will seek to minimize the
impacts of future growth on these resources.
9. Future development should be encouraged to provide visual buffers
which minimize their visual intrusion on the community. Visual buffers are
particularly important along major roads and thoroughfares in the county.
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10. The county recognizes the importance of protecting the visual
• integrity of the county's river- and sound- shoreline, as seen by boaters and
other water users. Development along the shoreline will be regulated and
designed so as to minimize its interference with this visual perspective.
• 11. The county recognizes the importance of architectural, archaeological
and historic resources within the county and encourages their preservation.
12. The county will encourage all future development, especially large
• scale development, to carefully consider the architectural, aesthetic and
archaeological resources of the development site and the vicinity and to
preserve those resources to the maximum extent feasible. The county also
• strongly encourages all developers and builders in the county to consult with
appropriate local, state and federal agencies and associations in determining
the location and value of these resources.
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Chapter.13.0
Land Classification System
This chapter presents the land classification system and maps for Pamlico •
County. The land classification system permits the county to attach the
specific goals and policies developed in the previous chapters to particular
geographical areas in the county. The land classification maps permit the
•
county to designate areas where future development should be encouraged,
natural areas which should be protected and conserved, and areas where only
agricultural and other less intensive uses should be permitted. The land
•
classification system is at once a way to implement goals and policies, and a
proposed land use design which must itself be implemented by thorough
subsequent land use, capital facility and other decisions of the county.
The land classification system and maps for Pamlico County uses several •
classification areas. These are described below and delineated on the land
classification map.
•
1. Transition
Transition areas designate areas within the county where future growth
and development is likely or desirable. Several different transition
•
classifications are designated, indicating different levels of public services
and permissible development intensity.
(a) Transition I. Lands designated as Transition I are those areas
•
where the most intense future development in the county will be encouraged.
As land classification maps indicate, these areas located within the Bayboro
Sewerage District are expected to receive public sewer service in the near
•
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PAMLICO COUNTY ilLAND CLASSIFICATION
TRANSITION CONSERVATION
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future. Moreover, these are areas which are contiguous to existing towns and
development nodes. It is the county's policy to encourage relatively intense
development in a compact, and contiguous manner. Should public sewer service
for some reason not become available to these areas, these lands would be
reclassified as Transition III (see below). Transition I areas hold the
•
highest priority for future development in the county. The county should
encourage, to the extent possible, these areas to be developed before the
other transition areas.
•
(b) Transition II. These are areas also within the Bayboro Sewerage
strict and are expected to receive public sewer service in the near future.
They, however, are located along the major transportation route, and not
•
directly contiguous to existing towns and development centers. While it is
the county's policy to encourage future development in such areas, the
intensity of this development in non-contiguous areas should be considerably.
lower. As with Transition I areas, should sewer service not become available,
these lands would be reclassified as Transition III (see below).
(c) Transition III. These are areas which are contiguous to existing
towns and development centers, but which will not receive public sewer service
in the near future. Because development in these areas must rely upon septic
tanks the permissible development here will be lower than for the previous two
transition categories. Because of the availability of public sewer in •
Transition Areas- I and II, the county places lower priority on future growth
and development in Transition III areas. Should public sewer service be
extended at some future date to areas designated as Transition III in this
plan, such areas would be reclassified as Transition I, and treated
accordingly.
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2. Conservation
The conservation classification is intended to identify sensitive and
irreplaceable natural areas that require protection from future growth and
development. These are areas which should be preserved, where possible, in
their undeveloped state, and should not be classified as transition in the
future. Several different conservation areas- have been designated for Pamlico
County, representing different aspects of the natural environment to be
•
protected.
(a) Conservation I -- Primary Nursery Areas
These are lands along the Bay River, Neuse River and Pamlico Sound
which are critical nursery areas for fish and shellfish and important habitats
for waterfowl and other wildlife species.
(b) Conservation II -- Important Natural Areas
This classification is used to designate important natural areas
identified by the Peacock and Lynch Study. These areas include hardwood
flats, sand ridges and pocosins (see Chapter 3.0) and encompass important
natural habitats which support rare and significant plant and/or animal
species.
(c) Conservation II -- General
This classification includes all additional conservation areas in
the county.not included in categories I and II. Included are sensitive
estuarine and shoreline areas, and lands adjacent to important creeks and
tributaries. This category incorporates areas designated as conservation by
the county's 1980 land use plan.

