CAMA Land Development Plan Update-1981

CAMA
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FOR
PASQUOTANK COUNTY
o = NORTH CAROLINA
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1981
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PREPARED BY
FERREN PLANNING GROUP
Greenville, N.C.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
CHAPTER I - INTRODUCTION
1
..Purpose of Study
1
..Citizen Participation
2
CHAPTER II - ANALYSIS OF CHANGE
3
..Introduction
3
..Population
3
..Existing Land Use
14
..Current Plans & Policies
18
CHAPTER III - CONSTRAINTS TO DEVELOPMENT
21
..Natural Constraints
21
..Hazard Areas
25
..Capacities of Public Facilities
26
CHAPTER IV - ESTIMATED GROWTH DEMAND
30
..Introduction
30
..Components of Change, 1980-1990
30
..Land Needs
31
CHAPTER V - DEVELOPMENT ISSUES
33
..Special Issues
33
..Resource Protection
36
..Resource Production & Management
38
CHAPTER VI - LAND CLASSIFICATION
43
..Introduction
43
..Land Classifications
43
The preparation of this report was financially
aided through a federal grant from the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The grant
was made through the North Carolina Department of
Natural Resources and Community Development.

LIST OF EXHIBITS
PAGE
Exhibit
1
- Existing Land Use
16
Exhibit
2
- Estuarine Waters, River Erodible Zones
22
Exhibit
3
- Soils Map
24
Exhibit
4
- Water System
27
Exhibit
5
- Land Classification Map
44

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this plan is to update socio-economic and
physical data for Pasquotank County which will reflect changes in each.
The plan is constructed to point out areas where changes have occurred
since the last CAMA Plan.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
An important part of preparing this plan was informing the public
of changes found in the analysis and describing the impact these changes
have or will have in the future on development patterns throughout the
County. Public information meetings were held during the planning process
to allow input from interested citizens. Also, the consultant spoke to
various civic organizations as a means of reaching more of the public.
The results of these efforts are reflected throughout the plan.
POPULATION & ECONOMY
Pasquotank County has continued to grow since the 1975 Plan was
completed. Two townships in particular (Mt. Hermon and Providence)
accounted for the greatest growth. Household size has decreased, causing
the formation of many more single -person or couple households creating
a demand for more rental housing. The exaggerated interest rates of
recent years have been an additional cause for the demand for rental
housing, especially mobile homes. The County's economy continues to
be primarily agriculturally based. The Coast Guard and local, state and
federal government agencies make the government section of the economy
important locally.
EXISTING LAND USE
Development patterns in the County have not changed significantly
in the past five years and are not expected to change in the next ten.
Most development continues to occur near Elizabeth City. A county -wide
water system with an excellent capacity should stimulate further growth
in rural areas near Elizabeth City's planning jurisdiction. Scattered
residential growth throughout the County continues along with small
rural commercial operations. Mobile homes present the greatest growth
type in terms of land use.
CONSTRAINTS TO DEVELOPMENT
The bodies of water surrounding the County and severe soils limitations
present both the greatest constraints to development, and the greatest
impetus to development. The river banks provide a lure for new
permanent home developments. Poor drainage causes the primary constraint.
ESTIMATED GROWTH
Population projections for the year 1990 show that Pasquotank County
should grow to a population of 31,146, with 16,040 being in the County
outside of Elizabeth City. This will represent an increase of over
10%. A total of 2,870 new households are expected to form by that year,
causing a need for 1,318 new acres of residential land. More than 50

acres will be needed for commercial development. All industrial
development will continue to occur inside the Elizabeth City
planning jurisdiction and. in other areas of the County adjacent
to railroads, highways and areas served by county water lines.
DEVELOPMENT ISSUES AND POLICY STATEMENTS
The Pasquotank County Board of Commissioners and its Planning Board
discussed all of the development issues required by the state planning
guidelines. However, they also considered local issues which will have
long-term impact. Alternative solutions to these issues were evaluated
and the most appropriate was made into a policy statement for each issue.
Some of these include continued protection of environmentally fragile
areas, controlled future development and cooperation with various
organizations and government agencies in providing rational development
in Pasquotank County over the next 10 years.

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
PURPOSE OF STUDY
Pasquotank County prepared a Land Use Plan in 1976 in response
to the Coastal Area Management Act, passed by the North Carolina
Legislature in 1974. The purpose and intent of the act is best
described in Section .0101 "Introduction to Land Use Planning"
Subchapter 7B - Land Use Planning Guidelines (as amended 9/l/79):
.0101 Introduction
(a) The Coastal Area Management Act of 1974 establishes a
cooperative program of coastal area management between
local governments and the state. Land use planning lies
at the center of local government's involvement, as it
gives the local leaders an opportunity and responsibility
to establish and enforce policies to guide the development
of their community.
(b) The purpose of these state guidelines is to assist local
governments in each of the 20 coastal counties with the
preparation of their own individual land use plans. Each
county and the municipalities within the coastal counties
are encouraged to develop a plan which reflects the desires,
needs and best judgment of its citizens. The land use plans
prepared under these guidelines, when considered together,
form the basis for "a comprehensive plan for the protection,
preservation, orderly development and management of the
coastal area of North Carolina", which is the primary
objective of the Coastal Area Management Act of 1974.
Further in the guidelines in Section .0201 (c), the heart of why
North Carolina communities and counties need to prepare land use plans
is described.
.0201 Introduction
(c) Local governments, through the land use planning process,
address issues and adopt policies that guide the development
of their community. Many decisions affecting development
are made by other levels of governments, and local policies
must take account of and coincide with established state
and federal policies. Most decisions, however, are primarily
of local concern. By carefully and explicitly addressing
these issues, other levels of government will follow local
policies that deal with these issues. Policies which consider
the type of development to be encouraged, the density and
patterns of development, and the methods of providing beach
access are examples of these local policy decisions.
1

More significant even than the "requirement" that communities prepare
Land Use Plans every five years is the uses that are made of the local
plans once they have been completed. In the publication, The Impact of
State Regulation of Coastal Land in North Carolina, prepared by Charles
D. Liner of the Institute of Government at Chapel Hill, he noted
the impact of local land use plans on state and federal decisions:
...Land -use plans have a potential effect on (local) land use
because:
(a) CAMA Permits may not be issued for development that is
inconsistent with land -use plans (since CAMA Permits are
required only in AEC's, this effect is limited to land
within AEC's).
(b) Local ordinances and regulations that apply to AEC's must be
consistent with the land -use plan; local ordinances and
regulations affecting land outside AEC's are subject to
review by the Coastal Resources Commission, which is
authorized to recommend modifications to the local
government.
(c) Federal actions involving grants, licenses, permits, and
development projects must be consistent with local land -
use plans, as required by Section 307 of the FCZMA.
(d) In accordance with the Governor's Executive Order Number 15,
certain state agency actions and polices must be consistent
with land -use plans.
CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
The need for citizen input in the planning process is readily
apparent. A plan prepared for a community without opportunity for
public opinion is almost always destined to land on a shelf and
to be forgotten.
To overt this fate for this plan update, several opportunities
for public input were made during the preparation of this plan.
First, the County's consultant was available for and did make
addresses to civic and social clubs in the County. Newspaper
accounts of these addresses and drafts of the plan as they were completed
also provided information to County residents during this period.
Additionally, three workshops were held to review a proposed
zoning ordinance for the County. At those workshops, persons
interested in the Land Use Plan Update had the opportunity to ask
questions about it.
Methods of continued public participation input in the planning
process in Pasquotank County are discussed in Chapter V.
2

CHAPTER II
INTRODUCTION
A N A L Y S I S O F C H A N C E
The updating of Pasquotank County's 1975 Land Use Plan is centered
around the identification of trends in data elements impacting on the
utilization of land and natural resources. The importance of recognizing
these trends is important for several reasons. First, they can suggest
the need for action before such action becomes critical and/or controversial.
Secondly, the analysis of trend information can be a measure of how
successful a current program or activity has been and suggestive of
needed changes to meet unanticipated problems. Lastly, trend information
can be useful in spotting new opportunities and allowing the local
government to examine them in detail.
These data were gathered to specifically update items enumerated in
the previous land use plan. In some cases, such as the mobile home and
septic tank permits, raw data from county files was assembled for the
first time. Reliance on official data sources allows the County, in .
later planning efforts, to update this plan with relative ease. Certain
data elements, such as mobile home permits, could be updated periodically
to provide decision makers with the most up-to-date information possible.
Others, such as Census data, will be of increasingly limited use as it
ages. In any event, as Pasquotank County begins to witness the changes
suggested by this analysis, the need for data and appropriate analysis
will become more evident.
PnPTTT,ATTnN
The population of Pasquotank County has shown a slow but steady
increase. With the exception of the Second World War decade when the
area contained several military installations, the County has increased
in the five to seven percent range each decade. However, the distribution
of this population increase has not been uniform. Tables 1 and 2 provide
a thirty year examination of intra-county population distributions.
3

Table 1-Population Change by Township, 1950-1980
Township
1950
1960
% Chg.
1970
% Chg.
1980
% Chg.
% Chg.
"50-'60
160-170
170-180
so- so
Elizabeth City
15836
15870
0
15507
-2.3
14720
-5.0
-7.0
Mt. Hermon
1434
1594
10
2352
47.5
3335
41.8
132.5
Newland
1621
1716
5.9
1923
12.1
2012
4.6
24.1
Nixonton
2641
3063
16.0
3135
2.4
3326
6.1
25.9
Providence
1235
1960
58.7
2819
43.8
3678
30.5
197.8
Salem
1580
1427
-9.7
1088
-23.8
1194
9.7
-24.4
TOTAL
24347
25630
5.3
26824
4.7
28265
5.4
16.1
Source: 1975 Land Use Plan, Preliminary Estimates 1980 US Census
Table 2... Percentage Change, Township Population to Total County Population, 1950-1980
Township 1950 1960 1970 1980
Elizabeth City
65.0
61.9
57.8
52.1
Mt. Hermon
5.9
6.2
8.7
11.8
Newland
6.7
6.7
7.2
7.1
Nixonton
10.8
12.0
11.7
11.8
Providence
5.1
7.6
10.5
13.0
Salem
6.5
5.6
4.1
4.2
Source: 1975 Land Use Plan, Preliminary 1980 US Census
These tables graphically show a significant and long standing population
shift in Pasquotank County. Mt. Hermon and Providence Townships have
doubled their relative population, apparently at the expense of Elizabeth
City Township. The real impact of this growth will be discussed later,
but it is very evident that continued growth in these townships will place
unusual service demands both on Elizabeth City and on Pasquotank County.
With the exception of the Elizabeth City Township, all the remaining
townships showed stable growth during the last decade. Even the Salem
Township reversed a long standing decline in population by registering a
10% increase in 1970-1980.
Much of the population growth has occurred in subdivisions along
the various water bodies of Pasquotank County, in search of water access
and scenic beauty. Very little, if any, of the population is seasonal,
as most of the residents of these subdivisions are employed within
Pasquotank County.
The three major components of population - age, race, and sex are
enumerated in Tables 3 and 4.
In

