NEW HANOVER COUNTY — The New Hanover County commissioners unanimously voted to purchase two properties on the Cape Fear River’s west bank Monday, satisfying residents’ calls to conserve property in the area.
“We have heard the community over and over again tell us that they want preservation, and particularly in that area, and we are committed to doing that,” newly elected board chair LeAnn Pierce said at Monday’s meeting.
READ MORE: Vote coming from NHC commissioners to purchase 2 west bank properties
ALSO: ‘False sense of security’: Western bank filed under conservation place type, zoning unaffected
The two parcels, both zoned for industrial use, are located along U.S. Highway 421 just north of Battleship North Carolina — 11.42 acres at 1450 Point Harbor Road and 17.13 acres at 1209 N. U.S. Highway 421. The latter tract is adjacent to the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office’s target shooting range; it will be used as a buffer to the range’s operations and provide river access to the NHCSO marine unit.
In the works since October, the sale of the properties will transfer them to the county from Urban Smart Growth, who previously tried to develop the property, with condos, restaurants, boardwalk and a hotel floated at one time. The county will purchase the properties for $2.24 million pulled from the county’s Revenue Stabilization Fund, established with $300-million from the sale of New Hanover Regional Medical Center, though the fund currently has a balance of $293.8 million.
The county will make payments of $266,130 back into its general fund every year for 10 years. This financial setup is similar to the county’s $11.6-million purchase of the 60-acre Flossie Bryan tract in April.
Commissioner Dane Scalise, elected vice chair at Monday’s meeting, pointed to an email from County Manager Chris Coudriet stating commissioners have dedicated seven months to the effort and acquired more than 100 acres for preservation in the county. Coudriet confirmed that was true Monday.
The City of Wilmington has also solicited the help of the county to purchase an undisclosed piece of land in an “area that currently lacks notable park amenities.” Both the city and county have put up $1 million for the effort, with the hopes of getting The New Hanover Community Endowment on board as well.
“We have heard the public tell us repeatedly how important preservation is in our community — this is another example of us doing it,” Scalise said.
The county voted to place west bank properties between the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge and Isabel Holmes under the riverfront conservation placetype in its land code in the fall of 2024. This was after receiving nearly 3,000 comments against intense development on the west bank of the Cape Fear River.
Though, purchasing west bank property is one of the only ways the county can ensure the land remains protected. While the riverfront conservation place type secures commissioners’ vision for what they’d like to see happen across the current Wilmington riverfront, it doesn’t disallow developers from developing the property under the by-right allowances in their zoning district.
The zonings allowed on the western bank remain regional business and industrial, the former which makes way for hotels and motels. Several developers have proposed large-scale projects on the west bank, though none have moved forward as of yet. NHC Planning Director Rebekah Roth has been clear to both the planning board and commissioners that staff would not recommend approval of a large-scale development if it was counterproductive to the low-density place type commissioners envisioned.
“We’re very fortunate this opportunity came about to help us with our commitment, and I just say well done to the county manager and staff for negotiating this for us and for the citizens,” Commissioner Stephanie Walker said.
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