Board approves rezoning to split 74-acre tract into two rural residential lots

The Southampton County Board of Supervisors voted March 24 to approve a rezoning request by Richard T. Holland to reclassify part of a 74.32-acre agricultural parcel (Tax Parcel 33-10A) into two 2.5-acre rural residential lots under the sliding-scale subdivision rules.

Reagan Prince of community development told the board the application seeks creation of two 2.5-acre lots from the parent tract, noting the parcel's location at the intersection of Route 616 (Ivor Road) and Route 633 (Saint Luke's Road) in the Berlin-Ivor Magisterial District. The planning commission had recommended the application unanimously (8–0).

Attorney Kaz Camp, representing the applicant, said the surveyed lots chosen for the two 2.5-acre parcels are on wetter, less-productive cropland and that the remainder of the farm retains the best cropland. "They do have alternative systems on them, for the septic," Camp said, describing site constraints that informed lot placement.

After the public-hearing portion closed, a supervisor moved to approve, the motion was seconded, and the board approved the rezoning by voice vote.

Why it matters: The action uses Southampton County's sliding-scale subdivision rules to allow limited rural residential splitting while preserving larger open areas on the parent tract. The planning commission and the board approved the change without recorded roll-call opposition.

Next steps: The rezoning will be processed administratively per county procedures and recorded as required; no additional board action was requested at the meeting.