NEW HANOVER COUNTY — Plans for an 80-acre neighborhood consisting of single-family homes, townhomes, and nearly 200 apartments have been submitted to New Hanover County. Now it is up to county officials to either approve or deny the rezoning request.
The neighborhood would be the extension of the already existing Tarin Woods II subdivision located off Carolina Beach Road; the development includes 145 single-family homes, 143 townhomes, and 192 apartments. Tarin Woods II has already begun construction on 51 single-family lots which are not included on the rezoning request.
Currently, the property is undeveloped and zoned residential, but the developer, Hoosier Daddy LLC, is requesting the land be zoned R-7 to allow for a performance residential subdivision.
According to county documents, “a performance residential development provides flexibility in the design of subdivisions by not requiring a minimum lot size and by allowing for multiple housing types. However, these types of developments are subject to a maximum density requirement. Performance developments within the proposed R-7 district are permitted a maximum density of 6 dwelling units per acre, which equates to a maximum of 480 dwelling units on the subject property.”
If the request is denied, the developer could by right build less than half as dense a neighborhood with only 200 dwelling units permitted. If approved, the developer plans to build the maximum number of dwellings permitted in the R-7 district.
Traffic concerns
As with any new development, traffic impacts are expected and, in the case of Tarin Woods II, a traffic impact analysis was completed to see potential traffic adjustments due to the development.
With traffic improvements to the intersections affected by the development, the TIA shows a relatively similar level of service, ranging from B-ratings to D at different locations.
The TIA lists two proposed improvements if the rezoning is approved:
- Provide an additional northbound left turn lane consisting of a shared left and U-turn lane with 200 feet of storage and appropriate taper at the US 421 (Carolina Beach Road) and Sanders Road intersection. Additionally, signal modifications will be necessary.
- Provide a second westbound right turn lane with 200 feet of storage and appropriate taper at the US 421 (Carolina Beach Road) and Manassas Drive intersection. Additionally, signal modifications will be necessary.
The Planning Board will hear from the developer Thursday at 6 p.m. at the New Hanover County Historic Courthouse. The hearing by the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners has not been set yet.
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