Table 3...Age Components in Pasquotank County, 1950-1980
Age Component 1950
0-14
7254
(29.8)
15-24
4398
(18.1)
25-34
3978
(16.3)
35-49
4502
(18.5)
50-64
2692
(11.1)
65 +
1520
( 6.2)
TOTAL
24347
1960
8607 (33.6)
3918 (15.3)
3095 (12.1)
4736 (18.5)
3272 (12.7)
2002 ( 7.8)
25630
1970
7744 (28.9)
5372 (20.0)
2876 (10.7)
4380 (16.3)
3860 (14.4)
2592 ( 9.7)
26824
1980*
6289 (22.1)
5998 (21.0)
4560 (16.0)
3986 (14.0)
4127 (14.5)
3327 (12.4)
28287
*1980 age components were derived from 1980 Department of Administration
population estimates, adjusted to conform to the preliminary 1980 U.S.
Census estimates.
Source: 1975 Land Use Plan, 1980 DOA population estimates, 1980 US Census
Table 4... Age, Sex and Race Components in Pasquotank County, 1960-1980
Age 1960
White Nonwhite
M F M F
0-14
15-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65 +
TOTALS
1970
1980*
White
Nonwhite
White
Nonwhite
M
F
M
F
M
F
M
F
2249
2113
1726
1628
1889
1738
1342
1318
1574
1393
1104
1295
1705
1500
1373
1424
974
1016
397
471
1596
1451
687
826
914
957
404
534
965
988
344
452
986
1035
455
511
849
929
370
508
794
874
392
411
805
1007
436
459
666
1132
365
423
758
1490
474
604
8107
8520
4843
5273
8567
9103
5027
5591
Source: 1960 & 1970 US Census of Population and 1980 DOA Estimates
*1980 age, sex and race components were derived from the 1980 Department of
Administration population estimates, adjusted to conform to the preliminary 1980
US Census estimates
There are several other components of population analysis that are
necessary to better understand the above numbers. The Department of
Administration has provided some estimates of the net migration rate in
Pasquotank County. A positive net migration estimate indicates that more
people are coming into the area than are leaving. These DOA estimates
show a very significant trend between the decades 1960-1970 and 1970-1980.
5

.Table 5... Net Migration Estimates for Pasquotank County, 1960-1980
Total White Nonwhite
Rate Male Female Total Male Female 'Total
1960-1970 -7.09 -2.76 -3.02 -2.89 -13.17 -13.25 -13.21
1970-1980 2.43 4.40 5.12 4.77 - 1.26 - 1.22 - 1.24
Source: 1980 projected population estimate, Department of Administration
Accompanying migration as a low population variable is the birth and
death rates, and also the family formation and dissolution rate. The
following table provides this data.
Table 6... Birth, Death, Marriage Formation Rates, Pasquotank County
Live
Births
Deaths
Marriages
Divorces
1950
627
233
N.A.
N.A.
1960
637
217
N.A.
N.A.
1970
448
(18.0)
281 (10.6)
N.A. (128.0)
N.A. (2.9)
1975
390
(14.3)
295 (10.7)
2233 (80.2)
122 (4.4)
1978
433
(15.1)
243 (8.4)
2200 (76.5)
138 (4.8)
(00.0) = rate per 1000 persons
Source: North Carolina Statistical Abstracts; City and County Data Book - 1977,
U.S. Bureau of Census and Vital Statistics, N.C. Public Health, 1978.
In reviewing these statistics, there are several factors that
immediately come to mind.
1) The population of Pasquotank County has increased by 5.4% since 1970 and
by 16.1% since 1950. The annualized average rate of increase has
remained at .5%.
2) In line with state and national trends, the County's population is
becoming older.
3) While each of the, sex and race components have increased, they
have increased proportionately. The 1970 sex and race percentages
remain at the same level in 1980.
4) The net migration rate made a significant shift of 9.5 points during
the 1970's. This net change in migration was particularly significant
for the County's nonwhite population (over 14 points).
5) The birth rate showed the anticipated decrease consistent with state
and national trends; but showed a healthy increase after 1975. This
increase was primarily due to an increase in non -white births.
6) The death rate has continued to make significant declines and will
continue to do so.
6

7) Even though the primary marriage age groups (15-34) has increased
by 7% since 1970, the marriage rate has declined by 40%.
8)- The divorce rate has also increased significantly during the previous
decade (65%).
9) These data are consistent with the 1980 Census that shows a 35.8%
increase in the number of households. This household formation
increase is consistent with the decreasing marriage rate, increasing
age groups between 15-34 years and the increasing divorce rate. These
data are also consistent with state and national trends.
The above paragraphs suggest that Pasquotank County will experience
the same type of population pressures that the state and nation will
experience. Before we analyze what these trends will mean to the County,
the estimated population for 1985 and 1990 will be presented. These
population estimates, like all projections, are partly based on past events
and should be accepted only with the understanding that they are subject
to subsequent revision. Even with this disclaimer, these projections
can provide the policy makers of the County with very valuable information
about future decisions.
Table 7... Past and Projected Age Components in Pasquotank County, 1970-1990
Age Component
1970
1980
1985
1990
0-14
7744
(28.9)
6289
(22.1)
6623
(21.9)
6433
(20.7)
15-24
5372
(20.0)
5998
(21.0)
5082
(16.8)
5084
(16.3)
25-34
2876
(10.7)
4560
(16.0)
5387
(17.8)
5374
(17.3)
35-49
4380
(16.3)
3986
(14.0)
5168
(17.1)
6158
(19.8)
50-64
3860
(14.4)
4127
(14.5)
4040
(13.4)
3811
(12.2)
65 +
2592
(9.7)
3327
(12.4)
3888
(12.8)
4286
(13.8)
26824
28287
30188
(+ 6. 7)
31146
(+ 3.2)
Source: Table 3 and Department of Administration 1985 and 1990 population estimates
These population projections confirm the factors discussed previously.
To further aid in the understanding of what these numbers actually will
mean to the County, assume three broad age categories with certain
unique and generalized requirements:
1) Age group 0-24: will require educational, child care, health and
vocational/higher education expenditures
2) Age group 25-64: will provide the primary local tax revenue but will
require expenditures for enhancement of life, such
as water and sewer, solid waste, law and fire protection
and other similar support services.-
3) Age group 65+: will require additional social andhealth services, as
well as services provided for the previous age group
but with a decreasing tax payment
F

Table B.-Broad Age Categorization for Pasquotank County (%), 1970-1990
Age Group
1970
1980
1990
0-24
48.9
43.1
37.0
25-64
41.4
44.5
49.3
65 +
9.7
12.4
13.8
Source: Table 7
Population Analysis
The previous section.suggests that Pasquotank County will double its
population growth rate by 1990. There will be significant shifts in the
ages of the people and in their location, but, in terms of race and sex,
will remain similar to past proportions. While the school aged population
has decreased by 8% during the 1970's, the higher birth rate since 1975
may suggest a reversal or at least a slowing decrease. In fact, the 1990
population projection shows a 2% increase in the number of school aged
children. This may require a careful analysis of the shift in the location
of the population to provide the current level of service. To provide
assistance in this analysis, the following chart was developed by a trend
line analysis of Table 2.
Table 9... Township Population to Total County Population (%), 1950-1990
Township
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
Elizabeth City
65.0
61.9
57.8
52.1
48.5
Mt. Hermon
5.9
6.2
8.7
11.8
13.2
Newland
6.7
6.7
7.2
7.1
7.3
Nixonton
10.8
12.0
11.7
11.8
12.3
Providence
5.1
7.6
10.5
13.0
15.7
Salem
6.5
5.6
4.1
4.2
3.0
Source: Table 2
The County will need to watch this growth in the Mt. Hermon and
Providence Townships with care. Later discussions of mobile home growth
and land use changes will show the full extent of this growth. However,
to show how this change in population distribution may affect the County,
the following table on household increase is presented.
8

Table 10... Household Increase by Township, Pasquotank County, 1970-1980
Township 1970 People%Household 1980 People/Household % Increase
Elizabeth City
4861
3.19
5990
2.46
25.3%
Mt. Hermon
645
3.65
1132
2.95
75.5%
Newland
467
4.12
618
3.26
32.3%
Nixonton
788
3.98
1091
3.05
38.5%
Providence
853
3.30
1406
2.62
64.6%
Salem
338
3.22
564
2.11
66.9%
7252
10801
35.8%
The significant growth in households can be primarily attributed to smaller
families. The demands placed on the County's water system will certainly
grow, especially in Mt. Hermon and Providence. This shift in population
distribution may also increase the demand for sanitary sewer provisions
and other intensive services. The decline in the Elizabeth City Township,
should it continue, may place the County in the business of providing
or contracting for urban type services. This may be the result of the most
significant feature of the population analysis - the shift in the distribution
of the location of the population.
Labor Force/Employment
The economic analysis provides an updated and somewhat expanded view
of Pasquotank's economy. Major components of this analysis include
discussions on the available labor force, employment patterns, unemployment
rates, industrial development, sales and income.
Availability of workers is a necessary component of a healthy economy.
Not only does it provide a pool of workers, but a steadily increasing labor
force indicates that new and replacement employment is being made available
to local people. This can be a major factor in reducing outmigration.
The trend in Pasquotank County shows a 10% increase in the civilian labor
pool since 1973.
Table 11... Civilian Labor Pool - Pasquotank County, 1970-1979
Year Civilian Labor Pool
1970 10,530
1971 10,550
1972 10,620
1973 10,890
1974 10,890
1975 10,620
1976 11,720
1977 11,960
1978 11,850
1979 12,020
Source: Table 6, 1975 CAMA Plan and Employment Security Commission
V7

