Home Care In Rocky Point, NC

On a clear fall morning in eastern North Carolina, the hum of harvest machinery rolls across the fields. But beneath the familiar rhythm of tractors and grain carts, farmer Bo Stone is doing math in his head, and it’s the kind of math that keeps him up at night.

Earlier this year, as planting season approached, fuel prices spiked almost overnight following the conflict in Iran that escalated into war. Stone of Robeson County remembers the moment clearly because it hit at the worst possible time.

“We were getting ready to plant,” he said. “There were days when we were running both planters, a sub-soiler, spreading fertilizer and spraying.”

And to run those machines, Stone needs diesel fuel.

“We might be burning close to 1,000 gallons of diesel a day,” Stone noted.

Stone is the owner and operator of P&S Farms, a multigenerational family-owned agricultural and row-crop operation located in Rowland.

For farmers across eastern North Carolina, diesel isn’t just another line item on an expense sheet. It’s the lifeblood of the operation. It is the fuel that moves tractors, powers irrigation pumps, dries grain and hauls crops to market. When prices jump unexpectedly, the shock ripples through every corner of the farm.

Stone said the sudden $2-per-gallon increase wasn’t just painful. It was unbudgeted, unplanned and impossible to absorb.

“Everything we buy has to be shipped to us,” he said. “Fertilizer, seed, equipment parts, all of it. And my freight rates have gone up tremendously. It’s just higher and higher, creating an even thinner margin, if there’s a positive margin at all.”

Even now, during harvest, fuel consumption remains high. Between gathering crops and planting cover crops, Stone estimates the farm still burns 500 to 600 gallons a day. And that doesn’t include the indirect costs: trucking grain to first markets, transporting workers or running equipment longer to compensate for weather delays.

When asked whether farmers can withstand fuel prices staying this high, Stone didn’t hesitate.

“I think a lot of farmers have already tipped past the breaking point,” he said. “It’s a cumulative effect of high fuel prices on top of extremely high fertilizer prices, high seed prices and low commodity prices. This was the icing on the cake, the final nail in the coffin for some folks.”

Stone said he expects a record number of farm auctions this winter, a sobering indicator of how many operations are struggling to stay afloat.

Stone’s own financial projections paint a stark picture.

“Things don’t look as good as they did a year ago,” he said. “And we thought a year ago things were tough.”

State and federal leaders have floated relief measures, including temporarily suspending fuel taxes and allowing dyed diesel for certain farm uses. Stone appreciates the effort but says the impact is limited.

Red?dyed diesel is simply off?road diesel that has been marked with a red dye to show that it’s tax?exempt and typically not allowed for use in vehicles that drive on public roads.

“It’s a help,” Stone said. “But it’s not significant enough to offset the rise we’ve seen.”

Recently, Stone purchased a tanker load of off-road diesel for $4.90 a gallon, which is already “incredibly high,” he said. A week later, the price jumped to $5.30.

“There’s no way for the farmer to pass the cost on,” he said. “We’re forced to absorb it, and you can only absorb but so much.”

For Stone, the stress isn’t abstract. It’s personal.

Fuel prices don’t just threaten profit margins, they threaten the future of family farms, the stability of rural communities and the livelihoods of workers who depend on agricultural jobs.

“It fuels everything,” Stone said. “It’s what brings everything to us. And when it goes up like this, it affects everything we do.”

Still, Stone remains committed to the work, even as the numbers get harder to justify.

PENDER COUNTY — What’s being billed as a “conservation-forward development” will go before the Pender County Planning Board in early August. Bill Clark Homes is proposing 1,023 single-family homes on 630 acres near the intersection of N.C. Highway 210 and Pine Village Drive in Rocky Point.

Construction is expected to occur from 2028 through 2035. But to move forward on plans, the developers need a rezoning first. The land is currently in a rural agricultural district, but the applicant is requesting a conditional zoning district.

Staff recommends approval to the planning board, which will make its suggestion to commissioners, who have ultimate authority. The Pender planning staff note the project is consistent with multiple policies, including but not limited to strategically guiding locations of growth to align with infrastructure needs in the next 25 years countywide, while also protecting natural areas.

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While the acreage is expansive, a large portion of the property will remain undeveloped; staff recommends 40% be put into a conservation easement as a condition for approval. Conservation would include both uplands and floodplain areas, with the community designed around natural features.

