NEW HANOVER COUNTY — After receiving violations in April for an unapproved structure on the Hilton Bluffs property in Sledge Forest, Copper Builders has taken action to correct the measure.
READ MORE: Developer issued permit violations for unapproved structure in Sledge Forest
ALSO: Sledge Forest developer’s ‘pleasure craft’ docked in Carolina Beach after fined in Wrightsville
According to county spokesperson Alex Riley, permit applications were filed and the structure was removed on July 18.
No civil penalties were assessed since Cooper Builders owner Wade Miller removed the structure by the county’s deadline.
The violations were issued on April 14 from New Hanover County’s Planning and Land Use Department. A notice was sent to Miller for four violations concerning a 160-square-foot structure in the 4900 block of Castle Hayne Road. The structure was located along the Northeast Cape Fear River at the site of the proposed Hilton Bluffs development, a 4,000-unit residential project by developer Copper Builders, currently undergoing technical review.
The county cited Miller violated county ordinance by:
- Not applying for a building permit for the structure
- Occupying a structure without approval
- Placing the structure in a CAMA Area of Concern and not getting a CAMA Minor permit
- Not obtaining a floodplain development permit
Miller, however, maintained the structure was temporary, and not subject to those regulations, referring to it as a mobile office and storage unit.
When the violations were issued, Miller contested the characterization of the mobile office as a “structure” to Port City Daily. He argued it was a temporary unit, not affixed to the ground, and manufactured offsite.
“It would be unfortunate for many if the county were to conclude that prefabricated facilities like this … are not permitted,” he said.
To come into compliance, Miller submitted a commercial building application with the county on April 24. However, the county’s Planning and Land Use Department determined the developer’s permit application was incomplete.
Staff required the developer to submit engineered plans and other detailed information, like the site plans to ensure the structure met building codes and was safe for its location in a high-risk flood area.
Upon learning of the additional requirements, Miller instead chose to remove the structure.
At the time of the incident, advocates of Save Sledge Forest — who want to conserve the land, now added to the national threatened forest list — decried Miller’s actions. Many noted his circumventing permits did not show the developer would act with care and follow rules when it comes to building on property rife with 500-year-old cypress trees and 300-year-old pines, as well as wetlands.
This rally cry reared its head again last week, when Miller’s “pleasure craft” was booted from Wrightsville Beach’s Bank’s Channel. Town officials declared it a houseboat, which isn’t allowed according to town ordinance. Miller maintains it’s a recreational vehicle.
He faces upward of $500 in fines from Wrightsville Beach, which he told PCD last week he plans to appeal. His pleasure craft was moved to Carolina Beach.
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