WILMINGTON — In 2014, New Hanover County Commissioners approved a 14-building, 600-bedroom apartment complex called Smith Creek Village. The complex will add considerable traffic volume to Gordon Road when fully built, but this impact was not taken into account on Tuesday evening, when Commissioners voted 3-2 to approve another major development almost directly across the street.
The newly approved the Landing at Lewis Creek Estates did require a traffic impact analysis however, the report did not take into account the amount of traffic that will be added by Smith Creek Village because, technically, construction has not yet started.
Commissioner Jonathan Barfield raised his concerns during the meeting, saying although the TIA did not consider the traffic impact of the other apartment complex, it would be wrong of the board to ignore it.
“Although what their presentation was showing that there’s no real traffic impact we know different. We know that we approved a project with 328 units … being forced to block that out of our mind I think would not be the right thing to do and just assume based on someone’s presentation on what DOT is not counting that everything will be fine, when we know that it won’t be,” Barfield said.
Chairman Woody White responded saying his belief, based on the presentation about the latest development, was that if the permit were denied, traffic would actually get worse on Gordon Road.
“My recollection of the evidence with the traffic improvements to Gordon Road with the turn lanes and stop sign (that would be installed) has a net positive on traffic flow, regardless if Mr. Swain goes forward with his project” Commission Chairman Woody White said. (According to a previous story from Port City Daily, the developer behind the Smith Creek Village development is David Swain.)
County Manager Chris Coudriet reiterated the fact that the NCDOT did not take traffic from the undeveloped apartment complex into account.
Smith Creek Village history 
At the Nov. 3, 2014 County Commissioner meeting, a unanimous vote was cast to grant a special use permit to Design Solutions on behalf of Gordon Road Investments to develop a 336-unit multifamily high-density resident project at 4645 Gordon Road.
The development sits on 43.82 acres of land and will consist of 14 buildings according to the request presented to commissioners.
Main access to the development would be via a new driveway located on Gordon Road with secondary access proposed on Shaw Drive.
Jason Swain from Swain and Associates said the company was getting close to starting construction on the complex, but did not have a specific date.
Michael Praats can be contacted via email at [email protected]
