After a public hearing with mixed neighborhood reaction, the board approved a future land use map amendment and rezoning for 309 Pollock Street (R8 to TCA) to allow compact multifamily development; commissioners debated notice, precedent and neighborhood character.

The Beaufort Planning Board reviewed three related rezoning requests for a proposed 80‑acre mixed‑use project called Beaufort Crossing, debated annexation and whether a PUD should replace a broad rezoning, and noted a Board of Commissioners public hearing set for Oct. 12.

Key recorded actions: a motion was made to deny three rezoning requests (motion text recorded; transcript lacks an unambiguous planning board tally); the planning board approved a staff‑initiated LDO parking amendment unanimously. The commissioners will hold a public hearing on Oct. 12.

Beaufort Housing Authority Executive Director Zeb Hov told commissioners that auditors issued an unmodified opinion for FY2025 but flagged a material weakness tied to a $15,000 HUD-funded payment; staff have rewritten procurement rules, increased bonding, and are pursuing RAD conversion funding and private partnership negotiations.

Beaufort Housing Authority Executive Director Zeb Hov told the Board the authority received an unmodified audit opinion for FY2025 but that auditors flagged a material weakness involving a $15,000 HUD‑funded payment; the authority says the issue has been reclassified and controls have been tightened while RAD conversion negotiations continue.

Following reports from commercial operators and staff about safety on a dock that extends over water, the board instructed staff to add an additional horizontal railing (reducing gaps to 6–8 inches) and voted to add a new entrance by the Perry Barrows booth; commissioners emphasized the need for a capital plan and a consistent dock‑modification policy.

Town staff reported that NCDOT will close the Live Oak/NC 101 intersection from mid-November through late May 2027 for reconstruction, and highlighted that a recent Camp and Road widening project finished under budget; staff also described forthcoming asphalt paving and event sponsorships.

Developer Jeff Baron outlined an 80-acre mixed-use proposal at the U.S. 70/Highway 101 intersection, asking the town to study annexation and rezoning so the project can proceed in phased buildouts and attract grocery, retail and medical tenants.

Staff presented a priorities matrix and the board added a townwide tree-planting strategy, a navigable waterways review, a CIP review, and continued work on wastewater/water-treatment facility planning and housing coordination; F3 Marina reported Big Rock and June fuel sales should push fiscal-year results above budget.

Consultants proposed increasing freeboard (the height above Base Flood Elevation) and requiring elevation certificates and professional certification for floodproofing; the board asked for fiscal and insurance impact analysis and discussed whether to adopt the flood language ahead of new FEMA maps expected in February 2027.

The Beaufort Board of Commissioners and Planning Board held a joint work session to review proposed subdivision regulations and a new flood damage prevention ordinance in Module 4 of the Unified Development Ordinance and to give staff guidance on next steps amid state down‑zoning law uncertainty and upcoming flood‑map changes.

The Beaufort Board of Commissioners approved a $2,558,000 contract with Allen Grading for USDA-backed roadway work; roughly $2 million is expected to come from USDA funds and about $600,000 from local reserves. The firm plans to mobilize in early September and target substantial completion before Christmas.

CCTV work found pipe failure and blockages on the 100 block of Queen Street; staff recommended a segmented replacement plus slip‑lining and curb‑to‑curb milling and paving with a low local bid of about $235,000 for the Queen Street segment and a low sealed bid of roughly $2.6 million for the USDA overlay project pending Rivers & Associates verification.

The Planning Board split 2–2 on a motion to recommend rezoning 309 Pollock Street from R‑8 to TCA, leaving the decision to the Board of Commissioners. Staff said the lot is already nonconforming and the applicant has acquired an adjacent parcel that could later be combined.

After extensive testimony from planning staff, the applicant and experts, Beaufort commissioners approved a special‑use permit for a gas station and convenience store at 1507 Live Oak Street, conditioning the permit on planning‑board recommendations, screening/landscaping and west‑side beautification to minimize visual and safety impacts.

The Beaufort Board of Commissioners approved a roughly $25 million fiscal 2027 budget that reduces the property tax rate slightly and adds modest water/sewer fees to cover debt and utility operations. The package includes one full year of operations for the recently municipalized town docks and a 3% cost‑of‑living adjustment for employees.