BRUNSWICK COUNTY — A undeveloped piece of land off Old Fayetteville Road has recently been rezoned for the third time in seven years.
Representatives of the 16-acre property, including former Brunswick County Chairman Phil Norris, attribute changing market conditions as a reason behind the series of residential rezonings.
Related: High-density residential rezoning proposal near MOTSU rail terminal moves from Brunswick to Leland
The property is located near the high-traffic, four-way stop sign intersection of Old Fayetteville Road and Lanvale Road. Between February 2012 and January 2017, 23 traffic collisions took place at the intersection, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) most recent traffic study. While the intersection is not considered “deficient”, with 4,400 vehicle trips a day, the department plans to signalize it. However, NCDOT’s recent financial issues mean the planned signalization remains unfunded.
With several projects underway nearby, the county sees this area as “in transition”, according to senior planner Mark Pages.
Multi or single family?
In October 2012, the property was rezoned from high-density residential, R-6000, to multi-family residential, MR-3200. Four years later, the property was rezoned back from MR-3200 to its original R-6000 zoning.
At Brunswick County Commissioners’ last regular meeting of the year, Commissioners reluctantly rezoned the property from R-6000 back to MR-3200, marking the property’s fourth zoning designation since 2012.
The conventional rezoning means property owners, Beckington Land Group LLC, could build a multi-family structure (like an apartment complex or townhouses) up to 75 feet high if certain setback requirements are met. It also means site density is higher, from a maximum of 7.2 units per acre to 13.6 units per acre.
The project is being developed by Brad Kaiser of Triumph Development and Craig Stevens of Stevens Fine Homes, according to the rezoning application.
Brunswick County Planning Board approved the rezoning in August; in October, Commissioners sent the item back to Planning Board for further review; in November, Planning Board once again recommended approving the rezoning.
At multiple public hearings regarding the rezoning, Constance Reeves, a neighboring property and business owner, shared concerns about the proposed changes. Reeves said the intersection presents safety concerns, citing three wrecks in one month and the need for a new traffic study. She also shared concerns about the possibility that a high-rise apartment would disrupt her backyard privacy.
‘Market conditions’
At the Dec. 16 regular county meeting, Commissioner Mike Forte observed the string of rezonings the property has seen in recent years. “This is like back and forth, back and forth, and it’s been going on for nearly 10 years,” Forte said.
According to Brunswick County property records, the now-16-acre parcel has been combined with adjacent parcels and changed hands over the past decade. Norris, former county Chairman and co-owner of Norris & Tunstall, told Commissioners at the Dec. 16 meeting that he also represented the previous property owner when the property was originally R-6000.
After market conditions changed, the owner later decided he wanted to create a single-family subdivision to flip and sell to another developer instead of the multi-family zoning he had rezoned the property for. So, the owner got the zoning reverted back to R-6000. Now representing the current owner, Norris said a single-family subdivision is no longer a good fit for the area.
“Market conditions have changed again. And now that particular product doesn’t make any sense,” Norris told Commissioners.
Commissioner Pat Sykes said she was concerned about traffic safety in the area but also held firm on her belief that individuals should be able to do what they please with their property so long as it doesn’t interfere with the property rights of neighbors.
“I’m for property rights. I can’t go against it because of that belief,” she said at the meeting.
Chairman Williams shared he would prefer to see townhouses rather than apartments at the site which would be permitted by the rezoning request. “If it were up to me personally, yes to townhouses, no to apartments, because I think that would fit better there. But that’s not what we’re charged with or allowed to do,” Williams said.
Commissioners unanimously approved the rezoning approval, allowing the property to be rezoned to MR-3200. The rezoning was conventional, meaning no site plans were required to be submitted.
Send tips and comments to Johanna Ferebee Still at johanna@localvoicemedia.com
