NEW HANOVER COUNTY — New Hanover County is planning the purchase and preservation of two parcels on the west bank of the Cape Fear River, a feat that would cost the county $2.24 million. The commissioners will vote on it at their meeting on Monday, Dec. 15.
The two parcels, both zoned for industrial use, are located along U.S. Highway 421 just north of the Battleship North Carolina — 11.42 acres at 1450 Point Harbor Road and 17.13 acres at 1209 N. U.S. Highway 421. The latter tract is adjacent to the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office’s target shooting range.
READ MORE: ‘When you know better, you do better’: Commissioners favor all conservation on west bank
According to county documents released with Monday’s agenda, “staff believes that acquiring and preserving these properties aligns with the commissioners’ objectives,” outlined in the Comprehensive Plan Riverfront Conservation amendment adopted in October 2024.
The amendment’s vision is to preserve property along the west bank, maintaining its current condition and reducing land intensity through brownfields mitigation or conservation acquisition. In addition, the acquisition of Tract 2 would provide a safety buffer and prevent encroachment onto the sheriff’s shooting range, also allowing the sheriff’s marine unit access to the river.
If approved, the county will access its Revenue Stabilization Fund, established with $300 million from the sale of New Hanover Regional Medical Center. The payments would be made over a 10-year period in increments of $266,130.
The document notes the county became aware of the two tracts in October. The same month, the county told Port City Daily it had reached out to private property owners but was not in negotiations at the time.
“Currently, we are conducting research and actively working with conservation organizations, community partners, state entities, and government relations professionals to determine what opportunities exist that could be pursued, given that the county does not own any of the riverfront property at this time,” spokesperson Alex Riley wrote to Port City Daily on Oct. 17. “This work includes reviewing available funding sources, understanding parcel-specific conditions, and coordinating with partners to ensure the County is prepared to act when property owners are ready to engage in voluntary conservation discussions.”
The county has been evaluating the environmental status of the properties, as both have potential hazards from previous usage. Tract 1 was previously a railroad terminal yard, but the first phase of an environmental report noted a regulatory agency has not identified concerning environmental conditions.
Because the county doesn’t plan to develop the property, staff in conjunction with an environmental firm determined the prior use of the property “is not a concern at this time and this hazards most likely won’t need mitigation.
The second tract was used for an oil storage facility from 1988 to at least 1997, where fuel from eight above-ground tanks leaked into the soil. An environmental study from 2007 found soil and groundwater contamination at the site but noted there was no contamination flowing into the river.
The tanks were removed in 2008 and a corrective action plan was put in place in 2013; the county has now tasked environmental firm to test the soil and groundwater. Results are expected within seven to 10 days, according to the county, though the agenda document claims a representative from the North Carolina Division of Environmental Quality thinks the contamination does not pose a major environmental threat.
Per its non-binding letter of intent, the county has until Dec. 31, 2025 to move forward on the property purchase.
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