By Nicole Bowman Layton

EDENTON — The Edenton Town Council chambers were packed Monday night, with some residents standing and more than a dozen prepared to speak at public hearings on development proposals that could affect their neighborhoods.

They never got the chance.

Before the hearings could begin, council members voted to remove all four proposals from the Oct. 26 agenda, citing unanswered questions about development plans, traffic safety and the town’s zoning regulations.

Councilman Samuel Dixon (2nd Ward) initiated the effort, first suggesting that all four matters be postponed together. At Mayor Hack High’s suggestion, he made separate motions, allowing council members to consider each proposal individually.

Three passed unanimously, 5-0. The fourth, involving a commercial subdivision near the US 17-Virginia Road interchange, passed 4-1, with Councilman Bob Turner (1st Ward) opposing the delay.

Councilmember Aaron Coston (3rd Ward) was absent.

The decisions left four matters unresolved: a proposed expansion of Beechwood Apartments by SAGA Construction, regulations governing data centers, an automotive business expansion on Johnston Street and a commercial subdivision on Whitemon Lane.

SAGA’s history draws sharp criticism

The strongest criticism centered on SAGA’s latest proposal for Beechwood Apartments, a project that has undergone multiple revisions since its original approval in 2008.

The company wants to increase the development from 144 to 168 apartments and move the buildings closer to the Virginia Road commercial corridor, behind the Food Lion shopping center.

Council approved the 144-unit version in October 2025, with Councilman Elton Bond casting the lone opposing vote.

Dixon questioned why the town should consider another revision when earlier development plans had not been completed.

“They have habitually underperformed on every single thing they’ve done,” he said of SAGA.

He pointed to rezonings and development approvals dating back more than two decades, including the unfinished Hotel Hinton redevelopment downtown.

“We worked really hard to get this last project they were doing straight,” Dixon said of Beechwood, referring to the time council members spent addressing roads, entrances and other development conditions.

He also acknowledged the frustration surrounding the hotel.

“I think people are just really upset about the hotel,” Dixon said.

The hotel project has faced repeated delays involving financing, construction costs and scheduling. At the council’s Oct. 13 meeting, Town Manager Corey Gooden said the development team was reviewing construction estimates to determine whether costs could be reduced to fit available financing.

Councilman Patrick Sellers (at-large) cautioned against allowing the hotel’s problems to determine how the town handled Beechwood. Although SAGA is involved in both developments, he said the applications needed to be considered separately to avoid potential legal problems.

Bond was unconvinced.

“Isn’t a skunk a skunk?” he asked.

“I don’t disagree with you,” Sellers replied, but maintained that the council needed to distinguish between the projects.

Dixon initially suggested the Beechwood proposal should not return until the developer demonstrated progress on its existing commitments. High recommended consulting the town attorney before taking such a step.

The council ultimately voted 5-0 to remove the application from Monday’s agenda, rather than formally deny it or prohibit its return.

The Observer previously reported on the 144-unit proposal, which council approved last year after reviewing conditions such as infrastructure, stormwater management and traffic.

The town also plans to examine recent land-clearing activity at the Beechwood property. Gooden said vegetation had been cleared, and High asked staff to determine whether the work complied with applicable requirements, noting that the property’s previous stormwater permit had expired.

Council wants more time on data centers

The council also unanimously postponed proposed regulations for data centers, an issue drawing increasing attention across northeastern North Carolina.

The ordinance would allow data centers in Industrial Warehouse districts under a major special use permit, with conditions addressing noise, setbacks, landscaping, water consumption and electrical demand.

Dixon said the proposal had reached council before members had sufficient time to understand its implications.

“I think we were sort of surprised with that,” he said.

He suggested council members might be more inclined to consider a moratorium if forced to decide immediately.

Several neighboring counties have already taken that approach. As reported in its meeting preview, Camden, Gates and Pasquotank counties have adopted moratoriums. Northampton County approved a 32-month moratorium in May, while Perquimans County recently reduced its moratorium from 12 months to six.

Edenton’s proposed ordinance would establish conditions for considering data center applications rather than temporarily prohibiting them.

The Planning Board recommended approval Oct. 5, but council members said they wanted more research before moving forward.

The vote to postpone was 5-0. No moratorium was adopted.

Business expansion remains unresolved

A proposed expansion of an automotive repair and welding business on Johnston Street was postponed for the second consecutive meeting.

