NORTH TOPSAIL BEACH, N.C. (AP) - North Topsail Beach is considering a moratorium on permits for big beach houses while town officials review regulations for high-occupancy homes.
The town will hold a public hearing Wednesday morning to get residents’ thoughts on the proposed moratorium, The Daily News of Jacksonville (https://bit.ly/1olvPBa ) reported.
It would block construction of houses with more than six bedrooms and more than 5,000 square feet.
Mayor Dan Tuman said the moratorium would give the town time to study regulations that large homes and their impact on public health and safety.
“We don’t want to stall; we just want to be sure our regulations are adequate and make any adjustments we can,” Tuman said.
Tuman said the issues include fire protection, emergency medical services, parking, noise and congestion.
The high-occupancy homes are usually rental vacation homes and not single-family residences.
There are no large house construction projects pending in North Topsail Beach now. Tuman said the issue was discussed last month after town officials heard about the proposed construction of a 15-bedroom, 12-bathroom house on Oak Island south of Wilmington.
The town of Oak Island has imposed a 90-day moratorium on homes larger than six bedrooms until next month, while town regulations are reviewed.
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Information from: The Daily News, https://www.jdnews.com
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