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Planning Board Approves Modification to Carolina Beach Road Project, Replacing 126 Apartments with 85 Townhouses and Retaining Mini‑Storage
Summary
The Planning Board approved a modification to a prior 2023 rezoning to reduce apartment units and replace the multifamily portion with 85 single‑family row homes while retaining a mini‑storage facility; board allowed developer to request gating of one access for emergency use by condition.
The Planning Board recommended approval June 5 of a modification to a 2023 rezoning that changes the residential component of a 13.94‑acre site on Carolina Beach Road from 126 multifamily apartments to 85 single‑family row‑style homes while retaining a 36,000‑square‑foot mini‑storage component.
Ryan Bale (staff) summarized the earlier 2023 approval: the site had been rezoned then for 126 multifamily units and a 36,000‑square‑foot storage facility. The current modification replaces the multifamily portion with 85 row homes, a decrease of 41 units, and retains the mini‑storage in the front portion aligned with the community mixed‑use designation; staff recommended approval with updated conditions limiting storage size and locating RV/boat storage interior to the facility, among other conditions.
Applicant counsel Corey Lee said the change responds to market demand for for‑sale housing and that the modified plan produces fewer daily vehicle trips than the approved plan; the applicant also said they met with neighbors and kept previous design setbacks and many prior conditions. One nearby resident, Charles Ferguson, opposed the southern access leg that would connect the project through Southern Charm Drive into the adjacent neighborhood, saying it could increase cut‑through traffic and create safety risks for children in the subdivision. The applicant said gate language from the prior approval (that access shall not be gated) could be reconsidered; the applicant requested the option to provide a gate for emergency access. The board discussed fire‑code requirements and noted that secondary access requirements are tied to the fire code (secondary access typically required at 100 units). Staff and the applicant discussed that the southern access easement from Southern Charm to Carolina Beach Road was recorded as a public access easement and that the condition in the prior approval that it “shall not be gated” could be modified.
The board approved the modification with conditions that include: requiring RV/boat storage to be interior to the mini‑storage facility and not visible from rights of way; the Southern Charm–Carolina Beach Road access easement to be public; the Carolina Beach Road access easement not to be gated; single‑family homes limited to three stories; a maximum mini‑storage footprint of 12,000 square feet per building and 36,000 gross square feet overall; a minimum 20‑foot public access easement along Carolina Beach Road to accommodate future pedestrian and bicycle use; a 20‑foot buffer between new residences and adjacent residential structures; and limits on storage and heights. The board also agreed to allow the applicant to pursue an option to gate the Southern Charm access for emergency purposes subject to applicable approvals.
