BRUNSWICK COUNTY — After the planning board unanimously approved to move forward a 93-single-family-unit project last August, the developer is returning to next week’s meeting asking for an expansion triple in size.
READ MORE: Human rights organization urges Brunswick County to prioritize residents’ clean water access
Known as Brunswick Landing — formerly the Hankins Tract, as covered by Port City Daily last year — the project originally was slated to take up 26.81 acres on Old Ocean Highway in Bolivia. However, according to project documents submitted for the April 14 Brunswick County Planning Board meeting, the development could grow by 232 single-family units on 89 additional acres.
Thirty-four acres, owned by Carolyn and Charles Ferguson, and 54 acres from William Waddell Gore are being considered in addition and surround the original acreage. The project is overseen by Norris and Bland Consulting Engineers, who told the StarNews the property owners reached out about selling the land after the 93 units were approved.
The project is in an R-7500 zoning district for suburban residential development. The same district surrounds the land, including single-family homes, such as Middle Creek Village under construction, as well as institutional and vacant land. The maximum density under R-7500 is 5.8 dwelling units per acre; however, with 115.82 acres of land planned for Brunswick Landing, the project anticipates a density of 2.81 dwelling units per acre.
The engineers hosted a neighborhood meeting about the plans on April 1 at the Brunswick Senior Center in Supply and documents show concerns centered on traffic and proper water drainage. The 325-unit project didn’t require a traffic impact analysis, though the North Carolina Department of Transportation did request a turn lane report. All roads will be privately owned and maintained.
Civil engineers DRMP found the project is anticipated to bring more than 200 cars in AM peak hours and roughly 300 in PM peak hours, according to a volume report by hour provided to the county. It found short left turn lanes would be warranted at both access points into the development. The county has requested the development add a second ingress/egress since last approved.
Documents show attendees worried at the community meeting about water coming onto neighboring properties. Jody Bland of Norris and Bland Engineering attended and informed them the stormwater plans included designing the project to meet a 100-year storm event.
There are wetlands on the property and no development is expected in the floodplain; only stormwater ponds will be located there to collect runoff.
Also on the agenda
Two public hearings are planned for the Brunswick County Planning Board as well, one regarding modification of unit types for a previously approved project, Timber Farms. Plus, a public hearing will be held for the Smith Tract, which is proposing 137 units. Both were reported on by Port City Daily last month.
As far as new business is concerned, there are two rezonings scheduled before the board. Steve Shuttleworth is requesting to rezone two parcels off U.S. 17 between 6451 and 6450 Ocean Highway East near Leland. The land is less than half-a-mile from Green Hill Road.
Currently zoned commercial intensive, Shuttleworth wants to change the vacant 23.72 acres to commercial-low density. C-LD brings businesses that service area neighborhoods and highway-oriented tourism, such as retail, bars or taverns, convenience stores, medical offices or banks, among other uses. It also allows limited uses for residences.
A site plan wasn’t required of the rezoning since it’s conventional (unlike conditional rezoning requests which requires as much). Staff finds it consistent with surrounding zoning, which includes commercial low density, commercial intensive, conservation and protection, and rural residential. Single-family residences, a church, undeveloped land and a community center is in the vicinity.
Staff recommends approval, as the rezoning falls in line with the Blueprint Brunswick 2040 Comprehensive Plan place type — medium density residential mixed-use. According to the documents, the rezoning fits the plan’s objective of supporting future development in nodes in unincorporated areas of the county and expanding job opportunities.
The second rezoning coming before the planning board is for 135 Mill Creek Road SE, near Bolivia. Around 45.2 acres, if approved, will change from rural residential to R-7500, medium density residential. It’s also being proposed by Norris and Bland Consulting Engineers.
The same zoning surrounds the acreage, featuring single family homes, including mobile homes, and vacant land. However, it’s not found consistent with the existing Blueprint Brunswick 2040 Plan place types, which are primarily rural and agricultural lands, to be working and often undeveloped, as well as open space/conservation 1, to include undisturbed open areas that normally consist of floodways or publicly protected lands.
Norris and Bland is proposing an update to the placetype to become low-density residential as properties nearby are designated as such; they state in a letter to the east, west and south are R-7500 zones. The letter indicates it will “be removed from the agricultural district upon development.”
“Staff finds the request reasonable and in the public’s interest” due to the surrounding properties falling in line with the goals of the 2040 Plan. They also indicate the parcel is more suitable for residential development, according to the Residential Suitability Map.
The Brunswick County Planning Board meets Monday, April 14, at 4 p.m. in commissioners’ chambers in the David R. Sandifer Administration Building at the Brunswick County Government Center. The meeting is open to the public.
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