BRUNSWICK COUNTY — The Brunswick County Planning Board approved the revised Sailor’s Haven planned development at its November meeting, reversing its original denial and effectively rendering a lawsuit against the county moot.
READ MORE: Nearly 2,000 homes to go before Brunswick Planning Board next month
ALSO: Brunswick County, planning board sued by developer over Sailor’s Haven denial
Voting 4-1, the board’s approval grants developer Coastal Cornerstone Development, LLC the vested zoning right to develop the 283 single-family unit project on 117 acres near Sunset Beach off N.C. Highway 904 — Seaside Road SW.
Coastal Cornerstone Development initially went before the planning board for consideration of the Sailor’s Haven on July 14, but the board decided to deny the project over stormwater, flooding and traffic concerns. Subsequently, the developers sued Brunswick County and its planning board in August, stating the board’s decision was unlawful and based on subjective opinions and standards not written in the county’s zoning rules.
Given the recent green light for Sailor’s Haven, the main relief sought in the lawsuit — project approval — has been granted by the planning board. The lawsuit also asked for the county to cover attorney’s fees and damages. No planning board members mentioned it at the meeting.
Port City Daily reached out to Coastal Cornerstone Development’s attorney, Amy Schaefer with Wilmington firm Lee Kaess, and the county on its status and whether the developer will dismiss the suit or continue seeking damages. An answer was not received by press from either.
Despite the lawsuit, the developer took previous concerns of the planning board and reworked its proposal for re-consideration earlier this week.
The revised plan reduced the unit count from 299 to 283 and addressed stormwater issues. The developer added two stormwater ponds and engineered the entire system to handle a 100-year storm event. Steven Smiley, co-founder of Coastal Cornerstone Development, explained the additional pond increased the property’s ability to hold water flow by more than 50% over the previous design, both of which met the UDO’s minimum requirements.
County floodplain administrator James Paggioli previously expressed concerns over the initial design’s ability to adequately handle large storm events. However, he noted the new plan adequately addressed the issues.
The development team also added an emergency vehicle connection at an existing dirt road on the northern section of the property for a total of five access points.
Planning staff recommended approval on four conditions:
- The project must adhere to all submitted plans and design features
- The development must maintain full compliance with the Brunswick County UDO
- Separate federal, state, and county permits (stormwater, utilities, fire marshal) are required for building and final plat approval
- A 10-foot easement for a future pedestrian path must be dedicated within the Seaside Road street buffer
Despite technical corrections, the project faced opposition from residents and officials in attendance, who focused on public safety and infrastructure strain. Newly elected Sunset Beach council members Katie Bordeaux and Christie Batchelor, as well as Sunset Beach Mayor Shannon Phillips spoke against the development at this week’s meeting.
Phillips pointed to persistent congestion on Highway 904, calling the situation “unreal,” explaining it’s “backed up” daily.
“A little bit different from some of the other communities, my citizens are mostly older and they do have a hard time up there,” he said, referring to Highway 904. “They’re scared, they’re really worried about things.”
The traffic impact analysis for the project estimated it would generate 2,772 vehicle trips per weekday on the highway. Residents were concerned the new traffic would add strain to the road, particularly during tourist season, noting its role as the main hurricane evacuation route for the area. The average annual daily traffic on 904 and Old Georgetown Road, where the development is proposed, is more than 13,200 vehicles.
Mandated traffic mitigation measures include the construction of southbound and northbound turn lanes on Highway 904 at the primary access point in and out of the development.
Aligning with the concerns over the impact on the highway’s corridor, board member Jim Board cast the single vote against the project. He cited issues with emergency road access and ingress/egress from the property.
However, the majority of the board believed the developer’s corrective actions were enough for approval. Board member Rich Leary articulated his favorability:
“I think maybe the way this process is working out tonight is the way it’s supposed to work out,” Leary stated. “It seems to me as though the developers have taken that [denial] pretty seriously, and I think they’ve made an honest effort to make those improvements. I don’t see anything in this where there is any concern with UDO compliance.”
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