PENDER COUNTY — A proposal to build 906 new single-family homes in Topsail Township wasn’t favored by planning leaders this week. The Pender County Planning Board unanimously denied recommending to commissioners approval for a developer’s rezoning request to make way for the project, though it will move forward for the commissioners’ decision in July.
READ MORE: Pender’s draft EMS and Fire merger plan faces commissioner scrutiny
ALSO: Pender County Schools passes three-tiered bell schedule in split vote
The project has drawn significant community opposition over traffic, environmental concerns and school overcrowding. Almost a dozen residents spoke out against the proposal at the June 3 planning board meeting.
“I can tell you that it is a safety issue to add any more children to the east side of Pender County Schools,” Hampstead resident Kristen Lash said at the meeting. “When are we going to stop doing this? I understand you can’t stop progress and I’m not for stopping progress, but I am for stopping things that are directly impacting our children, our families.”
The application, submitted by Tidewater Associates, Inc. on behalf of owners A. Sydes Construction Inc. and USA Global Resources LLC, seeks a conditional zoning map amendment. This would shift approximately 600 acres from its current Rural Agricultural (RA) designation to a conditional zoning that would permit the large-scale residential development.
The undeveloped and wooded parcels are located along Island Creek Road, about one mile west of the intersection of NC Highway 210 and Island Creek Road. The site is situated just southwest of the Wylie Branch subdivision, a community A. Sydes Construction also developed and completed in 2023.
Planning staff recommended denial of the rezoning request, which the planning board subsequently agreed with, because of the development’s:
- Inconsistency with the rural agricultural future land use category
- Proposed location is in an area where the school system is already severely overcrowded
- Cose proximity to special flood hazard areas
- Conflicts with the county’s comprehensive future land use plan
The proposed density of the project is higher than the desired 1 unit per acre for the rural agricultural portions of the property. Its gross density is 1.51 units per acre and net density is 2.04 units per acre. This would indicate an inconsistency with the county’s long-range land use vision; though the project spans into areas designated for low density residential (desired 2 units per acre), the overall density conflicts with the RA category.
The proposal is contrary to the Pender County Comprehensive Future Land Use Plan. The future land use plan guides the county’s long-term development, involving community values and aspirations for future growth. The proposed development clashes with the plan’s objectives for sustainable growth, preserving rural character, and coordinating infrastructure with development, especially since it’s in an area meant for lower density and already has strained infrastructure, particularly schools.
The development is expected to generate approximately 362 new students, based on a 0.4 students per household. Pender County schools in the Topsail area are already significantly over capacity:
- South Topsail Elementary: 110 students over its 512 capacity
- Topsail Middle School: 106 students over its 745 capacity
- Topsail High School: 435 students over its 1,400 capacity
Additionally, the Pender County Board of Education approved a resolution on August 6, 2024, formally declaring that schools in the Topsail area are overcrowded and that increased residential density will exacerbate the strain on the school system.
Josh Edmonson, representing applicant Tidewater Associates, said the development team has explored allocating space on the property’s west side for a potential new school, along with designating open areas for school access and use. Edmonson explained this proposal aims to benefit the community and mitigate development’s impact on Topsail’s already strained school system.
The county is in the process of adding a new K-8 school off of NC Highway 210 in Hampstead, breaking ground on construction in August of 2024. The school, designed to alleviate overcrowding in the district’s elementary and middle schools, is expected to hold about 2,300 students. The new school is set to open in fall of 2027.
Also a concern for residents in attendance was the development’s impact on traffic. While current NCDOT data indicates Island Creek Road handles 5,100 to 5,400 trips daily, well within its 10,978-trip capacity, the proposed development is projected to add an estimated 7,664 daily trips at full buildout. This would push the road’s volume more than 2,000 trips over its current capacity.
Should the rezoning request be approved by commissioners, a full traffic impact analysis (TIA) would be required.
“On Island Creek Road, the traffic it’s already crazy, and now you want to add 900 more homes,” Wylie Branch resident Scott Jones said. “I think even with traffic signals and stuff like that, it still would be affected bad.”
After a TIA is completed, NCDOT would recommend necessary roadway improvements and mitigation measures to handle traffic volume. It could include widening the road, adding turn lanes, installing new traffic signals, or other intersection upgrades.
Access to the property is planned through four points: two directly on Island Creek Road and two via the existing Wylie Branch subdivision. Additionally, five points of interconnectivity are proposed to undeveloped properties in the middle of the parcel.
Beyond traffic, environmental concerns primarily revolved around 224 acres of special flood hazard area with a 1% and 0.2% annual chance of flooding within the northern section of the property. Developing within these zones poses substantial risks to future residents and property, including potential flood damage and increased insurance costs. Due to these concerns, staff recommended a condition of approval that no homes be developed within either the 1% or 0.2% annual chance flood zones.
In order to mitigate flooding, the development team proposed about 137 acres of passive open space and 46 acres of active open space for permeable stormwater drainage. Edmonson was clear the team would abide by state, federal and county regulations.
“Flooding is something we all choose to deal with living by the coast, but not every flood event is a result of new development,” he said.
However, the concerns voiced by Wylie Branch residents at the meeting extended beyond environmental impacts to developer A. Sydes Construction’s past performance. Resident Kevin Walsh said he was promised a community pool when he bought his house, but four years later a pool has not been built.
“A. Sydes has deceived us, has lied to us, has promised us a pool for four years, and hasn’t even broke ground on it,” Walsh said. “He’s sold us houses with big promises and has not come through for us. He’s not trustworthy.”
Broadly addressing the multiple concerns broached at the meeting, Scott Holmes of the law firm Murchison Taylor Gibson, representing the applicant, emphasized the long-term nature of the project. He said it is a 12-to-15-year project — potentially longer — stating the impact on existing infrastructure would be gradual. Holmes argued such a long lead time is crucial for addressing the county’s future housing needs.
“It sounds heavier than it is, this is something that’s going to take a lot of time,” he said.
Planning Board Chair Damien Buchanan acknowledged the residents’ concerns.
“Some of us were born here,” Buchanan said. “Some of us have moved here, just like you have for our schools. Some of us sit in the same traffic that you do. So please know that we’re all Pender County residents and a lot of your concerns do resonate.”
Buchanan also highlighted the strategic benefits of conditional zoning even if the board were to approve it. He noted while the property could be developed “by-right” (without rezoning) for approximately 480 homes, such a development would not be subject to conditions like required buffers or flood zone restrictions.
“This property can be developed whether we say no or not,” Buchanan stated. “The conditional zoning, they have an ask, but we can do many things with that, cause we can set conditions as long as state law allows us to and that could potentially be a benefit or address issues in the community.”
Have tips or suggestions for Charlie Fossen? Email charlie@localdailymedia.com
Want to read more from PCD? Subscribe now and then sign up for our morning newsletter, Wilmington Wire, and get the headlines delivered to your inbox every morning.
