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LOCAL
Wilmington StarNews
A controversial Castle Hayne project is slated to become the largest New Hanover housing development in recent history.
Hilton Bluffs, a proposed residential development in Sledge Forest, has drawn criticism on a variety of fronts including environmental and traffic impacts. Over 250 residents attended a community meeting hosted by developer Copper Builders on Feb. 11 at the Aloft hotel in downtown Wilmington to ask questions and voice concerns about the project. The meeting room was at maximum capacity, while more residents waited outside after being denied entry.
The development would completely transform Castle Hayne, more than doubling the population of the unincorporated area. One point of contention between residents and the developer is the project’s performance zoning which allows it to include 4,000 acres in density calculations while only building on a quarter of the property. At the meeting, Southern Environmental Law Center senior attorney Julie Youngman described the use of the zoning as a loophole.
“You may be planning to meet the letter of the law,” Youngman said. “This development absolutely violates the spirit of the zoning.”
Developments the size of Hilton Bluffs are few and far between in New Hanover, the state’s second smallest county by land area. The site covers 3.25% of the county’s land and proposes more units than any development in recent history. The county is one of the most densely populated in the state and continues to see sustained growth.
With concerns surrounding the size of Hilton Bluffs, here’s how the development stacks up against some of the biggest recent projects and proposals in New Hanover.
Riverlights
The sprawling, master-planned community of Riverlights has completely transformed River Road over the past decade. Located along a three-mile stretch of the Cape Fear River, the collection of neighborhoods spans 1,400 acres.
Developed by Brookfield Properties, the community is still growing. Riverlights will have approximately 3,000 homes once complete, according to the company’s website. River House, an amenity that will include a community pool, playground, event space and pickleball courts is scheduled to be completed this summer. A retail space called 7Bridge will also host a variety of new businesses.
Similar to Castle Hayne, Riverlights was initially located within an unincorporated part of New Hanover. Developers previously petitioned for the tract to be annexed into the city of Wilmington in 2009.
Avenue One
Five miles from Sledge Forest, land has been cleared for Avenue One. The subdivision on Sidbury Road is slated to bring 1,462 units, including townhomes and single-family homes. The site is located in the 5100 block of Sidbury Road near Interstate 40. The project is still under review, according to the county’s website.
Developed by Mungo Homes, Avenue One encompasses 158 acres and also uses performance zoning. The site has a trip generation potential of 6,159 daily trips, according to a traffic impact analysis. An analysis for Hilton Bluffs is still in progress, but preliminary reviews show that the site could generate over 27,000 daily trips.
Sidbury 187
Further east on Sidbury Road, the Sidbury 187 & Gore Performance Residential Subdivision could bring 1,751 units to the growing area. The development is proposed to connect to Sidbury Station, a community that includes build-to-rent homes.
Site plans for the 700-acre development at Sidbury 187 include 868 single-family lots, 298 townhomes, and 144 duplex units. D.R. Horton, who also built the homes in Sidbury Station, is the planned builder for the project. A full build-out is expected by 2032.
The site has a trip generation potential of 14,093 daily trips, according to a traffic impact analysis. Sidbury Road currently has an annual average daily traffic volume of 7,600.
Developer responds to criticism
In a letter to the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners, Copper Builders responded to the criticism the project has received from residents. While the project is considered by-right and does not need to go before the board for rezoning, the developer wrote the letter to clarify misconceptions about the project. The letter states that arguments against the development are “designed to invoke fear and encourage some sort of regulation over this private property in the interest of promoting those advocates’ personal agendas.”
In the letter, the developer reiterates the project is considered low-density, citing plans for one home per acre on the property. The letter states the density is strategically clustered to protect sensitive environmental areas, including wetlands.
The letter also states that Copper Builders will be required to improve the surrounding road network at their expense as part of the approval process for the development. At the community meeting, Copper Builders founder Wade Miller said that the company would add lanes that would accommodate even more cars than the ones added by the project.
“There’s no room,” a resident in the crowd shouted.
Daniel Sheehan covers New Hanover and Brunswick counties for the StarNews. Reach him at [email protected].