Affordable housing project planned for Castle Hayne. Here's what it will include.
The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners approved a rezoning that will allow a new 128-unit affordable housing project in Castle Hayne.
The project was initiated by lead pastor of New Beginning Christian Church Robert Campbell, who now owns the land in front of the church where units will provide essential housing for people who make between $31,000 and $74,000 annually.
The plan for the housing development includes two- and three-story buildings and it will have access to New Beginning Drive from Blue Clay Road, as well as interconnectivity to Alex Trask Drive.
Buildings 1-7 and 10-12 will all be two-story, eight-unit buildings that share a parking lot. Buildings eight and nine are three-story, 12-unit buildings that also share the parking lot. Buildings 13 and 14 are three-story, 12-unit buildings that have a separate, smaller parking area.
Planning board opposition
The New Hanover County Planning Board originally rejected the project because they thought it wasn't appropriate in the dense area located in the 3100 block of Blue Clay Road.
The land sits near a subdivision called Rachel's Place and backs up to homes off of Old Mill Road.
The project originally started with 180 dwelling units, but after initial rejection, the applicant changed the proposed density to 128 multi-family units. The applicant also increased setbacks on the development, which moved the development further from Blue Clay Road.
After the revision, the planning board still decided that was too many units.
Neighbors' opposition
Rachel's Place resident Linda Shaw expressed concerns over poor drainage and the ability of the local schools to take in the amount of kids that could be living in the development.
Another Rachel's Place resident, Scott Gallagher, said his neighborhood sent in 57 letters of opposition to the planning board.
Blue Clay Road has a speed limit of 55 mph, no sidewalks and no walkable stores or shops nearby, which Gallagher said are some of the reasons he feels the development should not be in the area.
"This is the right project in the wrong place," Gallagher said.
Applicant's remarks
Campbell said he bought the land with the intention to make a difference in the community. He said he is addressing not just a New Hanover County problem, but a crisis that people are facing all across the country.
In response to concerns, Campbell said the traffic analysis came back as a 61 when it needed to be under 100. The green space requirement is 20% and he said the development has 33%. Campbell also said the staff engineer said that the water would not flow north or south into Rachel's Place or the houses off of Old Mill Road, it would run west.
"This is for public employees, this is for teachers, this is for police officers," Campbell said. "It's for young professionals that get out of college and now they're can't afford enough to stay in their own apartment, especially at $1,600 for a two-bedroom."
Commissioners' responses
Ultimately, the New Hanover County Commissioners approved the rezoning with all but one in favor. Bill Rivenbark, Jonathan Barfield Jr., Dane Scalise and Rob Zapple all voted yes, with LeAnn Pierce in opposition.
"It's something we've talked about extensively here," Commissioner Jonathan Barfield Jr. said about the need for affordable housing. "The ability for a teacher to live in a community they work in when salaries are nowhere near where they should be."
He added: "Even a county employee making $17 an hour would be hard pressed to afford an apartment in our community if they're a single individual. Think about that for a moment."
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Affordable housing development coming to Castle Hayne, NC
