BRUNSWICK COUNTY — Residents living in an unincorporated area of Brunswick County are raising concerns that the use of their private road for construction vehicles has caused negative impacts, including deteriorating road conditions and limited access for emergency services.
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Port City Daily spoke with eight Pinecliff Drive residents over the past two weeks about the impact of a nearby development Grayson Park, a housing community incorporated in the Town of Leland that borders the unincorporated Pinecliff Drive neighborhood. Currently under construction, it has 311 residential units next to the unincorporated county neighbors’ homes.
Neighbors have cited issues with getting blocked into their residences during Tropical Storm Debby, which exited the region Aug. 8. Heavy stormwater contributed to a pipe washout — the sudden erosion of soil and other material on top of a pipe that is usually caused by a leak or break. It caused an uncrossable trench at the entrance to the neighborhood. Resident Rick Dixon and several residents said they were blocked in until EMS services and the developer addressed the issue Aug. 9.
“When we bought this house we could drive down this dirt road and it was shaded by the trees,” Dixon said. “Now, the trees are gone and we have flooding issues.”
Poor road conditions
Resident Christine Morey Padroe said developers’ use of heavy construction vehicles for the neighboring Grayson Park development has caused ruts and craters on Pinecliff Drive that have damaged her vehicle as well. It had a broken axle.
“I can’t keep affording to fix my vehicle when it’s not solely my fault that my car gets messed up,” she said.
Alternatively, land developers Steve Shuttleworth and Jack Carlisle — who are working on Grayson Park — maintain they have obtained all necessary permitting and approvals for activity and invested hundreds of thousands of dollars to improve the road.
“We are not required to do anything,” Shuttleworth said. “But because we are running construction trucks out there, we acknowledge that we put wear on the road more than the day-to-day homeowner.”
Carlisle and Shuttleworth — co-owners of businesses including Grayson Park Development LLC, Buster Development, and J & S Land Development LLC — have worked in the area in recent years. Homebuilder D.R. Horton and Honeycutt Construction Services are also involved in Grayson Park.
Michelle Carlisle, daughter of developer Jack Carlisle, serves as the administrative member of the three companies. She sent Port City Daily a $62,547 invoice for asphalt paving paid earlier this year and a $463,797 estimate for a proposed turn lane in Grayson Park and planned improvements to Pinecliff Drive. She added she would need more time to gather other invoices related to the private road, including grading work and stone.
“I’m not looking for a cat fight with anybody,” Shuttleworth said. “Yes, the road is not in perfect condition. It is better today than it has been in 20 years.”
Residents who spoke on the record had differing views. Dixon said it was never as bad before, while resident Bob Lewis agreed with the developer that they have made improvements, yet concedes it’s still deteriorating.
“But there’s no follow-up once they’ve created more damage,” Lewis added. “Directly in front of my house, there’s five or six additional potholes that weren’t there a few months ago. I can’t even back out of my driveway without falling into a hole.”
Some residents argued developers contributed to the road blockage several weeks ago by replacing a pipe at the entrance of Pinecliff Drive without a permit. The developers created another exit for the road, but it has a “no trespassing” sign; Shuttleworth said he told residents they had permission to use the service road in an emergency.
The developers adamantly denied allegations of causing the pipe washout and said their crew addressed the issue as soon as it was possible. Both cited Stanley Martin Homes as an earlier developer in the area that bore some responsibility for the problem; PCD reached out to the firm but did not receive a response by press.
“There’s no permit required,” Shuttleworth said. “It was fine for three or four months and over this last storm, it washed out.”
Shuttleworth argued developers already invested a large sum to enhance the roadway and believes homeowners should contribute to future improvements.
“None of the individual homeowners have contacted us and offered to chip in,'” he said.
Carla Langdon, Rep. Frank Iler’s (R-Brunswick) legislative assistant, told PCD the issue is representative of a broader problem in the state. She said it is difficult and expensive to bring private roads up to the minimum standard required by the North Carolina Department of Transportation for inclusion in the state road system.