The continually rising labor pool indicates that the number and
quality of jobs is also increasing. In fact, the total employment
patterns dovetail with the labor pool increase.
Table 12...Total Labor Force Employment - Pasquotank County, 1970-1979
Year Total Employment
1970
9,580
1971
9,800
1972
10,010
1973
10,370
1974
10,140
1975
10,590
1976
11,150
1977
11,300
1978
11,350
1979
11,410
Source: Employment Security Commission
The total employment in Pasquotank County has increased by 12.5%
during the 1970's. More importantly is the area where employment has increased.
Table 13 ... Industrial Employment by Place of Work (%), 1970-1979
Job Category
1970
1975
1979
Manufacturing
1690
(21.6)
1510
(17.2)
1510
(14.9)
Construction
330
( 4.2)
290
( 3.3)
350
( 3.8)
Transportation, Comm-
unication, Utilities
380
( 4.6)
410
( 4.7)
540
( 5.4)
Trade (Whsl. & Retail)
1780
(22.8)
2170
(24.7)
2760
(27.4)
Finance, Real Estate,
Insurance
370
( 4.7)
450
( 5.1)
530
( 5.3)
Service
930
(11.9)
880
(10.0)
1270
(12.6)
Government
2340
(30.0)
3050
(34.7)
3060
(30.4)
Other
0
-
40
-
60
-
7820
8800
10080
10

Two definitions need to be presented before further analysis can
continue. Comparisons between Tables 10, 11 and 12 cannot be made except
in the broadest terms. The term "civilian labor force" is defined as:
"All persons 16 years of age and over residing within a specific
geographic area (excluding members of the armed forces) who are
classified as employed, unemployed and seeking employment, or
involved in a labor dispute."
The civilian labor force is provided by the place of residence of the
worker. The Elizabeth City civilian labor force area includes Pasquotank
and Camden Counties. The industrial employment figures provided in
Table 13 is however by place of work. Inasmuch as all three tables
represent different viewpoints of the employment picture, they do
provide valuable tools when taken in the proper context. For example,
the rising civilian labor pool and total employment both indicate a
strong and active enough economic base to attract and retain newly arriving
workers to the labor pool. The 1970 commuting patterns for the County
indicated a net gain of 125 commuters. When the 1980 commuting patterns
become available, the strength of the labor force and total employment
should point to an even higher net gain of commuters.
On the other hand, the place of work table provides a look at the
strength of the Elizabeth City - Pasquotank County economic base. A
plant employment reduction several years ago contributed to the decline
in the manufacturing sector's position, which has been offset by a
healthy increase in trade. A review of the county business patterns
confirms this point.
Table 14... Pasquotank County Business Patterns -Establishment, 1968,1974 and 1978
Contract Construction
Manufacturing
Transportation, Communications,
Utilities
Trade
Finance, Insurance, Real Estate
Service
TOTAL
1968
1974
1978
44
53
57
34
34
30
20
15
18
130
231
253
24
46
54
145
157
187
397
536
599
Source: County Business Patterns, U.S. Bureau of the Census
(does not include government, railroad or self-employed workers)
These data also show that for those enumerated employment sectors
annual payrolls increased almost 12% to $55 million from $37 million.
It also shows that establishments employing between 5 and 19 employees
increased the most. Elizabeth City remains the center of economic activity
for the County. Of the service industries all but two are located in
Elizabeth City. Only one out of seven wholesalers in Pasquotank are
located outside of Elizabeth City.
11

The unemployment rates in Pasquotank County have remained reasonably
stable. The two exceptions to this pattern were in 1975, when IXL Furniture
Company had a major job reduction, and the end of 1980, when the unemploy-
ment rate hit the highest level in over 20 years.
Table 15 ... Unemployment Rate-Pasquotank County, 1970-1980
Year Rate
1970
5.5
1971
5.7
1972
4.7
1973
3.7
1974
4.5
1975
7.0
1976
4.9
1977
5.5
1978
4. 2,
1979
5.1
1980(November)
8.4
Source: Employment Security Commission
The real measure of economic health is the rising incomes of the
people. Per capita income doubled between 1968 and 1974 to $4,524.
The per capita income in Pasquotank County ranked 23rd highest in North
Carolina, with a 10% annual average change. Until the full 1980 Census
becomes available, more detailed information concerning the number of
families below the poverty level and the median family income will have
to wait. These are helpful indicators to measure the change in income
and relative position in the County and ultimately to measure the
real essence of economic change.
Retail Sales
Double digit inflation makes any analysis of retail sales risky.
In 1970, the County had a total retail sales of $64 million. It ended
the decade with $134 million. Even with a decade long inflation rate of
perhaps 75-90%, this shows a stable rise in total retail sales. The
1977 edition of County Profiles provides a partial examination of where
sales are actually made.
12

Table 16...Retail Sales, FY 70-71 & FY 75-76 (in millions of dollars)
Apparel
Automotive
Food
Furniture
General Merchandise
Building Materials
Unclassified Group
Source: County Profiles, 1977
Agriculture
FY '70-'71
$ 1.8
$10.3
$16.9
$ 3.1
$14.6
$ 3.9
$ 5.2
;P c.a
$17.4
$31.0
$ 4.9
$21.4
$ 8.6
$ 9.8
Agriculture is still the major economic activity in the County and
as such is treated as a separate activity. Over 35% of the County is in
harvested or idle cropland. This is significant because Pasquotank is
far from the largest county in land area, but ranks 20th-in amount of -cropland.
Table 17... Agricultural Trend - Pasquotank County, 1964-1974
1964
1969
1974
Number of Farms
446
379(-15.0%)
304(-19.8%)
Total Farm Acreage
73400
67500(-8.0%)
63000(-6.6%)
Average Farm Size
164.6
178(+ 7.8%)
207(+ 16.3%)
Acres Harvested
N/A
44500
49500(+ 11.2%)
Value of Farms
$53,850
$77;625
$153;000
Product Value
$8,136,000
$6,988,000 $16,200,000
Source: Table 8, 1975 CAMA Plan and 1974 Census of Agriculture
The average farm size in 1974 was 207 acres with over 65% of all farms
being under 180 acres. Only 13 farms contained over 100 acres.
Table 18... Principal Crops Harvested (Acres)
1972 1977
Corn for Grain 14,500 20,750
Soybeans 28,000 26,450
Peanuts 85 80
13

Summary
The population of Pasquotank County has made and will continue to
make two significant changes which may affect future land use and policy
decisions. A sustained suburban development to the east and north
of Elizabeth City will move the County toward providing some of the more
intensive urban type services. An aging population, with a possible
later increase in birth rates, may require more attention to more
dependent groups.
The economy of the area continues to grow in stable increments.
However, the County will want to renew efforts at enlarging its
manufacturing sector. This will be necessary as its trade and service
sectors begin to mature and reduce their previous growth rates.
EXISTING LAND USE
The 1975 CAMA Land Use Plan described Pasquotank County as a
"predominantly rural and agricultural oriented area with large portions
of the county under cultivation and in forestry. Along both the Little
and Pasquotank Rivers small and large residential and second home
developments has or is taking place". In the succeeding five years
nothing has occurred to change the previous characterization. (See Exhibit 1).
While there has been a good deal of subdivision platting activity,
the building phase of development has not kept pace, especially south
and west of Elizabeth City. As discussed in the previous section, the
primary growth areas have been in the Mt. Hermon and Providence Townships.
However, the main issues of a land use concern deal with mobile home
development and how to provide adequate services to a changing population.
These issues will be discussed throughout this section.
Significant Land Use Compatibility Problems
The 1975 Plan discusses two compatibility problems. Residential
location near a farming operation will continue to raise nuisance problems.
As more and more land is cleared for agricultural purposes, as farms become
larger and more intensive and as the population continues to move away
from Elizabeth City, these issues will become more commonplace.
In this same token, the large increase in mobile home park development
and individual mobile homes scattered on individual lots will begin to
raise the same types of issues. The second issues raised in 1975 dealt
with flood plain development. The adoption and enforcement of a Flood
Insurance Ordinance has done much to alert potential subdividers, lot
purchasers and builders of the sensitivity of the area to periodic
inundation.
During the past five years, several other issues have arisen that
deal with land use compatibility. Land clearing activities to develop
new agricultural areas has periodically created large fire and smoke
problems in the spoil areas created by these activities. The high organic
content of the soil and vegetation and method of clearing has, on occasion,
resulted in intense smoke during periods of climatic inversions causing
large areas of the County to be engulfed in smoke. While this might be
considered an example of agricultural -urban land use incompatibility in a
broad sense, the frequency of occurrence and lack of alternative clearing
14

Dotes This tsep was finonced in pact with funds
from the National oceanic and Atmospheric
Aftinistration and the Btate of Ncrth
Carolina through the office of Coastal
Mana9v aartt, Departsm nt bf Natural
Resources and Caftunity Developsmant.
EXHIBIT 1
EXISTING LAND USE
PASQUOTANK COUNTY, N.C.
w
Farmland
Developed
Forests
Prepared by, rerren planning Group/John C.
Schofield, AICP

methods will permit this problem to reoccur in the future.
The preparation of an AICUZ (Air Installation Compatible Use Zone)
study for the U.S. Coast Guard Support Center south of Elizabeth City
has raised a question of land use incompatibility in an area known as
Brickhouse Point. The purpose of the AICUZ was:
"to define areas of impact from air facility operations and
then attempt, through procedural and operational changes, to
lessen those impacts by reducing the area affected. Through
development of the AICUZ, long range strategies can be
identified that will discourage encroachment into impacted
areas and thus continue to control the increase of negative
impacts".
The primary concern in this study was to identify areas impacted by aircraft
accident potential and noise exposure. The procedural and operational
changes recommended by the study to reduce these hazard and noise
exposure areas deal with flight path alteration and changes in take -off
or landing procedures. These changes are made to reduce land use
compatibility problems without affecting the established land use patterns.
In this particular instance, the land use issue concerns the
development of a low density residential subdivision in an area known as
Brickhouse Point, which is in the Clear Zone and accident hazard zone for
runway 28, the heaviest used runway. Additionally, the AICUZ suggests
land acquisition of all areas in the other Clear Zones. The AICUZ implies
that while acquisition may reduce the current clear zone problems, the Coast
Guard must look to Pasquotank County to provide future protection from
incompatible development in the future.
The most sensitive environment area in the County, apart from the
conservation areas identified in 1976, is the Dismal Swamp. The U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Services does not feel that the Swamp is facing any
outside encroachments. In fact, in FY 181-182, a master plan and public
use development plan will be prepared to outline ways to appropriately
encourage the economic and social benefits of the Swamp. Forest management,
water management and environmental education centers will be key components
in this planning process.
Problems from Unplanned Growth
During the past five years, Pasquotank County has made several efforts
to reduce the problems from unplanned growth. The subdivision plat approval
process and better septic tank permit inspections have curtailed the
problem identified in 1975 of allowing platted but unbuildable lots.
A new mobile home park ordinance is the County's first attempt to regulate
mobile homes. However, the significant increase in mobile homes throughout
the County suggest that this ordinance is only the initial step to provide
more meaningful controls.
16

