BRUNSWICK COUNTY — In the Longwood area, 172 homes have been approved as part of the Heron Bluff development. Beazer Homes, headquartered in Atlanta, is behind the project, having already entered the North Carolina market in the Raleigh-Durham area.
The Brunswick County Planning Board approved the 80-acre residential development in a 5-0 vote on Monday evening.
According to Brandon Truesdale with G3 Engineering, the development decided to stick to existing zoning regulations and fall under what’s allowed. It’s proposed to have 2.12 dwelling units per acre, falling below the 5.8 units already allowed under the medium-density R-7500 zoning and 13.6 allowed in the commercial low density zoning, which makes up the three parcels the developer is purchasing. The project is also consistent with the Future Land Use Map marking the area medium density and in line with current surrounding uses — single family residential, commercial and vacant land.
“Just considering the R-7500, we’re about 40% allowable density on the tract,” Truesdale said.
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The 179 homes will be built in three phases — first will be 36 lots, followed by 46 and then 90 — with lot sizes expected to be around 9,400 square feet. The development will include 25.78 acres of total open space, wherein 4 acres is required, and 8 acres of recreational area, of which 0.60 is required. There will be hookup to Brunswick County Utilities for water and sewer when available, and 10-foot and 25-foot buffers will surround the project.
The homes will not be built in a flood zone and a 5-acre wetland will be left undeveloped. Site plans indicate seven stormwater ponds will be built to a 100-year storm event, meaning it can hold, control, and discharge the amount of runoff generated by a severe storm that has a 1% chance of occurring in any given year.
Access points include a main entrance from Longwood Road, connectivity to private roads from the adjacent Timber Farms development, a 2,500-unit development, and an emergency access on Ridgewood Trail.
Margaret York wanted to ensure her circular driveway, with two entrances, wouldn’t be cut off by the emergency gate planned for Ridgewood Trail.
“We’re perfectly OK with emergency access but we don’t want Ridgewood Trail to become a part of this development now or ever,” York said.
Truesdale confirmed they would work with York to ensure her driveway isn’t blocked.
Also, a traffic impact analysis is underway for Heron Bluff, though the development projected to bring around 1,634 daily trips. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has to approve the TIA before construction can break ground.
A few people who spoke during the public hearing expressed concerns with cars traveling along N.C. Highway 904 — or Longwood Road — particularly near the curve at Russtown Road.
“It’s a death trap,” resident Tina Axelson said.
Deputy Director Marc Pages indicated there could be intersection improvements, including updated turn lanes, but it depends on the NCDOT’s TIA findings.
“We have no purview over that,” Planning Board Chair Clif Cheek relayed.
“Cars come around that corner at 50-miles-per-hour,” Dave Brown also stated during public comment. “There have been quite a few accidents right there.”
Truesdale confirmed the developer has mobilized a traffic consultant to begin the TIA process.
However, Brown also wanted to know if the county could do more per development operations already in effect near his home. Since last fall, he said it’s looked like the “Depression” — “every night my property looks like a dust storm” due to nearby trucks driving on unpaved land.
Pages said the county recommends developers use water trucks to douse areas, but with a mild drought still in effect, developers likely have been mindful.
Brown also complained about burning timber when it comes to land-clearing, though the planning board and staff, again, pointed him to the North Carolina Forestry Service with those concerns. The county doesn’t control burning permits.
“They’ve been burning on other lots since last fall, sometimes overnight,” Brown said.
He inquired upon the timeline of the project and when it will be under construction. Federal and state permits still have to be secured but likely won’t come through until a TIA is complete. Truesdale estimated it could be the end of quarter one in 2027 before Beazer Homes can break ground, stating they also have to secure the contractor.
Planning staff recommended approval due to the project meeting the county’s unified development ordinance.
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