“This project demonstrates that responsible growth and environmental stewardship can coexist,” according to the developer’s application.

Planning staff acknowledged in the application documents that a development of this size could create “growing pains,” but concluded the proposal aligns with county policies and the area’s anticipated growth.

A public input meeting was held earlier this month, with two dozen people attending at the Burgaw Community House; mailers were sent to all property owners within 500 feet of the subject parcels. Neighbors expressed concerns over losing access to a hunting club on the land, traffic growth, entrance and exit points, school capacity, flooding and more.

Residents will have another opportunity to comment during the planning board’s Tuesday, Aug. 4, meeting at the Hampstead Annex Auditorium.

Below is the breakdown of the development:

Developers: Clark Builders, LLC, also known as Bill Clark Homes, has completed residential projects in Wilmington, including Riverside Cove and Hanover Lakes. Paramount Engineering is also part of the project team.

Land owners: Weyerhauser Forest Holdings, LLC, a timber company; Lynn D. Taylor and Cherry Futreal Davis

Background: Weyerhaeuser manages the property, which consists primarily of open understory pine forest that is periodically harvested. Weyerhaeuser has a three-year timber reservation on the property and intends to cut the timber prior to construction from Bill Clark Homes.

The property is surrounded by Riley’s Creek, with its tributaries bordering approximately two-thirds of the land.

Units: 1,023 single family homes, with lot sizes around 0.1 acres — or 6,750 square feet. Setbacks are 50 feet from the lot’s front, 5 feet from the side of the home and 10 feet in the rear from the home; the maximum height is 35 feet. Development is to be clustered on the land’s already timbered areas and will be staggered for construction, including 175 units by 2028, 450 units by 2030, 775 units by 2032, and 1,023 units by 2035.

Zoning: Currently, the land is zoned rural agriculture, to serve either non-residential agricultural uses or very low-density development. It’s the county’s lowest density zoning.

The request is for a conditional zoning district, often used for higher density and mixed-use developments. It also means site plans must be shown and conditions met for initial approval; a master development plan is then put forth to work through the process administratively.

The county’s future 2050 Land Use Plan has the property marked as a rural neighborhood zone, allowing for transitions from rural to suburban densities, often used for medium density in the southern part of the county or within low-density residential developments. It’s also applicable for larger rural roads and state highways, meant to serve a community with commercial uses.

The applicant noted, since the project is located along the N.C. 210 corridor, it conforms with the county’s goal to provide development transition from rural agriculture.

Surrounding zoning: The property is also surrounded by rural agriculture, residential performance, and commercial zones, as well as vacant land. Dwelling units per acre range from 1 to 4.84, depending on the zoning.

Density breakdown: The project is proposing 1.62 dwelling units per acre, coming in under the land use plan allowance of 2 dwelling units per acre or less for rural neighborhoods, meaning the site could hold up to 1,119 units. However, it’s more than the current rural agriculture zoning, which allows 1 dwelling unit per acre.

Acreage: 630.03 in total, with 253.52 acres conserved

Wetlands/floodplain: 81.54 acres are in the 100-year floodplain, 150.5 acres are jurisdictional wetlands. The applicant has submitted a jurisdictional determination to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Acreage conservation: No homes will be built on 253.52 acres; of that, 103.02 consist of uplands and 150.5 are wetlands, inclusive of the 81.54 floodplain. Staff has requested the conserved land be put into a formal easement maintained by the homeowners association, and restricted from being developed except for passive recreation facilities, such as walking trails. The easement would not go into effect until the timber company’s three-year contract is up.

The developer plans to cluster homes on the interior of the site, so green space and additional riparian buffers around the project boundary remain natural.

Buffers: 15 feet to 30 feet, depending on whether it’s a road frontage or non-street boundary lines. Staff also requests preservation of existing vegetative buffers and supplemental planting and infrastructure, inclusive of canopy and understory trees, grass and ground cover, and wood fencing, depending on where the buffer zone is located.

Open space: 45 acres, of which 30.69 is required by the county. The development will include 31.58 of active open space, with pathways around the neighborhood and conservation areas, connecting to sidewalks for residents to walk or bike to amenities and neighborhood parks. There will be a community park along Riley’s Creek or a nature overlook with a potential canoe and kayak launch. There will be 13.38 acres of passive open space.