Table 19... Annual Mobile Home Registrations - Pasquotank County, 1975-1980
Township
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
Newland
59
87
101
117
131
153
Providence
161
204
244
274
303
336
Elizabeth City
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Mt. Hermon
81
98
125
139
176
199
Nixonton
94
131
140
170
195
207
Salem
72
79
80
92
104
115
TOTAL
467
599
690
792
909
1010
ANNUAL INCREASE
28.2% 15.2%
114.8%
14.8% 11%
% Increase
159%
109%
145%
120%
6 0%
116%
While it is certainly true that mobile homes now represent the only
form of housing for many people, such significant mobile home growth
can place severe and extraordinary demands on the ability of the County
to provide service. Better locational controls and internal park
improvements will be needed to ensure that mobile homes can provide not
only affordable housing units but also make compatible neighbors with
existing and future development. Commercial development to serve these
newly created residential areas are also beginning to pose traffic, congregation
and nuisance problems. This is particularly true on U.S. 17 North and
will become significant at Morgan's Corner, where the new portion of
U.S. 17 will begin its loop around Elizabeth City.
Areas of Change in Predominant Land Use
While the Mt. Hermon and Providence Townships are increasing
significantly, there is no evidence that this growth will change any
predominant land use patterns. Pasquotank County is, and will remain,
a predominantly rural area.
Areas of Environmental Concern
Three types of AEC's have been identified in Pasquotank County; estuarine
water bodies and estuarine shorelines and coastal wetlands. Estuarine
waters and shorelines, as discussed in later chapters, are protected
from incompatible uses by various local, state, and federal regulations.
It is sufficient to note here that these areas have been clearly identified
and proposed public policies related to these areas are provided in
Chapter V.
While not classified AEC's, there are many historic sites in Pasquotank
County. However, there is little protection offered for the numerous
historic properties in Pasquotank County even though County officials
are supportive of historic preservation. Presently, the basic mechanisms
for historic preservation in County areas are public awareness, several
listings on the National Register of Historic Places, and assistance
from state officials and preservation organizations.
The County should consider pursuing a comprehensive and detailed
inventory of its historic properties, as the first step towards a preservation
program. Grant assistance from the N.C. Division of Archives and History
is frequently available on a competitive basis for such an inventory. A
lengthy, yet incomplete and general, listing of historic properties was
included in the 1976 CAMA Plan.
17

CURRENT PLANS & POLICIES
Since the development of the 1975 CAMA Land Use Plan, Pasquotank
County has been active in upgrading its local planning tools.
Subdivision Regulations - In 1977, the County adopted a more comprehensive
subdivision regulation which provides more control over when and how land
is subdivided and developed. The strength of this regulation became
more important when the County's water system went into effect.
Mobile Home Park Regulations - In August, 1980, the County began enforcing
its first set of regulations for mobile home parks. Similar to the
subdivision regulations, they provide a measure of control over the
development of mobile home parks.
Zoning Ordinance - In addition to this Land Use Plan, the County is also
involved in an educational effort in preparation for an examination of
the need for a Zoning Ordinance.
Building Code - By July 1, 1983, Pasquotank County will be enforcing
the North Carolina State Building Code.
Flood Ordinance - Pasquotank County entered the emergency phase of the
Federal flood insurance program in February of 1976. Preliminary flood
hazard boundary maps were issued in November of 1977 — The County
presently requires that new construction in flood hazard areas be elevated
a minimum of one foot above the 100-year flood elevation as determined
by the best available information. Final flood hazard boundary maps
are presently being prepared and should be completed by the summer
of 1982, after which the County will be eligible for the regular phase
of the flood insurance program.
Septic Tank Regulations - A septic tank ordinance has been adopted by
the County and is enforced by the Health Department. The ordinance
requires a minimum lot size of 20,000 square feet for a single family
dwelling if good soils are present. Where a public water supply and
good soils are present, the minimum lot size can be reduced to 15,000
square feet. Lands with poor soil characteristics require at least
40,000 square feet unless public water is available, where 25,000 square
feet is required.
Listed below are very brief descriptions of the types of developments
which may come under the jurisdiction of various state and federal
agencies. As stated before, many of these types of development may
never take place in Pasquotank County, but it was considered necessary
to list all pertinent agencies which could exercise influence on various
potential developments in the County in the future.
18

Department of Natural Resources and Community Development, Division of
Environmental Management:
..Permits to discharge to surface waters or operate waste water treatment
plants or oil discharge permits; NPDES Permits, (G.S. 143-215)
..Permits for septic tanks with a capacity over 3000 gallons/day
(G.S. 143-215.3)
..Permits for withdrawal of surface or ground water in capacity use areas
(G.S. 143-215.15)
..Permits for air pollution abatement facilities and sources .(G.S. 143-215.108)
..Permits for construction of complex sources; e.g. parking lots, subdivisions,
stadiums, etc. (G.S. 143-215.109)
..Permits for construction of a well over 100,000 gallons/day (G.S. 87-88)
Department of Natural Resources and Community Development, Office of
Coastal Management:
..Permits to dredge and/or fill in estuarine waters, tidelands, etc.
(G.S. 113-229)
..Permits to undertake development in Areas of Environmental Concern
(G.S. 113A-118) Note: Minor development permits are issued by the
local government.
Department of Natural Resources and Community Development, Division of
Earth Resources:
..Permits to alter or construct a dam (G.S. 143-215.66)
..Permits to mine (G.S. 74-51)
..Permits to drill an exploratory oil or gas well (G.S. 113-381)
..Permits to conduct geophysical exploration (G.S. 113-391)
..Sedimentation erosion control plans for any land disturbing activity
of over one contiguous acre (G.S. 113A-54)
Department of Natural Resources and Community Development, Secretary.of
NRCD:
..Permits to construct an oil refinery
Department of Administration:
..Easements to fill where lands are proposed to be raised above the normal
high water mark of navigable waters by filling (G.S. 146.6(c))
Department of Human Resources:
..Approval to operate a solid waste disposal site or facility (G.S. 130-166.16)
..Approval for construction of any public water supply facility that furnishes
water to ten or more residences (G.S. 130-160.1)
Army Corps of Engineers (Department of Defense):
..Permits required under Sections 9 and 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of
1899; permits to construct in navigable waters
..Permits required under Section 103 of the Marine Protection, Research
and Sanctuaries Act of 1972
..Permits required under Section 404 of the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act of 1972; permits to undertake dredging and/or filling activities
19

Coast Guard (Department of Transportation)
..Permits for bridges, causeways, pipelines over navigable waters; required
under the General Bridge Act of 1946 and the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899
..Deep water port permits
Geological Survey, Bureau of Land Management (Department of Interior):
..Permits required for off -shore drilling
..Approvals of OCS pipeline corridor rights -of -way
Nuclear Regulatory Committee:
..Licenses for siting, construction and operation of nuclear power plants;
required under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 and Title II of the
Energy Reorganization Act of 1974
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission:
..Permits for construction, operation and maintenance of interstate pipelines
facilities required under the Natural Gas Act of 1938
..Orders of interconnection of electric transmission facilities under
Section 202 (b) of the Federal Power Act
..Permission required for abandonment of natural gas pipeline and associated
facilities under Section 7C (b) of the Natural Gas Act of 1938
..Licenses for non-federal hydro -electric projects and associated transmission
lines under Sections 4 and 15 of the Federal Power Act
20

CHAPTER III CONSTRAINTS TO DEVELOPMENT
There are many things that can limit or constrain urban development...
some are natural and some are made by man. Natural constraints include such
things as the suitability of the soils to accomodate urban growth, streams
and their associated areas subject to frequent flooding and unique natural
areas such as swamps. Man-made constraints include airport hazard areas,
petroleum or chemical bulk storage facilities, inadequate public facilities, etc.
for example. Both natural and man-made constraints are discussed in this
chapter.
NATURAL CONSTRAINTS
FRAGILE NATURAL AREAS
The listing and descriptions of the various fragile and/or natural areas
given on page 63 of the 1976 CAMA Plan have not changed since completion
of that plan. For this reason, they are reproduced here.
Coastal Wetlands - Small tributary approximately one mile south
of New Begun Creek on Pasquotank River.
North Side of Little Flatty Creek and small tributary south of
Little Flatty Creek and west of Glen Cove Development.
Tributary on north side of Big Flatty Creek and south of State
Road 1109.
Tributary on west side of Big Flatty Creek and approximately one
half mile east of State Road 1118.
Small area on west side of Symonds Creek and small tributary
on east side approximately three quarters of a mile south of
State Road 1100. (See Exhibit 2.)
Estuarine Waters - All waters of the Pasquotank River Basin
downstream of the Highway 158 Bridge between Elizabeth City and
Camden County. The Albemarle Sound and all waters of the Little
River south of the dividing line between coastal fishing waters
and inland fishing waters. (See Exhibit 2.)
Public Trust Areas - All navigable waterways within the
jurisdiction of Pasquotank County that have public access.
Complex Natural Areas - Area along Pasquotank/Perquimans County
line, upper area of county and area north of State Road 1303.
Area along the upper reach of Pasquotank River from the northern
point of the county down to the Extraterritorial Boundary Line
of Elizabeth City. Areas that are presently developed just
21