Dwayne and Brian Long are seeking conditional industrial zoning for four parcels totaling approximately 0.57 acres along Johnston and North Oakum streets. Their plans include a welding shop, improvements to an existing building and fenced storage for vehicles awaiting repair.

The proposal has raised concerns about whether an industrial business can operate compatibly with nearby homes.

Council members delayed a decision on Oct. 13 after questioning the property’s condition and the expansion’s effect on surrounding residences.

Gooden said Monday that the owners had agreed in writing to proposed cleanup conditions, but Dixon said that did not resolve the larger questions.

“I don’t think we’re even close to being able to handle that yet,” he said.

Council members discussed whether relocating the business might provide a better long-term solution.

Bond, whose ward includes the property, said he had received numerous complaints about conditions in the area.

Nearby property owner Tom Gandy opposed the expansion at the earlier meeting, arguing that the business had outgrown its location.

Council voted 5-0 to postpone the rezoning request while discussions continue with the owners and other interested parties.

Traffic concerns divide council

The evening’s only split vote involved a request to separate 1.92 acres from a larger commercial property at 110 Whitemon Lane, near Virginia Road and the U.S. 17 interchange.

The land is part of an area being developed for commercial use.

Gooden explained that the application would merely create a separate parcel for sale. It would not authorize construction of a business, which would require additional approvals.

But Dixon argued that the town should address traffic concerns before allowing the next stage of development to proceed.

He questioned how motorists would safely make left turns onto Virginia Road as more businesses opened near the interchange.

Gooden said NCDOT had previously studied traffic associated with the larger development and identified a dedicated right-turn lane as an improvement. Additional traffic studies could be required for future development proposals.

High questioned whether postponing the subdivision was necessary when council would still have opportunities to review the eventual development.

“This simply [is] to carve out on a map a 1.92-acre tract that can be sold,” High said.

The disagreement reflected two approaches: allowing the land transaction to proceed while reserving judgment on future construction, or resolving traffic and development concerns before the property changed hands.

Dixon also wanted the town’s updated commercial design standards in place. Gooden said those guidelines were nearing completion and could be presented at the next meeting.

Council voted 4-1 to postpone the subdivision, with Turner casting the lone opposing vote.

Residents sent home without hearings

After the votes, High acknowledged the residents who had come to participate and defended the council’s decisions.

“Your presence was helpful because it helped us make the decisions that we just made,” he told the audience.

He rejected the suggestion that council was simply avoiding difficult issues.

“On most of these, I can promise you, we’re not kicking any can down the road,” High said.

Some proposals were new to the council, he explained, while others raised complicated questions that required additional research or legal guidance.

But the postponements meant residents who had prepared comments on the four proposals could not deliver them during the scheduled hearings.

The council did not establish new hearing dates.

Town explores control of state-maintained streets

In other business, council members discussed a problem familiar to Edenton residents: Some streets within town limits are maintained by the state, limiting what town officials can do about road conditions and traffic concerns.

According to the town’s Public Works Department, state-maintained roads include Virginia Road, West Queen Street, East Church Street extending onto NC 37, Paradise Road, Coke Avenue, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Peanut Drive, along with portions of Broad Street, Granville Street and East Peterson Street near Hicks Field.

Monday’s discussion focused on Coke Avenue, where state highway access requirements have complicated plans for traditional residential development.

Gooden said the town wants homes facing neighborhood streets, with direct driveway access and roadway designs that encourage slower traffic. State standards can restrict those features.

Taking over Coke Avenue could give Edenton greater flexibility over driveway access, speed limits and heavy truck traffic.

Council members also discussed taking over portions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and East Church Street, although Gooden cautioned that the state would likely be reluctant to relinquish East Church Street because it carries NC 32.

The tradeoff would be maintenance costs. If the state transferred a road, Edenton would become responsible for its upkeep. Qualifying streets could receive assistance through the state.

Any transfer would require coordination with NCDOT and support from the Chowan County Board of Commissioners.

Council directed staff to continue exploring the possibility. Gooden said town staff would work up a document for council to approve at its next regular meeting.

In other matters, council also approved a budget amendment accepting $31,084.02 for law enforcement officer bonuses, a $2,754.24 safety grant from the N.C. League of Municipalities and an Arbor Day 2026 proclamation.