Based on the latest meetings and recent recommendation by the Chowan County School Board of Education, has formally recommended that the county commissions should use a USDA loan of $35 million dollars to fund Phase 2 of the proposed $50 million dollars high-school construction project. Keep in mind that the Edenton Gazette reported earlier that a Dallas high school renovated an older school in support of 2,000 students for $46 million dollars.

As the county prepares to assume new debt which needs to be repaid by the taxpayers until 2053, there remain many questions concerning this project, which have not been answered. Why does it cost Chowan County $50 million dollars for a declining student body of 600 high school students? What does the cost of renovating the high school cost over tearing it down and building a new high school when the cost of materials is sky high due to the pandemic?

Did the North Carolina state legislature understand that an administrative word change in lottery grant funding language would be interpreted by construction firms and/or boards that grants could ONLY be used for new school construction and used as a basis to only look at new construction for the high school? A well-architected renovation could be seen as new school construction if that was the end goal of the renovation.

To add more clarity to the current policy in draft from our earlier article, after a brief discussion with Anne-Marie Knighton, Town Manager, and our previous article – Edenton, North Carolina – an open and friendly town built on travelers and tourists leaning towards more restrictive policies against short-term rentals. Edenton’s short-term rental policy has been in the making since 2017, including assistance from UNC Shcool of Government to assist in drafting policy for a small town like ours. Please take time to read the updates concerning how they would apply to specific rental properties (listed below).

The remaining elements of this policy being finalized centers around Whole-House rentals, where the owner is not on location, where additional requirements are asked for such as a local responsible contact who can ensure that the policies and house rules are followed. The end result of the policy will be a body of work shaped by citizens if you have contributed your input and professionals concerning town planning and policy. Many of Edenton’s newest residents stayed in an Airbnb in Edenton, fell in love, purchased a home, and moved here.

Chowan County, known as the “cradle of the colony” today relies on tourism and travelers to generate over $24 million dollars worth of impact in 2019, with dedicated agencies working to present Edenton and Chowan County such as VisitEdenton.com, Destination Downtown, Edenton Chowan Partnership, and other aligned organizations and groups.

The Edenton town council wants and needs to hear from you concerning support of Airbnb and Vrbo rentals in Edenton without overly restrictive policies or acting as a proxy to existing HOAs and areas which already have restrictive covenants such as for the Cotton Mill Village or the Historic District.

This year is full of new opportunities and the Chowan Edenton Environmental Group is excited to be involved in some challenging new volunteer work.  We hope you are also excited about some aspect of stewardship, conservation, and/or environmental literacy. 

Based on the earlier article, LOOKING INTO YOUR WATERWAYS by By Colleen Karl, Chair Chowan Edenton Environmental Group, we would like to know more about your specific talents and interests.  Please take a moment to answer the questions on the survey below. We appreciate your time and input.

By Colleen Karl, Chair Chowan Edenton Environmental Group

You live in a region surrounded by water.  The Albemarle-Pamlico Sound area is the 2nd largest estuary in the world and throughout North Carolina’s history, the Albemarle Sound has been important to the people living near its rivers and streams.  As Chowan County residents have known from the earliest days of colonization, the Sound, the Chowan River, and its tributaries generate a special sense of environmental stewardship.  The fisheries bearing local family names are plentiful along the shorelines; the ancestral acreage that parallels the river is either still active farmland or the farms have become valuable conservation lands; and for many, the sandy beach outcrops, popular as family vacation destinations for years, continue today as organized waterfront communities.   The management and oversight of this valuable natural resource will always be our responsibility.