nn en1 InTAMK [_nl1NTY
a E
I
EXHIBIT

north of the Extraterritorial Boundary Line are excluded.
Remnant Species Areas - Area along Pasquotank/Perquimans County
line, upper area of county and the area north of State Road
1303. Area along the upper reach of Pasquotank River from the
northern point of the county down to the Extraterritorial
Boundary line of Elizabeth City. Areas that are presently
developed just north of the Extraterritorial Boundary
Line are excluded.
Aquifers and Watersheds - The City of Elizabeth City is supplied
with raw water from a shallow well field in the southeastern
section of the Dismal Swamp at the end of SR 1309 approximately
one-half mile west of the corporate limits of Elizabeth City.
The well field begins at SR 1306 and extends west into the
Dismal Swamp. The area to be designated is bounded on the
south by the Southern Railway until it intersects SR 1144,
to the east by SR 1306, and 1333, and to the north and west
by the Dismal Swamp. Pasquotank County's well field lies east of
Weeksville.Road, between the Coast Guard Base and the railroad.
Estuarine Shorelines and River Erodible Areas - Note Areas that
presently have stabilization such as bulkheading would not be
included. Based on a Soil Conservation Study conducted over a
31-year period, the following 25-year recession lines have been
established for estuarine shorelines with high erosion rates:
Along Pasquotank River from Elizabeth City Extraterritorial
Limit Line to the north side of New Begun Creek: 63 foot
recession line.
Along Pasquotank River from south side of New Begun Creek to
north side of Little Flatty Creek: 63 foot recession line.
Along Pasquotank River and Albemarle Sound from south side
of Little Flatty Creek to east side of tributary in Big
Flatty Creek: 125 foot recession line. (See Exhibit 2.) (While
river erodible areas are not AEC's, they warrant careful control
over their use.)
SOILS
The detailed soils survey prepared for Pasquotank County in 1957
provided data showing that 50,000 acres of land in the county are very
poorly drained and would require extensive drainage practices to alleviate
the problem. These lands account for 36.1% of all land in the County.
This survey also shows that there are many areas of the County which contain
soils which have severe limitations for septic tank use and which are
unsuitable for building foundations. These are generally the same soils
which have poor drainage characteristics. (See Exhibit 3.)
"Prime Agricultural Lands" and "Productive/Unique Agricultural
Lands", according to the 1957 soils survey, make up 6,399 acres, or
4.4% of all land in Pasquotank County. They also contain no major
limitations for development.
Determination of the suitability of the soils at any specific location
for urban development should be made by the local soil conservationist.
This type of detailed information can be invaluable to the Planning
Board in making decisions about new developments in the County.
EXCESSIVE SLOPE
There are no areas within Pasquotank County which have surface slopes
exceeding 12%.
23

EXHIBIT_ 3
-_ SOILS SUITIBILITY
_FOR DEVELOPMENT
NO LIMITATION _
SEVERE. LIMITATIONS-_...,..
I \
Note: This map was financed, -in part with fund �\
from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration and the State of North
Carolina through the Office of Coastal
Management, Department of Natural
Resources and Community Development.
Prepared by:.- Ferren._Planning ..Group/John C.
Schofield, AICP

HAZARD AREAS
Flood Hazard Areas
Much of Pasquotank County is located in areas identified as flcod
hazard by the Federal Emergency Management Association (formerly Flood
Insurance Administration), which has prepared preliminary flood hazard
boundary maps for flood insurance purposes. Final flood hazard
boundary maps, based on actual field surveys, are presently being prepared
and should be ready for local review by the summer of 1982. The
preliminary flood hazard boundary maps are available for public inspection
at the County Courthouse.
Man -Made Hazard Areas
Man-made hazard areas in Pasquotank County can be placed into three
general groups; airports, bulk petroleum and natural gas storage, and
railroads. The location, size and use of these facilities was documented
extensively in the 1975 LAMA Plan and as such will not be repeated here.
As mentioned earlier, the County is presently preparing a zoning
ordinance, which is probably the most effective tool for mitigating the
impact of hazardous land uses. For example, zoning could be used to
require underground storage of bulk petroleum supplies or additional
building setbacks could be required for residential lots adjacent to a
railroad line.
RESOURCE POTENTIAL
The only identified natural resource in the County is the land.
Recalling the discussion of soils on preceding pages, Pasquotank County
has very productive soils for agricultural and livestock production.
There are no known marketable mineral deposits. While the marketability
of peat has yet to be proved as an alternative fuel source, peat is
being mined in neighboring counties. Pasquotank County must become aware
of the potential uses being investigated, and develop future policies
related to this as more information becomes available.
25

CAPACITIES OF PUBLIC FACILITIES
County Water System
Pasquotank County's water system is in the final construction stages
at this writing. All tests and approvals should be completed by the
spring of 1981... then the system will be operational.
The water distribution system is so designed to serve most residents
of the County outside of Elizabeth City. Ten and eight inch lines will
carry water to a county -wide network of predominantly six inch lines...
then to four inch lines and smaller. These are graphically depicted
on Exhibit 4 .
The treatment plant is located on N.C. 168 near its intersection
with State Road 1130. Raw water is provided by wells at this site.
Treatment capcity is designed to provide 1.2 million gallons of water
per day to three elevated storage tanks (see Exhibit 4 ), each with a
200,000 gallon capacity, and to a ground storage tank located at the
treatment plant site, which has a capacity of 500,000 gallons.
Total storage capacity is therefore 1.1 million gallons.
Because the system is not yet operational, there are no records
of peak demand. However, with the treatment and storage capacities
each over .l million _gallons per day, it is safe to assume that
peak demand in the next 5-10 years will not approach the system's
design capacity. However, should this occur, the county's water system
has joint agreements with the independent South Mills Water Association,
Inter -County Water Association and Elizabeth City providing for emergency
use of the other systems' water should that become necessary.
Sewer System
There is no public sewer system outside of Elizabeth City and
there are no plans for Elizabeth City to provide such service
outside of its own jurisdictional boundary. Therefore, all new
developments in the County must treat sanitary wastes using septic
tanks. Septic tank permits are required as part of the review process
for new subdivisions and for any other new developments within the
County.
Solid Waste Collection & Disposal
The collection of solid wastes in Pasquotank County outside of
Elizabeth City is accomplished by bi-weekly pick up at "greenboxes"
or dumpsters which are located strategically throughout the County.
This service is contracted for by the County with Clean Sweep, Inc.,
a private collector. Along with collection at the various dumpster
sites, this contractor also cleans up each site on the same bi-weekly
basis. Door-to-door collection service is available from Clean
Sweep, Inc. on a contract basis between that company and individual
homeowners.
26

ta,
rnaa rp — �.......-
frc. the 4tlonal Oceanic and AtawpMcio
Adainiatratioa and the state of North
Carolina thr—A the Office of Coastal
M&ES97 "t. Dapartarnt of Notnral
naaoortaa and Coaaamity Da lopaumt.
nACiillnT,&MK CMINTY EXHIBIT
£ g �q RR 1
Praparad by. Parrao Planning Group/aohn C.
8chofiald. AICP
MT

Collected solid wastes are disposed of at the Elizabeth City/
Pasquotank County sanitary landfill. Local officials acknowledge that
this landfill can be used for approximately 2 more years. The City
and the County have contracted with a consulting engineer to identify
potential new land fill sites which can be used when the present one
must be closed. With this kind of advanced planning, neither the
collection or disposal of solid wastes should present any constraint
to future development within the County.
Schools
The Elizabeth City/Pasquotank County school system experienced
a 5% loss in school enrollment between the 175-076 and 179-180 school
years and an 8% loss since 1970. As discussed in Section 1, the
0-14 school age group has lost population steadily since 1960...
a sure sign that the "baby -boom" babies have graduated from school and
have chosen not to have as many children as their parents did.
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction has forecasted
continued decreases in total school enrollment through the year 1983-1984.
Table 7 in Section 1,-"Past and Projected Age Components in Pasquotank
County", shows a slight increase in the 0-14 age group and continuing
decline in the 15-24 age group through the year 1990. Both sets of
projections tend to infer continuing loss of school enrollment, but
at a much slower rate than has been experienced since 1970.
The.impact on school facilities should be slight. There is one
senior high school, one junior high and seven elementary schools in
this system. While there will be some increase in senior high
enrollments over the next five years, it will more than likely
fluctuate from year to year. In no case, however, should school
enrollment suddenly increase so that new facilities would have to
be constructed. Therefore, the capacity of present school facilities
should not place any constraint on projected future development in
Pasquotank County.
Roads
Presently there are three primary roads serving Pasquotank County;
U.S. 17, U.S. 158, and N.C. 34. U.S. 17 carries the largest traffic
volumes since it is a major north -south arterial, and with the exception
of a 7 mile stretch south of Morgan's Corner it.is a multilane facility.
The N.C. Department of Transportation has approved a relocation and
multilane improvement project for this section, with right-of-way
acquisition scheduled for completion in November 1981 and construction
tentatively scheduled for 1982-1984.
U.S. 158 and N.C. 34 are two lane facilities.
The following list contains 1980 average daily traffic (ADT's) for
the three primary roads at various locations in Pasquotank County:
28

HIGHWAY
ADT
U.S.
158 west of Morgan's Corner
5,100
N.C.
34
at Coast Guard Base entrance
5,300
N.C.
34
at Norfolk -Southern Railroad
2,200
U.S.
17
South at S.R. 1144
9,500
U.S.
17
North north of Pinelake Subdivision
6,700
U.S.
17
North south of Morgan's Corner
6,400
According to these traffic estimates all of the primary roads in
Pasquotank County are well within their design limits with the exception
of the two lane section of U.S. 17 North, especially during periods of
heavy tourist travel. The scheduled improvements to this section should
provide sufficient capacity at all times.
29

