Commissioners approve conditional rezoning for mixed-use project near Union Bethel Road with added buffer for adjacent homeowner

The Pender County Board of Commissioners voted Aug. 18 to approve a conditional map amendment allowing a mixed-use development on roughly 20.35 acres between Edens Lane and Union Bethel Road in the Hampstead area.

Proposal summary: Applicant CK Buff Enterprises presented a revised plan after withdrawing an earlier, denser proposal. The current conditional rezoning would allow 50 townhome units, 20 single-family detached units (70 residential units total) and about 3,800 square feet of commercial space fronting U.S. Highway 17. The applicant and staff noted the new plan reduces vehicle trip generation and school impacts compared with a previously proposed 240-apartment project.

Planning and staff review: Staff and the planning board reviewed land-use compatibility, stormwater, buffering and connectivity. Planning recommended approval (4-1); commissioners discussed consistency with the county's updated future-land-use planning and the county's desire for commercial nodes in the corridor near Highway 17. Staff also noted sewer extensions in the area and proposed stormwater standards above minimum code. The project includes multiple stub streets to encourage future connectivity and a proposed 14-foot easement along the US 17 frontage for a future multi-use path.

Adjacent property concerns: A homeowner, Robert Freeman, and his sister testified that their property directly abuts the commercial portion of the proposed project. Freeman and his sister asked for a larger buffer to protect privacy and address potential drainage concerns. The applicant agreed to increase one existing buffer from 15 feet (with an option for a fence) to a 20-foot-wide vegetative buffer in the area adjacent to the Freeman property; staff said a wider vegetative buffer would favor preserving natural vegetation rather than a fence.

Conditions and mitigation: The board approved multiple conditions including: adherence to low-impact development (LID) certification standards for lot-size credits, tree-preservation/tree mitigation requirements, design of stormwater systems to meet multiple-year storm events and analysis for the 100-year event, HOA covenants that preserve street connections and prohibit gating that would block public ingress/egress, and a requirement that commercial-to-residential transitions be screened and buffered.

Outcome: The motion to approve the conditional rezoning also included a future-land-use map amendment that reclassifies the property from low-density residential to medium-density residential for consistency. The motion passed; planning staff and the applicant will return with engineering and detailed site plans during permitting.