Currituck County, N.C., targets roadside eyesores

In 1994, Currituck County published a plan with a goal to make the N.C. 168 and U.S. 158 highway corridor "one of the most attractive roads in northeastern North Carolina by the year 2004."

Well, they're still working on that one.

Starting last month and continuing through the summer, a corridor sweep team plans to notify business owners along the 43-mile-long highway of violations, including oversize signs, clutter, junk cars and dilapidated buildings.

It's a tricky effort tried over the years with mixed results. A scenic drive maintains the rural character, attracts more visitors and would further fuel Currituck's tourism industry. But at the same time, signs and wares outside the shops attract customers.

"I understand they've got to clean things up," said Steve Jones, owner of Steves Custom Golf Carts in Moyock.

"But if they tell me I can't have my golf carts out in front, then they're going to lose a lot of money."

Jones is having one of his best years and is contributing significantly to the tax revenue, he said.

"The county is making a lot of money off me," he said.

But Jones does not have a conditional use permit required for outdoor storage and display, said Stacey Smith, code enforcement officer.

To get a permit, he will have to go before the Board of Adjustment with an application for what he wants to display and see whether board members agree or allow a compromise.

Among other regulations, businesses are allowed two temporary signs not to exceed 40 square feet combined.

Meanwhile, farm markets are allowed more, but smaller, signs that must be removed within 30 days after the season ends.

During the sweep, the team plans to talk with shop owners such as Jones about minor violations and share ideas on how to improve county ordinances, said Smith, who is on the sweep team.

Later, if necessary, citations may be issued.

Next, the team plans to tackle larger eyesores such as dilapidated buildings and junk cars. Incentives, such as waiving fees at the trash transfer station or forgiving outstanding fines, could be offered, Smith said.

Despite rapid growth in the 1990s and early this decade, the highway still passes by large tracts of farm land. New codes could standardize construction, said Ben Woody, director of the Currituck County Planning Department.

"Currituck County still has a lot of room to grow," he said.

Improvement efforts have come and gone over the years.

In 1988, the state highway department produced a thoroughfare plan that included a bypass to N.C. 168 as an alternative route for local traffic with more controls on roadside development. The bypass was never built.

In 1994, the corridor plan came out and won a state planning award. Among dozens of recommendations, the plan called for the entry into Currituck County to remain relatively clear of commercial development.

But car dealerships, retail shops and restaurants have since been allowed, said Eldon Miller, a former county commissioner who served on the committee that helped put the corridor plan together.

An economic development plan in 2002 called for businesses to be clustered and set away from the highway. Some business parks comply with that design.

In 2001 and in 2005, dilapidated buildings throughout the county were identified. Most were removed but another 20 could be condemned now, said Spence Castello, director of inspections and a member of the sweep team.

County commissioners banned new billboards in 2004 but had to grandfather in the 186 that were already up.

Jeff Hampton, (252) 338-0159, jeff.hampton@pilotonline.com