CHAPTER IV
E S T I M A T E D G R O W T H D E M A N D
INTRODUCTION
Projected 1990 population for Pasquotank County was presented on
Table 7. It showed an increase in total county population of 1,900
between 1980 and 1985, and an additional increase of 958 between
1985 and 1990. This represents a total ten year increase of 2,859 people.
However, because this plan only addresses the County outside of Elizabeth
City and its planning area, it was.considered necessary to determine just
that future population which can be reasonably expected in the County,
less Elizabeth City.
COMPONENTS OF CHANGE, 1980-1990
No estimates have been prepared to show the 1980 population living
within Elizabeth City's planning jurisdiction, but outside its city limits.
As a result, all of the County's population outside of the Elizabeth
City township will be used for projection purposes. In 1980 there were
13,567 residents living outside of the Elizabeth City township.
Total projected population by 1990 is 31,146. Exclusive of the Elizabeth
City township, it is 16,040. This represents an increase of 2,473 people,
or 18.2%. Based on the growth rates of the various townships over the
last decade, it is reasonable to assume that Providence and Mt. Hermon
townships will absorb most of this increase. Table 9 showed projected
percentages of this growth for all townships.
Table 20...Population Growth by Township, 1980-1990
TOWNSHIP
Elizabeth City
Mt. Hermon
Newland
Nixonton
Providence
Salem
1980
Pop. % Co.
14,720 52.1
3,335 11.8
2,012 7.1
3,326 11.8
3,678 13.0
1,194 4.2
28,287 -
Source: Tables 7 & 9
1990
Pop.
% Co.
15,106
48.5
4,111
13.2
2,274
7.3
3,831
12.3
4,890
15.7
934
3.0
31,146 -
Change
No.
%
386
2.6
776
23.3
-262
-13.0
-505
-15.2
1212
33.0
-260
-21.8
4
2,859
10.1
30

Table 20, shown above, is a composite of Tables 7 and 9 with percentages
converted to population numbers. As can be seen, Mt. Hermon and Providence
townships will absorb all of the growth in the County's planning
jurisdiction, while the other three townships will actually lose population.
It is reasonably safe to assume that population movements within the County
will account for some of the changes shown on Table 20, with people from
Salem, for example, wishing to be closer to Elizabeth City, moving to
Providence or Mt. Hermon. Those two townships will make up 86.5% of
all growth in the County, including Elizabeth City, during the next
decade. (Refer to Table 7 for projected age components of this population
change).
TAM NV7n.q
Two questions have been answered about future growth...how much
growth will occur...and where? However, because this is a land use plan,
it is important to answer the question, how much land will be needed
to accomodate this growth?
In order to determine that, the population growth must be further
broken down to the number of new households expected in 1990. By
using the resulting figure and assigning a certain amount of land to each
household, the land needed can be derived.
Table 10 showed the changes in both household formation and household
size between 1970 and 1980. While the household size decreased in all
Pasquotank County townships, the number of household formation increased
reflecting the national trend of more single -person household formations.
It should be noted that household formation is not simply a product of
in -migration of new people or families. It is also a product of existing
population segments (generally the 18-25 year -old age group) moving
away from home to set up their own households in the same community.
This becomes evident when one notes that between 1970 and 1980 the
population of Pasquotank increased by 1,463 people, while the number of
households increased by 3,5491 This means that for every "new" county
resident, 2.4 "new" households were formed during this period. When
similar ratios are calculated for each township it can be seen that the
two townships which exhibited the largest population growth (Mt. Hermon
and Providence) also had the lowest population to household ratios, 1:.5
and 1:.7 respectively.
By projecting this ratio to the forecasted population increases of
Mt. Hermon and Providence, we can see an increase of 388 new households
in Mt. Hermon by 1990 and 848 in Providence.
If it is assumed that no sewer service will be provided to these
new housing units, the subdivision regulations and mobile home park
ordinance would require an average lot size of ±20,000 square feet per
unit. Therefore, an additional 155 acres in Mt. Hermon and 389 acres in
Providence would be needed to accomodate the housing units anticipated by
1990 for these two townships. County -wide, exclusive of the Elizabeth
City township, a total of 2,870 new housing units can be expected with a
total residential land requirement of 1,318 acres to accomodate this growth.
31

Much of this growth is expected to occur in existing subdivisions
throughout the County.
Forecasting the need for commercial and industrial land is much
less precise than that for residential land for a number of reasons,
such as the absence of trend information or a standard unit of measurement
for commercial and industrial land use. However, based on a general
knowledge of past commercial and industrial development and the projected
population growth for the next decade in Pasquotank County, one can make
a reasonable assumption of the land necessary to accomodate commercial
and industrial development.
Initially it can be assumed that past land use trends will continue,
i.e., commercial and industrial development will concentrate in the
Elizabeth City planning area, where sanitary sewer is available.
Commercial development in rural areas is expected only in the form of
convenience grocery stores and other small businesses serving residential
and farming needs. This type development will usually occur near a
community (Nixonton, Weeksville, Morgan's Corner) or residential
subdivision (Glenn Cove, Olivet Park). Industrial development outside
of Elizabeth City's planning jurisdiction will be encouraged when it is
determined to be compatible with the rural areas. Nevertheless, it is
expected that commercial land need will not exceed 50 acres during the
next decade and demand for industrial land should be about the same.
Development density in all County areas will be dictated by the
availability of public water and the suitability of soils for septic
tanks since sanitary sewer is available only in the Elizabeth City
planning area. The maximum density per dwelling unit or business would
be 15,000 square feet as required by the County septic tank ordinance.
Community Facilities Demand
Projected residential, commercial, and industrial development is not
expected to place undue demands on existing County services. Although
the County water system is not operational yet, its scheduled capacity
of over 1,000,000 gallons per day should be satisfactory for the next
5-10 years. Undoubtedly, the water system will foster more development
outside of Elizabeth City. All primary and secondary roads are well
within their design capacity and should be adequate for at least the
next 10 years, with the exception of U.S. 17 North which is scheduled for
expansion from two lanes to a four lane divided highway. As stated in
Chapter III, school enrollment will fluctuate from year to year but it
will not require construction of additional facilities.
summary
.The conclusion which should be drawn from this chapter is that
Pasquotank County will continue to grow and develop at much the same
pace as it did during the 1970's. Of course, there will be slight
differences, simply because the County now has a water system, gasoline
is $1.30 a gallon, and the population density in 1980 is somewhat
greater than that in 1970.
32

CHAPTER V
D E V E L O P M E N T I S S U E S
Discussions thus far in this report have centered on existing problems
and forecasts of needs for the future. It is in this chapter that all of
the previous analyses are brought into focus in order to address each
problem area. The Coastal Area Management Act of 1974, as amended,
and its land use planning guidelines require each coastal locality to
discuss various issues which are, for the most part, common to coastal
areas. The Coastal Resources Commission also asks each locality to
discuss certain "special issues" which the CRC considers unique to the
localities.
The "special issues" are discussed first below, with the standard
required issues following. As one reads through this chapter it will
become evident that many of the issues discussed are very closely related,
and in some cases interdependent. Alternative approaches to the solution
of problem areas are presented as they were discussed during planning
board and county commission meetings.
SPECIAL ISSUES
Second Home/Waterfront Development
Unlike surrounding counties and the barrier islands of North Carolina,
the waterfront developments in Pasquotank County have consisted largely
of permanent -year-round homes although there are some vacation homes.
As discussed in the existing land use analysis primary growth in the
County has been in the suburban area around Elizabeth City.
The issue then is to make some decision, if needed, on related
waterfront developments of any kind. The County's subdivision regulations
provide some policy on this subject under Article VII, "Preliminary
Plat Requirements" and under Article VIII, "Design Standards". In
Article VII, subdividers are required to show the relationship of the
site to water courses, marshes, the 100-year flood plain, areas of
environmental concern (AEC's), land classification from current CAMA Plan
and to the adopted thoroughfare plan. Also, an environmental report
statement may be required under certain circumstances. Article VIII
requires a 50' setback for homes from water's edge. There are existing
policies related to waterfront developments.
33

Existing waterfront development in the County appears to be
concentrated south of the Coast Guard station and north of New Begun
Creek...a relatively small area considering the total length of shore-
line in the County. Both of these developments are well designed and
meet all existing regulations. Both are permanent home developments.
The shoreline of this area has been identified a "reach" of high
river erosion by the Soil Conservation Service.
Alternatives: 1. The County could increase its setback from water's
edge in its subdivision regulations to match the thirty year erosion
rate established by the Soil Conservation Service.
2. The County could prepare and adopt a zoning ordinance
which would specify locations in the County where waterfront developments
would be most appropriate. Such a zoning ordinance could also specify
densities of those developments.
3. The County could choose to make no changes in the set-
back requirements of waterfront developments and continue to enforce its
existing subdivision regulations which contain the fifty foot setback.
Alternative Selection - The County selects Alternative 2 & 3.
POLICY STATEMENT - The County will consider the preparation of a zoning
ordinance which will consider the most appropriate locations and
densities of waterfront subdivisions and other developments.
MOBILE HOMES
The dramatic increase in the number of mobile homes in the County
was discussed at some length under "Problems from Unplanned Growth" in
Chapter II. In that section it was noted that even with enforcement of
the County's mobile home ordinance, better locational controls and inter-
nal park improvements will be needed to ensure that mobile homes can
provide not only affordable housing units, but also make compatible
neighbors with existing and future development.
Alternatives: 1. The County could prepare and adopt a zoning ordinance
which would specify locations in the County where mobile home parks would
be permitted.
2. The County could continue to enforce its subdivision
regulations and mobile home ordinance in the hope that future mobile home
park developers would make them aesthetically more pleasing and livable,
and that they would require strict property maintenance of mobile home
owners and/or renters.
3. The County, through the Agricultural Extension Service, could
sponsor a series of workshops conducted by a state-wide mobile home
organization, such as the North Carolina Manufactured Housing Institute,
for existing and potential mobile home park developers to familiarize
them with development criteria necessary to develop a pleasant and
livable, yet profitable, mobile home park development which would be
a good neighbor to other types of developments.
34

