Despite threats of flooding, Brunswick gives OK to a planned development with homes
A flood-prone property in Bolivia will soon see hundreds of homes.
At its August meeting, the Brunswick County Planning Board approved an application for a 266-home planned development – dubbed “Danford Tract” – despite concerns from residents and planning staff regarding the flood zones present on the 121-acre site.
Wilmington-based design firm H & W Design is the applicant on the project. The firm specializes in land planning, landscape architecture and site design, according to its website.
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The development is to consist of 76 single-family homes and 190 townhome lots, creating an overall density of 2.19 units per acre. Dan Weeks with H & W Design said the construction of the development is set to occur in phases, with the single-family homes to be constructed first and the townhomes to come in a second phase.
More than 40 acres of the land is identified as wetlands, the site plan indicates. While the entire property is 121 acres, the single-family homes will sit on just 13.3 acres of the property and the townhomes will sit on 14.2 acres. None of the proposed homes are set to be erected within the flood zone- or wetlands area, plans indicate.
The development will be accessible by two entrances off of Danford Road. Of some concern to residents, staff and the board was the fact that one entrance is located in a flood hazard area.
“There is a significant flood zone on the property,” said Marc Pages, principal planner for the county. “But the entire development area, with the exception of the second access, everything else will be outside that flood zone.”
Pages added that the development’s main driveway is located outside the flood zone, and the one located in the flood zone is a secondary entrance.
Weeks said flooding is a concern with many developments. Pages said neither fire officials nor the flood plain administrator had objection to the development based on the location of the secondary entrance.
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The required open space for the property is just over 24 acres, and the developer is proposing 48.2 acres of open space. Over 3.5 acres of recreation space is required where the developer has proposed 4.5 acres of recreation space.
The property is zoned for medium-density residential use in the county. Danford Road intersects with Old Ocean Highway near Bolivia Elementary School and the Bolivia Fire Department. The planned development is anticipated to garner an additional 1,830 vehicle trips in a given 24-hour weekday.
Water and sewer services will be provided by the county, and the roads within the development will be private.
The planning board unanimously approved the development at the recommendation of county planning staff.
Jamey Cross covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at jbcross@gannett.com or message her on Twitter @jameybcross.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Danford Tract housing in Brunswick approved
