'In it for the long haul': New Hanover leaders weigh action on west bank development

New Hanover leaders are pushing for more study of the Cape Fear River's west bank as they work to create a long-term policy that will guide future development on the largely undeveloped and flood-prone land.

At a Thursday work session, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners heard a presentation from county planning director Rebekah Roth that outlined five development scenarios for the west bank along with each option's pros and cons.

The work session was the board's second meeting aimed at refining New Hanover County's approach to development on Cape Fear River's western bank. The board held its first work session in March.

The west bank's future re-emerged as a topic of public discussion last fall when developers announced plans for the Villages at Battleship Point, a project that would bring three high-rises with hundreds of condos and apartments and commercial space to Point Peter, a piece of land at the confluence of the Cape Fear and Northeast Cape Fear rivers.

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A few months later, another development company released plans to build a 146-room hotel and spa on land south of Battleship NC. That project has since been put temporarily on hold as a nonprofit works to buy the land for conservation.

Although these aren't the first major developments proposed opposite downtown Wilmington, the two bids have received pushback from local environmental advocates and sparked broad public debate about the future of the west bank.

At Thursday's meeting, Roth ran through scenarios for the west bank that ran the gamut from land conservation to broad scale, urban development.

Each option, which included conservation, limited use, a working waterfront, small-scale mixed-use and urban-scale mixed-use, had been vetted by the county's planning staff through conversations with various stakeholders in west bank development, Roth said.

The only scenario taken off the table by county staff was single-family residential development, Roth said, because it wasn't considered a viable option.

After running through each scenario, Roth said a combination of limited use, a working waterfront and small-scale mixed-use would likely best meet the county's goals for the west bank. The county's Comprehensive Future Land Use Map currently identifies the west bank as a site for urban mixed-use development, which is the most intensive form of development.

Roth suggested the board of commissioners refine the county's vision for the west bank in the comprehensive plan, which could include putting conditions on the scale and form of development, identifying opportunities for open space and public areas and uses of the land. Any changes would have to be adopted by the board as an amendment to the county's current plan.

“A more detailed vision for this area would be pretty much as close as we could get to a master plan considering the fact that we don’t own the property,” Roth said.

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She added the board could also consider an overlay that could put in place other standards for future development and its impact on the existing area.

In discussion that followed Roth's presentation, several commissioners advocated for more study of the Cape Fear River's west bank. They also expressed concerns about the potential for increased flooding and the county's responsibility for infrastructure and emergency services if large-scale development would move forward.

“If we do anything over there -- especially anything structure wise -- we’re in it for the long haul and it becomes our responsibility,” said Commissioner Rob Zapple.

Commissioner Jonathan Barfield said he supported more study of the west bank before the board made policy decisions.

“I would rather know on the front end what we’re getting into,” he said. “I think that would probably inform our decisions down the road about what we would or would not approve and give us some scope as well, as opposed to throwing darts in the dark.”

Deb Hays, the board's vice chair, said she agreed.

“I feel like there is a lot more that we don’t know about this land and what we should be doing with it, what we can do with it and what we want to do with it,” Hays said.

County Manager Chris Coudriet said he would work with Roth to develop a scope of work for future west bank study. He also suggested the board take action on a request made by the developers of the Villages at Battleship Point to create a new zoning district to move their project forward.

The board of commissioners tabled a vote on the zoning request in January when they opted to review the county's approach to future west bank development.

"We need to recommend bringing closure to that item," Coudriet told the board.

He said he would work with Roth to bring the item back to the board "likely with a recommendation to deny" so commissioners can focus on longer-term decisions about development policy.

Reporter Emma Dill can be reached at 910-343-2096 or edill@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: New Hanover leaders ask for more study on Wilmington's west bank