Alternative Selection - The County selects both Alternatives 1 & 3.
POLICY STATEMENT - The County will consider the preparation of a zoning
ordinance which would specify criteria for the locations and design
of mobile home parks throughout the County. Further, the County will
seek methods of providing information related to modern mobile home
park design so that new mobile home parks will be developed in such
a way as to provide pleasant and livable environments for their
residents and neighbors.
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT
The industrial development which has taken place in Pasquotank
County over the past several years has provided diversity in the basically
agricultural economy and has provided employment opportunities for the
citizens of Pasquotank County as well assurrounding counties. The
recommendations of the 1976 CAMA plan have, to a great extent, been
followed. An industrial development coordinator is presently employed
and is active. Because of the availability of a full range of public
services within the Elizabeth City corporate limits and its extension
of services to the Coast Guard Base, all development activities are
being concentrated in those areas.
Alternatives: 1. The County could choose to encourage a stronger program
of industrial development out in the County, outside of the Elizabeth
City area.
2. The County could choose to continue its support of
existing industrial development activities in and near Elizabeth City.
3. The County could choose.not to participate in any way
with ongoing industrial development activities.
Alternative Selection - The County selects Alternative 1 & 2.
POLICY STATEMENT - The County recognizes that due to the availability
of water and sewer utilities in and near Elizabeth City, the County
supports efforts to locate new industry in those areas where facilities
are available. The County also supports industrial development in
other areas of the County where water service and transportation
access are available, and where limited sewage disposal is required.
COAST GUARD BASE
Since its installation near Elizabeth City the Coast Guard Base
has provided jobs to civilian personnel of the area, and has provided
a part-time labor force through its after -duty military personnel.
The City, County and Coast Guard have cooperated with each other in
many endeavors.
The impact of increased noise on surrounding land uses due to a
change in aircraft type operating in and out of the base has been studied
in detail in the AICUZ study, described under "Significant Land Use
Compatibility Problems" in Section 1. This study was brought before the
general public in several public information meetings and public reaction
to its recommendations were considered before completing the plan.
35

Alternatives: 1. The County could choose to not take any actions related
to the noise generated by aircraft from the Coast Guard Base.
2. The County could consider taking actions to ensure that
future developments near the Coast Guard Base would be compatible with
aircraft operations in and out of the Base. This could be accomplished
through the preparation and adoption of minimum height standards and
hazard standards which could be placed either in a local zoning ordinance
or in a separate airport zoning ordinance. Such a regulation would
require close coordination with the Base and with state and federal
aviation agencies.
3. The County could choose to let Elizabeth City handle
all problems related to the aviation activities of the Coast Guard Base.
Alternative Selection - The County selects Alternative 2.
POLICY STATEMENT - To ensure safe operations of aircraft around the Coast
Guard Base, the County will consider the preparation of minimum height
and hazard standards.
The following discussions are related to those issues which are
required in the LAMA land use planning guidelines. These are sometimes
called the "standard issues" which are discussed in all CAMA land use
plans prepared for North Carolina coastal communities and counties.
RESOURCE PROTECTION
TYPES OF LAND USES APPROPRIATE WITHIN LOCAL AREAS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN
The estuarine waters and shorelines of the Pasquotank and Little Rivers
and of the Albemarle Sound and all public trust waters are the only areas
classified as AEC's within the planning jurisdiction of the County. The
1976 CAMA Plan referenced 15 NCAC 7H of the state administrative code and
paraphrased the types of uses appropriate in AECs. These uses include
utility easements, fishing piers and docks (public and commercial, as long
as they do not impede the stream flow), agricultural uses, such as farming
or drainage, as permitted under the North Carolina Dredge and Fill Act,
grounds and facilities operated on a non-profit basis.
Alternatives: 1. The County could adopt the provisions of 15 NCAC 7H
through reference in this plan update and in any new land development
regulations which it may adopt in the future. Subdividers are already
required to identify any AECs which are on or near proposed developments
by confering with the local CAMA permit officer. This requirement is
part of the existing subdivision regulations.
2. The County could choose to set up its own set of
appropriate land uses in AECs which would be more restrictive than those
set forth in 15 NCAC 7H.
3. The County could choose to let the state Office of
Coastal Management deal with any proposed uses within local AECs.
Alternative Selection - The County selects Alternative 1.
Policy Statement - The County adopts the provisions of 15 NCAC 7H as
part of this plan and will include such provisions in any future land
regulations as may be adopted by the County.
36

CONSTRAINTS TO DEVELOPMENT
There are existing policies related to physical and man-made constraints
to development. These are set forth in the County's subdivision regulations,
Articles VII and VIII, and in the County's septic tank ordinance and
flood plain ordinance. Constraints of soils to septic tank usage are
determined as part of the subdivision plat approval process and through
the issuance of septic tank permits by the local health department.
No other policies related to constraints to development are considered
necessary at this time.
Other Hazardous or Fragile Land Areas
Two types of land areas or land uses within Pasquotank County
fit this description; the Dismal Swamp and historic properties. Much
of the Dismal Swamp is either a state park protected by the North Carolina
Department of Natural Resources or a Federal Wildlife Refuge. Areas
outside of the park and refuge boundaries which are considered wetlands
cannot be used in any manner without securing approval from a number of
state, federal and local government bodies. Pasquotank County is satisfied
that this area has sufficient protection to prohibit any uses detrimental
to the Swamp or adjoining lands.
For historic properties, there has not been comprehensive effort
to either identify historic properties or establish a program for preservation.
Alternatives: 1. The County could opt to let "historic properties
take care of themselves", which in effect would allow loss of historic
properties by agriculture, age, or urban type development.
2. The County could investigate methods for identifying
and preserving its historic assets.
Alternative Selection - The County selects Alternative 2.
POLICY STATEMENT - It shall be the policy of Pasquotank County to
seek methods to identify and preserve historic properties where feasible.
Implementation - The County will, as local funds become available, consider
pursuing State assistance to identify historic properties, and the County
will cooperate with State and private attempts to preserve historic properties.
37

RESOURCE PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT
The areas identified as "prime agricultural lands" in Pasquotank County
are shown on the general soils map in Chapter III. These lands are
those described in Class I in the soils survey prepared for the County
in 1957. Discussions with such groups as the Rural Development Panel
concur that the soils in these areas are still the most productive in
the County. By comparing the existing land use map and the general
soils map, one can see that very little of the land classified as prime
agricultural has experienced urban development. These lands are generally
located in the southern part of the County, away from the development
pressures which have been experienced in areas nearer to Elizabeth City.
It is anticipated that during the ten year planning period very little
of the prime agricultural land will be further developed... for one primary
reason. Because this land is so valuable to its owners in the area of
agricultural production, there is a reluctance, if not a refusal, to
sell such valuable land for purposes of urban development.
Agriculture has, since the original settlement of this area, been
the primary economic pursuit of the County's residents. This continues
to be the case, even though fewer residents of Pasquotank County actually
work on farms. This is evidenced by the massive clearing of forested
areas north of U.S. 17 in the Dismal Swamp area. Recent estimates
indicate that since 1977 over 28,000 acres of forest land has been cleared
so that it can be placed in agricultural production. This clearing and
drainage effort has required large investments by the individual land
owners. Most of the land cleared since 1977 consists of soils which
require extensive drainage prior to placing it into production.
Alternatives: 1. The County could choose to consider its "active"
agricultural lands as raw, developable land which should be,developed
for urban purposes as local economic pressures demand.
2. The County could choose to consider its "active"
agricultural lands as an important natural resource and economically
significant to the County's economy. As such, these lands would be worthy
of protection from indiscriminate urban development.
3. The County could opt to "let the farmers take care of
their own land any way they want to". By taking such a position, the County
would, in effect, condone the loss of productive agricultural land to
urban development.
Alternative Selection - The County selects Alternative 2.
Policy Statement - It shall be the policy of Pasquotank County to include
provisions in any future land use regulations for the protection of
the County's "active" agricultural land from indiscriminate development.
38

Historically, commercial forestry in Pasquotank County has been
limited to areas in the Dismal Swamp. A myriad of canals dug by commercial
forestry companies in the late 1800's and the first half of this century
can be seen on U.S.G.S. maps and in the field. However, due to the
massive clearing of forested areas for agricultural purposes in recent
years, the number of acres of commercially productive timberlands has
been dramatically reduced. While the manufacture of timber products
is still a viable industry in the County, there are no large holdings
of forest lands by large commercial forestry companies. Therefore,
commercial forestry itself in the County is losing its relative significance
to the local economy. Therefore, the County has chosen not to adopt a policy
on forestry production.
There are no known marketable mineral deposits within Pasquotank
County. However, there is a possibility that the vast area of the Dismal
Swamp, not now in the park boundaries, may contain marketable quantities
of peat. Peat is presently being mined in several counties south of the
Albemarle Sound. The environmental impact of such mining activities has
not yet been determined. It is known,however, that peat is a viable
substitute form of energy, both on its.own and in converted states such
as methanol. No peat mining is being carried out at the present time in
the County, and there are no plans known to local sources for such activity
in the future. The possibility is mentioned here only to apprise the
residents of the County that as the uses of peat as an energy alternative
are increased, there may be pressures to mine peat'in Pasquotank County.
The local Chamber of Commerce & Historical Society provides adequate
promotion of tourism in the County and the widening of U.S. 17 should
increase the number of transient tourists in the County. Because of
organizations actively pursuing policies on tourism (and waterfront develop-
ment in Elizabeth City), the County does not choose to adopt a formal policy
of its'own.
Fishing, both commercial and recreation, has been an activity pursued
by many county residents over the years. However, in recent years commercial
fishing has not provided a significant proportion of total county income.
Recreational fishing and commercial fishing are encouraged by the County,
but no formal policy on either is considered appropriate.
A hurricane and flood evacuation plan has been prepared by the local
civil defense director and is currently being updated. Because this
document has been adopted and is current, there appears no need to state
a new policy on this issue.
Off -road vehicles were discussed by the planning board resulting
in a consensus that because there are no beach areas or other areas which
might be irreparably damaged by the use of these vehicles, no policy
related to this issue was considered necessary.
LOCAL COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING SERVICES TO DEVELOPMENT
The Pasquotank County water system is the only publicly owned public
utility provided outside of the Elizabeth City corporate limits and
its extension area in the vicinity of the Coast Guard Base.
In recent years the County's subdivision regulations were amended
to include the provision that developers are required to provide, at
their expense, water lines to their developments; the water lines to
meet the construction standards of the County's water system.
39

