Chatham County commissioners table vote on rezoning for Police Recreation Association camp after heated public hearing

The Chatham County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 1 tabled a requested rezoning for 604 Wilmington Island Road, the site of the Police Recreation Association's (PRA) police camp, after a lengthy public hearing that drew supporters, adjacent property owners and lawyers.

The petition sought a Planned Unit Development designation to formalize the site's existing duplex and pavilion and to include use restrictions that would limit activity to PRA members and bar public rental. The commission closed public comment and voted to postpone action so staff could return with clarified conditions, enforcement options, traffic and neighborhood impact data and the results of mediation between parties.

Why it mattered: The request would have allowed the PRA to continue operating a membership-only "camp" and pavilion at a location neighbors say is immediately adjacent to residential properties and has produced late-night parties in the past. Opponents argued the use was unlawful under the current PR-3 zoning and that a Superior Court judge already found the operation to constitute a "club or lodge" not permitted under the existing zoning.

At the hearing, a petitioner representative said the PRA moved the camp to the site as part of a swap and remediation plan tied to the Wilmington Island Marina development and that the property has been used in some form by the police association for decades. "This property has been the police camp in one location or another for 81 years," the petitioner said, urging the board to adopt enforceable PUD restrictions that would permanently limit use to police members and prevent new structures or public rentals.

Neighbor and counsel John Northup, representing homeowner Vincent Ferraro, said the PRA's operations constituted a club or lodge and that a December 2022 Chatham County Superior Court order found the PRA's use to be a violation of the zoning ordinance. "The PRA has been thumbing their nose at the zoning ordinance and a court order for over three years," Northup said, urging denial of rezoning and proposing the PRA relocate to a larger, less-sensitive site.

Supporters, including current and retired police leaders, said the facility provides housing and low-cost on-site lodging for officers and a place for small daytime gatherings. Assistant Chief Gavin said the camp primarily provides "a place of refuge" and emphasized that most events are small daytime gatherings and that the association has self-imposed limits.

The commission's response: Members said they were sympathetic to law enforcement but also mindful of property rights and an existing court order. Several commissioners said they wanted clearer information before taking the legislative step of rezoning, and the board directed staff to return with a packet that includes recommended use restrictions, enforcement mechanisms that would be enforceable by the county, traffic and event-frequency data, and a neighborhood support/opposition count. The item was tabled and staff asked to return the matter on or before Feb. 27.

Next step: The petition will return to the commission after staff compiles the requested information and after the parties attempt further negotiation or mediation. The court litigation remains pending; commissioners said they expect that context to remain relevant to their deliberations.