NEW HANOVER COUNTY — Another townhome housing development is in the works for New Hanover County.
READ MORE: NHC housing unit gap increases, commissioners and PB discuss county’s future
Around 9 acres at 6302 Chissom Road could make way for a 72-unit townhome community, situated off Carolina Beach Road across from Veteran’s Park. Behind the project — called The Woods at Galen — is Gary Hufham and the HOA of the adjacent townhome community, Winds Ridge. They are seeking a conditional rezoning of the property from R-15, low-density residential, to R-5, residential moderate-high density.
With the rezoning, the development will be able to increase its density from a maximum of 2.5 units per acre to 8 units. A community meeting on the rezoning will occur next week.
The original notice said the development was planned for 112 units across 14 acres; however, an updated notice sent Monday afternoon showed an updated concept plan with fewer units. According to the Wilmington Business Journal, the developers discovered five acres of the lot were dedicated as permanent open space for Wind Ridges HOA.
Despite the description as a townhome development, the site layout shows 36 duplex structures. The community would be situated north of Chissom Road, across from single-family homes. The road currently deposits onto Golden Road and dead ends at the other side.
The development would utilize the existing Chissom Road and extend it further to accommodate the townhomes. However, no additional entrance is proposed and drivers would circle back out onto Golden Road, and from there to Carolina Beach Road.
Traffic is likely to be a talking point for citizens and New Hanover County leaders. According to North Carolina Department of Transportation data, the intersection of Carolina Beach and Golden roads has an average daily traffic count of 4,200 trips as of 2023.
The lot would also be the only R-5 district in almost a mile. The property is largely surrounded by single-family homes separated by woods; transitional buffers are not required.
Carolina Beach Road has been a hotbed for development activity in recent years. The nearest development activity is a Sheetz gas station proposed at the intersection of Golden and Carolina Beach roads. However, several multi-family developments have clustered along the route in recent years.
Up the road from The Woods at Galen is the 62-unit Pierson’s Point Townhomes across from Beau Rivage Drive and the 88-unit Townes at Park Place.
Up further is the much-detested Tarin Woods Phase II, which was rejected for a third time by county commissioners in June. Public opposition for the development has been high, citing traffic and environmental concerns. This year’s iteration used a special-use permit to propose 444 units on 43.5 acres, though commissioners ruled the application wasn’t complete and left questions unanswered.
McQuillan Pines, which recently switched out apartments for 85 townhomes, is located to the south, near McQuillan Drive.
Townhomes often fall into the category of “missing middle” housing, referring to unit types that land between single-family homes and mid-rise apartments. Other examples include triplexes, courtyard housing or cottage courts, and multi-plexes; duplexes and townhomes are the most prevalent in the county, though the Wilmington City Council recently approved a courtyard development on Greenville Loop Road via special-use permit.
This type of housing is designed to be compatible to sit adjacent to single-family or serve as transitions from single-family to higher-density developments, provide more affordable housing for a range of demographics, and promote walkable neighborhoods.
It is largely “missing” because of the suburbanization of American neighborhoods post World War II, followed in the decades after by more restrictive zoning regulations with a preference for single-family homes. Yet, as recently as 1986, 20% of all new single-family homes sold were attached — duplexes, townhomes — rather than detached.
The most recent U.S. Census data estimates show single-family detached now reigns supreme, making up around 60% of housing types. What follows is housing developments with 20 or more units at 10%; single-family attached makes up just 6% of housing types.
The development, if approved as-is by commissioners, would also add more than 100 units to counteract New Hanover County’s housing gap. According to the county’s latest assessment, the current gap is 21,864 units — 12,864 for ownership and 8,317 for rental. To accommodate the same demographics over the next 20 years, the total rises to 38,697 units to accommodate a population of 305,506 by 2043; currently, 243,333 live in New Hanover County.
The Woods at Galen community meeting has been scheduled for July 29, 6 p.m., at the River Road Park Picnic Shelter, 6500 River Road.
Reach journalist Brenna Flanagan at [email protected].
Want to read more from PCD? Subscribe now and then sign up for our morning newsletter, Wilmington Wire, and get the headlines delivered to your inbox every morning.
