WILMINGTON — A proposal to rezone over 14 acres of land in Scotts Hill to construct a high density, 192-unit, 420-bedroom apartment complex will be brought in front of the New Hanover County Planning Board on Wednesday evening.
On behalf of owner SENCA Properties, Raleigh-based engineering firm McKim & Creed is seeking to rezone the plot of land located on the 1100 block of Pandion Drive from a residential district to a conditional use residential district with a special use permit — allowing for a denser development plan than what is currently allowed in the area — to construct the multi-family development. The development would be off Highway 17, just south of the Pender County line.
Brad Schuler, who oversees rezoning and special use permits for the New Hanover Planning and Land Use Department, will present the rezoning request during Wednesday’s public meeting, set to begin 6 p.m. at the Government Center Complex inside the HR Training Rooms near the aquarium in the building’s main hall.
According to a traffic-impact study, approved by the NCDOT and the Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, the re-zoned property is estimated to add 60 peak hour trips in the morning and 90 peak hour trips in the evening.
“A detached single-family swelling typically generates about one trip during the peak hours,” according to the county’s meeting agenda document.
Required roadway improvements would include a new northbound to southbound U-turn lane on U.S. 17 just south of Scotts Hill Loop Road as well as the retiming of signals along U.S. 17 to account for increased traffic flows.
The site plan calls for 84 two-bedroom units, 72 three-bedroom units, and 36 one-bedroom units.
The property is part of an association responsible for the maintenance of Pandion Drive and Scotts Hill Medical Drive. The association consists of eight lots and includes the owners of Scotts Hill Village, Coastal Preparatory Academy, Scotts Hill Medical park, and the New Hanover Regional Medical Center.
Adjacent to the plot of land is Coastal Preparatory Academy (CPA), which is calling for families and staff to oppose the project.
“There is already a ridiculous amount of traffic in that area of Scotts Hill on Highway 17 during school drop-off and pick-up times,” CPA parent Michelle Morcos wrote to the Port City Daily Tuesday morning.
The parents of CPA students have also urged people to attend and oppose the project via a post on Facebook this week, citing traffic and safety issues for the students, staff, and families of CPA.
The rezoning proposal found on the county’s website states the following conclusion:
While the proposed development is not consistent with the General Residential place type, it is generally consistent with the [2016 Comprehensive Plan’s] intent of providing an orderly transition of uses from higher intensity to lower intensity areas and providing for a range of housing types. The proposed development is also consistent with the recommended uses and densities of the Community Mixed Use place type adjacent to the site.
