Here's why Leland residents aren't happy about a new 400-unit apartment development
Residents of the Waterford community in Leland will soon have new neighbors, despite their opposition.
The Belville Board of Commissioners Thursday approved a special use permit allowing developers to move forward on a three-story, 408-unit apartment development slated for 198 Poole Road. The project lies just south of the Waterford community and adjacent to some property owners.
Nearby residents are worried the development would bring more traffic, noise, light pollution, would affect their property values and could decrease their privacy.
During the hearing, the applicant presented experts who found property values and traffic would not be significantly impacted by the development.
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About a dozen residents walked out of the meeting feeling their voices weren't being heard in the process. When residents complained about the applicant's lawyer objecting to their questions, which were found to not have relevance, Mayor Mike Allen suggested hiring a lawyer next time.
"I think it was window dressing," said Fran Smolak, a Waterford resident who left the meeting early. "It's just difficult to digest when you hear a 400-plus unit apartment complex going up will have minimal impact to traffic. That's just very hard to digest."
Smolak said she moved to Waterford four years, avoiding other nearby communities because she believed there wouldn't be the same build up there that caused her to leave Austin, Texas.
"It's just become apartment central," she said. "Its going to be another Myrtle Beach."
Though the commissioners and applicant followed the appropriate process, Smolak said she believes the process favors more development and deters projects that won't generate revenue.
The board approved the permit with the conditions previously recommended by the planning board, including limiting the light that comes into Waterford, moving amenities away from their neighbors, and creating a vegetation buffer for additional privacy and security.
Last month, the Waterford Master Residential Association sent a letter to the board, explaining their concerns. Association Vice President Jerry Pierce, who spoke in opposition at the meeting, said he was disappointed by the outcome but not surprised.
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Pierce said it's too early to say what the next steps will be in trying to stop the development, but residents will likely bring the issue before the association board.
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Reporter John Orona can be reached at 910-343-2327 or jorona@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Belville approves 400-unit apartment complex near Waterford