Traffic: The development will bring 9,318 daily vehicle trips, with 708 trips during the morning peak hour and 910 during the evening peak hour. Traffic counts on N.C. 210 average about 5,300 vehicles per day east of the site and roughly 4,600 vehicles per day between Clarks Landing Road and Pine Village Drive.

The roadway’s estimated capacity is 21,000 vehicles per day, indicating 210 can handle anticipated traffic volume increases associated with the proposed conditional zoning district.

However, a traffic impact analysis has to be completed to make those determinations and approved by the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. This could come with recommendations for off-site improvements, such as including turn lanes or traffic signals at the development’s entrance.

The neighborhood will have two access points and stubouts for future connectivity. Primary access is proposed off N.C. 210, with a secondary emergency-only access provided via Cricket Drive, secured by a gate.

Water/sewer: The stormwater system will meet the 10-, 25- and 50-year events and be analyzed for a 100-year event. Stormwater discharge cannot exceed pre-development conditions by more than 10%. Public water is also available for the site and two options have been proposed for sewer service: Develop a private sewer treatment facility or build a pump station for Pender County Utilities if sewer becomes available in the area for connection.

Schools impact: The development is anticipated to bring around 400 students to area schools. Facilities impacted include: Cape Fear Elementary — enrolled at 549 with 676 capacity; Cape Fear Middle School — enrolled at 415 with 691 capacity; and Heide Trask High School — enrolled at 683, with 815 capacity.

Unique factors: The developer will place bus shelters in the neighborhood for school students, as coordinated with Pender County Schools.

According to Paramount Engineering, environmental consultants found no endangered plant or animal species on the property.

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Pender County planning officials are recommending that county leaders deny a rezoning for a proposed project that could bring more than 1,000 single-family homes to 630 acres near Rocky Point.

In a 3-1 vote on Tuesday, the Pender County Planning Board recommended denial of the conditional rezoning for the neighborhood proposed by Bill Clark Homes, citing concerns about the capacity of the county’s infrastructure to support increasing residential development in the area and the sustainability of the growth.

The proposed project includes the construction of 1,023 homes, along with neighborhood amenities, on 630 acres near the intersection of N.C. 210 and Pine Village Drive. Developers are asking the county to conditionally rezone the site from its current designation as a rural agricultural district to allow for the proposed project.

County staff recommended approval of the rezoning, with Interim Planning Director Justin Brantley highlighting on Tuesday how the project fits into the county's goals outlined in the Imagine Pender 2050 Comprehensive Land Use Plan.

He said the plan identifies N.C. Highway 210 as a growth boundary in the county, with higher density projects expected south of the highway to the Pender-New Hanover county line. While this project is north of N.C. Highway 210, it fits into broader growth in the Rocky Point area, Brantley said.

The Land Use Plan designates the site as a Rural Neighborhood area, which provides a transition in intensity from rural to suburban densities and uses. These areas are generally located on the fringe of medium-density residential uses in the southern part of the county or within existing low-density residential developments, according to a staff report on the rezoning.

Madeline Williams, an attorney with Ward and Smith who represented the developers at Tuesday's meeting, said that 253 acres, or about 40% of the site, would be a conservation area, including 150 acres of wetlands. She added that the project would also include another 45 acres of passive and active open space.

Because the site doesn't currently have public water and sewer service, developers said they plan to either construct a private wastewater treatment facility or build a pump station for Pender County Utilities when water and sewer become available in the area.

N.C. Highway 210 will provide primary access for the project, which is expected to generate more than 9,300 additional daily vehicle trips in the area, with 708 additional trips during peak morning hours and 910 additional trips during peak afternoon hours, according to a traffic impact analysis. The project is also expected to add more than 400 students to Pender County Schools.

Residents, including several who live near the proposed development site, voiced concerns about the project during Tuesday’s meeting, including its impact on existing traffic congestion, school overcrowding, the ability of emergency services to keep up with the area’s growth, and the site’s proximity to wetlands.

Ultimately, the planning board recommended denial of the rezoning, stating that the rezoning was inconsistent with objectives outlined in the Imagine Pender 2050 Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Next, the rezoning will go to the Board of Commissioners for a final vote. According to Brantley, the board is expected to consider the rezoning at its Sept. 21 meeting.