Planning commission recommends allowing cemeteries in May River preservation district

The Beaufort County Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend that County Council approve a text amendment allowing cemeteries in the May River Community Preservation District.

Planning staff said the amendment responds to capacity constraints at the Beaufort National Cemetery and could facilitate a site for a veterans cemetery. Staff analyst (speaker 8) told commissioners the 1997 Beaufort County comprehensive plan and the May River CP were designed to protect community character, but that cemeteries are a low‑intensity use and are allowed in comparable districts; staff recommended approval.

John Bender, representing the landowner, said the family has paused residential offers while the Department of Veterans Affairs vetted the site. "We see it as a win‑win‑win," Bender said, describing a layout that would preserve large areas of open land and avoid new homes or excessive traffic.

Commissioners pressed about technical details the amendment would not itself resolve: what kinds of burial structures could be built, whether building‑code triggers would apply, and whether future site‑specific review would address traffic and lighting. Staff and the applicant said those matters would be handled during subsequent development review and building‑permit processes.

Commissioner (speaker 11) moved that the commission recommend council approve the Table A (A.13.40) amendment to allow cemeteries in the May River CP; the motion, made based on the staff report and testimony, was seconded and carried unanimously. The recommendation now goes to County Council for final action.