Where does development go next in Brunswick County? Look west.
As developers look to meet the residential needs of growing Brunswick County, the western side of the county continues to attract them with available land.
County leaders have considered several proposals for planned developments and rezonings in the Ash Little River Road area of the county this year, indicating the area will continue to see more residential development.
At its October meeting, the Brunswick County Planning Board approved a request to rezone over 87 acres of land on Ash Little River Road from a rural residential zone to a medium-density residential zone.
While the rezoning request did not come with plans for a development, the rezoning would effectively prepare the site to allow more residential units to be constructed as the medium-density residential zone allows units to be more densely populated than the rural residential zoning allows.
The request came from applicant Norris and Tunstall Consulting Engineering, a civil engineering and design firm based in Wilmington and Brunswick County.
The rezoning included three undeveloped parcels of land off Ash Little River Road. The surrounding area is zoned for rural residential use and is primarily residential, undeveloped and agricultural land. According to a report from county planning staff, the schools that would serve students in that area – Jessie Mae Monroe Elementary School, Waccamaw Middle School and West Brunswick High School – have adequate capacity to support the rezoning.
There are also no noted traffic capacity deficiencies for the affected area of Ash Little River Road, staff reported.
Other approved developments
The western part of the county has seen several approved development requests and rezoning requests this year.
Also at its October meeting, the planning board approved a request to expand a previously approved housing development along Ash-Little River Road to allow 62 additional homes to be built.
In May, the board considered two development projects along Hickman Road. One of those developments – dubbed “Mossy Hill” – looked to bring 592 townhomes to 175 acres of land nearby Ash Little River Road, which was approved by the board.
More: One quiet Brunswick County road braces for major surge of development
In July, the board unanimously approved two other requests from Norris and Tunstall to rezone, in total, nearly 1,000 acres of land to allow for high- and medium-density residential construction. No plans for the development of those parcels of land had been submitted to the county at the time of the rezoning requests.
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At the recommendation of county planning staff, the Brunswick County Planning Board approved the rezoning request unanimously at its October meeting.
Jamey Cross covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at jbcross@gannett.com or message her on Twitter/X @jameybcross.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Developments planned for western Brunswick County