Because of the relative "youth" of the County's water system and
the lack of revenue data upon which projections can be made of possible
future development capital, it was considered premature to develop a
policy statement which would commit the system to providing water service
to various future developments. At the present time decisions as to
whether or not service can be provided to new developments will have
to be made on a case -by -case basis by water system officials. This
policy should continue until a "history" of water usage can be
accumulated and a more definitive policy can be developed.
TYPES OF URBAN GROWTH PATTERNS DESIRED
Through its adoption and enforcement of the County's subdivision
regulations, the County has specified how new subdivisions of land
will be developed, related to lot size, sewage disposal, streets, etc.
However, the subdivision regulations cannot specify locations and
densities of future developments. This can only be accomplished through
a legally adopted zoning ordinance. Locations and densities of future
developments can be delineated in this CAMA plan update, but a community
development plan cannot be enforced. It can only be used as a "guide
for future development". The only method which can be used to implement
such a plan is to adopt and enforce a local zoning ordinance.
Alternatives: 1. The County could choose to adopt this CAMA land use
plan update, which shows on its Land Classification Map, densities, types
and locations of future development desired. Adoption of this plan,
while providing for future growth and development decision -making by
the planning board and county commission, cannot be implemented without
the proper implementation tools.
2. The County could choose to prepare and adopt a zoning
ordinance which would reflect the growth patterns desired and shown in
this plan update, therein specifying the types, locations, and densities
of desired future growth.
3. The County could choose to continue to enforce its
subdivision regulations and only "encourage" developers to make their
proposed developments compatible with the recommendations and policies
of the CAMA land use plan update.
Alternative Selection - The County selects Alternative 2.
Policy Statement - The County will consider the preparation of a zoning
ordinance which would reflect the recommendations of this CAMA Plan
Update, and which would specify the types, locations and densities of
desired future growth.
Implementation - The County has already secured the services of a city planning
consultant who is, in cooperation with the Board of County Commissioners,
studying the feasibility of preparing a preliminary zoning ordinance.
This preliminary document will be reviewed by various citizen groups to
determine the sentiment of the citizens of Pasquotank County related to
such a land use regulation.
Redevelopment
Areas of substandard housing have not been identified in Pasquotank
County outside of Elizabeth City. If the 1980 Census of Housing
shows a significant number of substandard housing it would be in the
County's best interest to take remedial action to improve them.
However, since there have not been any areas of substandard housing
identified, the County considers it unnecessary to take a policy
initiation on this issue.
40

Commitment to State and Federal Proarams
In the past Pasquotank County has cooperated with State and Federal
programs, with the county -wide water system a prime example of this
cooperation.
Alternatives: 1. The County could continue to cooperate on State
and Federal actions which would benefit Pasquotank County.
2. The County could discontinue intergovernmental
cooperation, resulting in a loss of efficiency and resources for County
residents.
3. The County could participate in the review process
of any proposed Federal or State project which would impact on
Pasquotank County by advising State and Federal officials of the
County's position on such projects.
Policy Selection - The County selects a combination of Alternatives 1 and 3.
POLICY STATEMENT/IMPLEMENTATION - It shall be the policy of Pasquotank
County to cooperate with State and Federal agencies in the evaluation
of proposed projects by such agencies which will impact the County
and to advise said agencies of the County's position on these projects
through the A-95 review process and/or the County Manager.
Assistance to Channel Maintenance and Beach Nourishment
Maintaining open channels in the Pasquotank River and other County
water bodies is important to the County's boating and fishing interests,
but there are no beaches in the County that are in need of nourishment.
Alternatives: 1. The County can choose to let State and Federal
agencies address channel maintenance and beach nourishment.
2. The County can support beach nourishment and channel
maintenance projects by State and Federal agencies.
Policy Selection - The County selects Alternative 2.
POLICY STATEMENT/IMPLEMENTATION - It shall be the policy of the County
to support beach nourishment and channel maintenance projects by
State and Federal agencies. The County will provide appropriate
agencies with available information regarding channel maintenance
and beach nourishment needs should they arise.
Energy Facility Siting
The possibility of any type energy facility locating in Pasquotank
County appears remote, primarily because peat deposits are available
in larger quantities elsewhere and transportation of oil or coal through
the County's waterways is impractical. The possibility of an alcohol
conversion plant or nuclear plant appears more likely, yet still remote.
41

Alternatives: 1. The County could oppose development of any energy
facility in Pasquotank County.
2. The County could support development of energy
facilities in Pasquotank County.
Policy Selection - The County selects Alternative 2 in part.
POLICY STATEMENT - It shall be the policy of Pasquotank County to permit
energy facilities so long as they do not threaten the safety or natural
resources of surrounding property.
: Va

CHAPTER VI
INTRODUCTION
L A N D C L A S S I F I C A T I O N
The final step in the CAMA Plan update process is preparation of a
land classification map. The land classification mapping system was
devised by the Coastal Resources Commission to aid in implementation
of the policies adopted as part of the land use plan. It allows
Pasquotank County to identify precise areas where applicable local,
state, and federal policies will apply. Designation of land classifications
permits Pasquotank County to demonstrate where and at what density
urban growth should occur and areas where resource protection is a
priority.
The system contains five separate classifications: developed,
transition, community, rural, and conservation. Exhibit 5 depicts the
location of the land classifications throughout the County, with the
exception of Elizabeth City's jurisdiction. The following discussion
contains a definition of each classification and an analysis of their
impact on land use. The relationships between Pasquotank County policies
and the individual classifications are also discussed. One final note...
it is important to remember that land classification is primarily a tool
to assist implementation of policies, not a strict regulatory mechanism.
LAND CLASSIFICATIONS
Developed Land
Areas classified as developed include lands presently developed for
urban purposes at or approaching a density of 500 dwellings per square
mile which are provided with public services, including at least public
water, sewer, recreational facilities, and police and fire protection.
The intent of the developed class is to provide areas for continued
intensive urban development and redevelopment. Areas classified as
developed are generally those lands already used for urban purposes,
although there may be scattered occurrences of undeveloped land. The
only areas within the County that are classified as developed are located
within Elizabeth City's planning jurisdiction, where urban services are more
readily available. For a description of these areas, refer to the
Elizabeth City Land Use Plan.
Development in these areas will have to comply with Elizabeth City's
Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances, which establish areas where certain
types and densities of development may locate.
43

LAND EXMff 5
CLASSIFICATION
":.... MAP
PA5+a110TANK COUKTY, N.C.
l
LEGEND
RURAL
COMMUNITY
S •y A !
. ���. '•� ice'• :•:;�
A p ,> r.yJt•.l.w _ �_
•\�'!,'l,:C } �;y!�;:' �}:: �i:: :•:;`:t: .. ... � � p ads I ,
Rural
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Rots This map was financed is part with funds
from the Hational Oceanic and Atmospheric
Adminiatration and the State of North �.
Carolina through the office of Coastal
Management. Department of Natural r
Resources and Casmenity Woelopment.
Prepared bys Perron Planning Group/JaM C. . -- _•- -
Schofield. AlCP

Transition Land
The transition classification contains lands that currently have
some urban services plus additional lands necessary to accommodate
the population and economic growth anticipated within Elizabeth City's
planning area during the ensuing 10-year planning period. Lands
classified as transition must be served or be readily served by water
and sewer and other urban services, and generally be free of severe
physical limitations to development. In addition to the developed
classification, these areas would be the only ones under active
consideration by the County for intensive urban development requiring
urban services. State and federal expenditures on projects associated
with urban type development, such as water and sewer, would also be
directed toward these areas.
Again, like the developed classification, transition areas are
located entirely within Elizabeth City's planning jurisdiction. This
is primarily because of the absence of sanitary sewer service outside
of Elizabeth City's planning area.
Community Land
The community classification is considered appropriate for rural
areas characterized by a small grouping of mixed land uses such as
residences, churches, and schools which do not require public sewer
service. The purpose of the community class is to provide for clustered
development to meet housing, shopping, employment, and public service
needs within rural areas. These areas may require public water because
land use or development density prevents use of both private wells and
septic tanks. There were several areas that fit the description of
the community classification including Morgan's Corner, Nixonton,
Weeksville, and Pine Lake Subdivision. These areas are already served
by the county water system or soon will be.
New development in community areas will be subject to the standards
of the county subdivision and wastewater disposal ordinance, which
will require lot sizes large enough to accommodate on -site sewage
disposal in all cases.
Rural Land
Lands classified as rural are those best suited for agriculture,
forest management, mineral extraction, and low density urban uses
where urban services will not be required and valuable natural resources
will not be impaired. The rural class is the broadest of the five
land classes in the sense that a wider range of land uses are appropriate.
A majority of the land area in the County was classified as rural.
Conservation Land
The conservation classification applies to land that should remain
essentially in its natural state, principally because the lands are
fragile or hazardous for urban development or have natural resources
too valuable to endanger. Lands considered appropriate for the
conservation class are those containing major wetlands, undeveloped
shorelands that are unique, fragile, or hazardous for development, wild-
life habitat, publicly owned watersupply watersheds and aquifers, and
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forest lands which possess severe limitations for any type of development
and which will remain undeveloped for commercial purposes.
Several areas in Pasquotank County have been classified as
conservation including, the estuarine waters of the Pasquotank River,
Little River, Symonds Creek, New Begun Creek, Big and Little Flatty
Creeks, and Albemarle Sound; hazardous shorelines along these water
bodies; and the well fields for both the Elizabeth City and Pasquotank
County's water supply.
Lands classified as conservation generally are not considered
suitable for urban type development, yet there are certain circumstances
where development should be permitted but because of the small scale
of the land classification map and the absence of precise information
on soils, erosion, and flood hazards it was impossible to determine
whether or not each parcel of land within the conservation classification
met the criteria for this classification. For example, a large shoreline
area may have been classified as conservation because of flood hazards,
soils unsuitable for septic tanks, and/or shoreline erosion. However,
in some cases an individual parcel might be singled out which is not
affected by these limitations to an extent such that development
should be prohibited.
Therefore, determination of whether or not a certain parcel of
land meets the description for the conservation classification should
be made by determining that: 1) adequate flood and erosion protection
measures cannot be provided, 2) severe soil limitations to septic tanks,
drainage, and street and building foundations exist, 3) and significant
cultural or natural resources exist which would suffer irreparable
damage as a result of development. Should they arise, these determinations
will be made on a case by case basis by the County Commissioners after
consultation and advisement from the Planning Board. The Planning
Board will have the responsibility of consulting with and soliciting
advice from the local Health Department, Soil Conservation Service
and Office of Coastal Management. References will be made to the
most recent soils, flood, erosion, and other pertinent information
as well as local, state, and federal regulations.
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