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3. Rural
All remaining lands in the county are designated as rural. These are
areas which are principally used for agriculture, forest management, mineral
extraction and other non -urban uses. It is the objective of the county to
protect these resource areas from intensive development pressures. While
small amounts of future development will be permitted in these areas, this
development will be of very low intensity and should generally be related to
the resource base and compatible with existing land uses in these areas.
Significant urban growth and development should be directed, to the extent
possible, to designated transition zones. Public sewers will not be extended
into the rural area. Water lines will be extended, by and large, only to
alleviate existing problems but not to encourage development in the rural
area.
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Chapter 14.0
Implementation
It is recognized that a great many of the policies enunciated elsewhere
in this plan lack specific implementation and enforcement provisions. The
primary reason for this is that this is a plan, a plan that is like a road
• map, which sets out the direction in which one must travel in order to reach a
desired destination. It does not, however, select the means for getting
there, how long it will take, how much it will cost, etc. This is the next
40 step and will require careful study.
The second reason that this plan does not go very far in proposing
implementation and enforcement measures is that, like most of coastal North
Carolina, the citizens, voters, and taxpayers of Pamlico County are reluctant
40
to adopt policies which they perceive as having even the potential for
infringing on their freedom. Thus many implementation measures will have to
be carefully considered and drawn if they are to succeed.
But the county also recognizes that without some guidance future
development may likely destroy the very quality of life that now exists in
Pamlico County and is treasured by its residents. It is also recognized that
large scale development and small scale development have different impacts and
can, therefore, be dealt with differently.
The county will seek the assistance of the Coastal Resources Commission
in exploring the feasibility of formulating a land development policy that
would:
1. Guide development in a way to achieve many, if not all, of the
policies of this plan;

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2. impose only minimal guidance measures on small scale development which
will have little impact; but will
•
3. impose more extensive guidance measures on large scale development
which will have a substantial impact.

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Chapter 15.0
Public Participation
In the formulation of this plan it was discussed in a number of public
meetings held by the Planning Board. Public comment was invited and received.
The Planning Board and the Board of Commissioners held a joint meeting on
• January 19, 1987 to discuss the plan. A public hearing was held on February
23, 1987 by the Board of Commissioners prior to its adoption.
It is the policy of Pamlico County to encourage its residents to be
involved in the formulation of public policy, and will continue to do so.

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Chapter.16.0
References
C
Barick, Frank B. and T. Stuart Critcher. 1975. Wildlife and Land Use
Planning. Raleigh: N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, April.
•
Coastal Resources Collaborative, Ltd. 1984a. The Environmental Impacts of
Agriculture and Forestry: An Amendment to the Land Use Plan of Pamlico
County. N.C.. Chapel Hill, NC: CRC, Ltd.
Coastal Resources Collaboratives, Ltd. 1984b. Large -Scale Residential
Development Study and Policy. Recommendations for Pamlico County. N.C.
Chapel Hill, NC: CRC, Ltd.
McElyea, William, David J. Brower and David R. Godschalk. 1982. Before the
Storm: Managing Development to Reduce Hurricane Damages. Chapel Hill:
UNC Center for Urban and Regional Studies.
Moore, Gardner and Associates, Inc. 1979a. Addendum 201 Wastewater
Facilities Plan. Bavboro Planning Area. Pamlico County, N.C. Asheboro,
N.C., August.
Moore, Gardner and Associates, Inc. 1979b. Bay River Metropolitan Sewerage
District Preliminary Engineering Study as to Wastewater Facilities.
•
Asheboro, N.C., October.
North Carolina Department of Transportation. 1971. Pamlico County
Thoroughfare Plan.
Pamlico County. 1976. Pamlico County Coastal Area Management Plan.
Pamlico County. 1980. Master Plan for Parks and Recreation. March.
Pamlico County. 1980. Pamlico County Land Use Plan. Prepared by Neuse River
Council of Governments.
Peacock, S. Lance and J. Merrill Lynch. 1982. Natural Areas Inventory of
Pamlico County, North Carolina. CEIP Report #29, North Carolina DNRCD.
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