NEW HANOVER COUNTY — A development has scored another approval by commissioners, but in a rare occurrence, it’s to decrease density.
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“I think this is probably one of the first — maybe the second time — since I have been on this board that we have had a developer want to reduce the footprint and increase the amount of green space, which I think is a good thing,” Commissioner Jonathan Barfield said at the commissioner’s Aug. 5 meeting.
Last October, developer Adam Sosne of Brightwater Development Company and property owner MHMJ LLC successfully changed the zoning of 12.68 acres from business and low-density residential to conditional multifamily residential with medium density. Originally, 200 units were proposed, with 35 single-family dwellings and five apartment buildings, at 522 Carolina Beach Road in Monkey Junction.
However, the developers were back before commissioners this week to request a change to its site plans. Port City Daily reached out to Brightwater Development to ask why it desired the reduction but was not given a response by press.
New site plans show a decrease to 133 townhomes, featuring multi-story units, with bottom-floor garages and driveways, two stormwater ponds, and an on-site recreation area.
Amy Schaefer, a real estate attorney representing the developer, noted eliminating the apartments removed the need for a parking lot, also resulting in more open space. Plans now feature 19% more open space than required by county ordinance.
Commissioners unanimously approved the request to reduce the project’s density. Though their approval came with several conditions:
- Buildings are limited to a maximum height of three stories
- A 20-foot-wide public access easement will be established along the frontage parallel to Carolina Beach Road to accommodate future pedestrian and bicycle use
- Roads leading up to the property line of nearby Townes at Park Place must be paved
Commissioner Rob Zapple raised questions about the price of each unit.
Sosne stepped in to answer, noting it was hard to gauge until his development team engineered the site; he said he didn’t want to prematurely put out incorrect costs. However, Sosne confimed it was for “entry level or first-time homebuyers.”
He added the average home price from another of his developments on Gordon Road was in the upper $190,000s in 2021, but prices have escalated for the same style units in recent years to the $300,000s.
“We know what our lot cost is, and we know our fixed land cost, but every input along the way, including gate access,” he said. “I mean, all those things are things that go into the pot.”
The cost of labor, materials, and supply chain issues all influence home prices, many of which have escalated in recent years.
Although no one spoke during the public hearing, three comments opposing the development were submitted through the county’s online system ahead of the meeting. Main concerns centered on increased population in the area and how traffic would be managed.
Jodi Jordan, who lives in Brewster Place, 2 miles from the proposed development, worried an influx of people would add to traffic congestion in the area.
The development abuts Townes at Park Place — an 88 townhome unit project under construction along the Carolina Beach Road corridor. However, also located nearby are homes in the Silver Lake area.
“This is business for some people, but these are our lives that will be altered,” Jordan said.
Zachary Dickerson, senior development review planner, noted fewer dwellings means a lower traffic impact. He also mentioned North Carolina Department of Transportation’s improvement projects for the area — expected for completion in 2029 — will help alleviate concerns. The NCDOT plans to construct a curb and gutter along both sides of Carolina Beach Road from Antoinette Drive to Willoughby Park Road, where the development is planned. As well, a right-of-way will be constructed.
With the reduction of units, a new traffic impact analysis is no longer necessary. The county requires a traffic impact analysis when applications indicate an estimated 100 or more peak-hour trips; the new site plans garner 65 morning and 75 evening peak hour trips, 22 less in a.m. hours and 32 less in p.m. hours than initially proposed.
There also will be changes to the site entrances, per planning staff’s request. There will be three access points: one from a Carolina Beach service road through an existing shared drive with a neighboring car wash. The others are through connections to the Townes Park Place development, which are privately owned by its developers. Brightwater Development Company and MHMJ LLC have asked for shared access to their project’s entryways.
Planning staff recommended in its conditions for the entities to install gates at the two Townes Park Place access points if an agreement could not be reached among the developers. They emphasized the importance of maintaining both entrances that connect to Townes at Park Place. Reducing access to a single point via the Carolina Beach service road would force vehicles to cross three lanes of traffic and make a U-turn at Monkey Junction Road, significantly increasing the risk of vehicle conflicts at the intersection.
Schaefer noted while efforts have been made to reach an agreement with the Townes developer, no deal has been finalized, as Townes requested $500,000 for the easement — something the applicant was not prepared to pay for. Schaefer also said her client is open to putting up gates if it is what the commissioners suggested.
“What is the deal with this connection? It looks like a no-brainer, and they’re trying to hold you up half-a-mil to make those connections?” Commissioner Rob Zapple asked during the meeting. “Maybe I’m wrong, just one person’s view. It’s really a value-add or a complement to their project as well.”
He asked what would happen if a gate wasn’t erected.
Sosne answered it would be no different than when the project was first proposed.
“They’re required to stop at the property line,” he said. “Our project was designed previously with 200 units stopping at the exact same spot. We believe in being good neighbors.”
He added “cross-access neighborhoods connect,” as seen countywide through multiple neighborhoods.
During discussion about the gate, Sosne emphasized the inevitability of people using the entrance, regardless of whether an agreement was reached.
Barfield agreed and in his motion removed the gate condition.
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