“The laws protect public funds (taxes) from being used for private property improvements,” Langdon said. “If this road is private, we can’t do anything to assist. I always feel bad when explaining this to our constituents.”
So who can help?
Brunswick County spokesperson Meagan Kascak said the county has had at least one complaint alleging illegal development activity and stormwater runoff from the adjacent Grayson Park neighborhood causing problems on Pinecliff Drive. Because Grayson Park is in the Town of Leland’s jurisdiction, the county referred stormwater concerns to the municipality.
Leland town manager David Hollis confirmed the city, too, has received complaints over the last few years.
“It is my understanding that the developer owns property along Pinecliff Drive and, thus, has a legal right to the road,” Hollis said.
The Brunswick Fire Marshal’s office also was contacted by resident Ashley Johnson Bailey about the pipe washout two weeks ago. She said fire staff drove out to the area and told her the county could not have people living where emergency crews could not reach them. Fire marshal Andrew Thompson referred questions on the issue to the county; Kascak said a contractor filled the ditch the same day EMS staff drove out to inspect the pipe washout.
Pinecliff resident Amber Marco said her house and yard have been damaged by increased water runoff from Grayson Park. But Pinecliff’s unincorporated status has caused difficulties in determining who to contact for concerns.
“If I reach out to Leland, I am told I have to call Brunswick County,” she said. “I call Brunswick County and they tell me that Grayson Park is in Leland so they have no jurisdiction there. Everyone passes the buck, but no one wants to give us any solutions to help.”
Hollis said he was unaware of any fines or violations for the developers but would follow up with town departments for confirmation.
Shuttleworth — a former Carolina Beach council member — and Carlisle have developed properties in other counties, including New Hanover. NHC spokesperson Alex Riley confirmed Shuttleworth has no violations in the county, but Jack Carlisle has three properties currently in violation for building without proper permits. Port City Daily asked where but did not receive an answer by press.
“Stop work orders have been posted at each property, fines were issued and fees have been paid, per our Inspections team,” Riley wrote in an email to Port City Daily Thursday.
Other concerns
Another issue raised by residents involved developers’ moving their mailboxes without adequate notice or approval, causing delays in mail and deliveries. Shuttleworth said the change was a condition from the North Carolina Department of Transportation to approve a new turn lane proposal. He said the mailboxes were previously in a more dangerous location, that he coordinated with the Post Office, and put notices in residents’ mailboxes to inform them beforehand. A Brunswick County postal service spokesperson said he was unaware of the issue but would look into it.
Some residents have also alleged potential environmental violations, including improper burning and burying material, such as oil drums.
Carlisle emphatically rejected the claims. He said the only burn in the area had been for a pile of small trees that was approved in a burn permit; a Winnabow Fire Department spokesperson said firefighters responded to a controlled burn in the development but did not have details about the time or date.
Shuttleworth and Carlisle found the second allegation of burying material particularly egregious. Both told Port City Daily they were in the process of filing a defamation claim against a resident, David Ballard, making the accusation.
The developers emphasized Ballard has a criminal history and accused him of harassing workers, laying in front of trucks, and other threatening activities. Shuttleworth added the no-trespassing sign was only added to the service road to stop Ballard from accessing construction areas.
They said the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office has repeatedly intervened to stop Ballard’s hostile behavior. BCSO spokesperson Emily Flax said she did a search on Ballard’s name but did not find any incident reports over the last 12 months.
Ballard stood by his claims in an interview with Port City Daily. He said he had intervened in construction activity to address worker safety and environmental concerns and denied allegations of threatening behavior.
Some residents corroborated claims environmentally hazardous material had been buried. Resident Bob Lewis said he’d seen material buried about two years ago directly across from his neighborhood.
“You could actually see where some of the containers were leaching into the ground,” Lewis said. “It was like oil, waste, gasoline, and diesel fuel.”
Tips or comments? Email journalist Peter Castagno at peter@localdailymedia.com.
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