BRUNSWICK COUNTY — D.R. Horton is asking Brunswick County to revise a 13-year-old plan for a housing development inside a growing neighborhood — and not all residents are happy about the changes.
Hawkeswater at the River was approved in 2005; those plans could now be changed, if Brunswick County agrees to D.R. Horton’s request to replace 52 single-family lots with 78 townhouse units.
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Before the county approves any proposed change, residents want D.R. Horton to complete sidewalks and add street lights, improvements they say were promised but never delivered.
Hawkeswater
Though the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) did not require an updated Traffic Impact Analysis with the proposed changes, residents of Hawkeswater have reached out to county officials to share their traffic concerns.
In a meeting held last month at Belville Elementary School, less than one-quarter mile from the neighborhood, D.R. Horton representatives were met with resistance. Current Hawkeswater homeowners told builders they were concerned about added traffic to Highway 133, according to a meeting summary provided by D.R. Horton. Engineers on site told homeowners that townhouses result in fewer trips per day compared to single-family homes.
Attendees also shared concerns about stormwater runoff and were told the townhome plan would reduce the amount of impervious surface area.
In an Oct. 14 letter addressed to Brunswick County Commissioners, Hawkeswater Resident Elizabeth Bynum asked officials to side with residents over the “money hungry” national builders.
“They have shown for the second time that all they care to do is build a neighborhood in Brunswick County as quickly as possible, make as much money as they can, and make their sales based on false pretenses,” Bynum wrote, citing a WWAY report about issues in a New Hanover County neighborhood.
Kevin Wuzzardo, news director at WWAY who owns property in Hawkeswater, also wrote a letter to Commissioners opposing the builder’s plans. Wuzzardo’s home, just two-years-old, has damage from Hurricane Florence, he wrote. D.R. Horton’s “bait-and-switch” tactics, according to Wuzzardo, have left homeowners feeling a lack of control over their own properties.
“If you talk to residents of Hawkeswater you will hear stories of shoddy workmanship and broken promises from D.R. Horton,” Wuzzardo wrote.
Another resident, Hal Lohn, wrote to Commissioners, asking to put off any change to Hawkesworth original Planned Unit Development until D.R. Horton adds in sidewalks and street lamps according to their approved plans.
With two minor adjustments, Brunswick County’s staff recommends approval of the project. The county’s Planning board will review the proposed conversion next week on Nov. 13.
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