The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners approved a straight rezoning request to change approximately 108 acres along Blue Clay Road from I‑1/I‑2 industrial zoning to RMFL (residential multifamily low density) after staff and the planning board recommended approval.

Planning staff said the straight rezoning carries no concept plan or conditions; future development will be reviewed through the technical review committee (TRC) and must comply with environmental and stormwater requirements. The site contains areas identified as pocosin and swamp forest conservation resources and falls partly within areas identified in the county’s Northeast floodplain advisory study; staff noted some acreage would likely be set aside as conservation space during formal delineation.

Applicant Mike Brown (Cape Fear Development) said residential zoning would better preserve natural features, produce smaller building footprints than heavy industrial development, and support county housing objectives. He said the requested RMFL district (maximum density 10 units per acre) would allow a mix of housing types responsive to market demand and would preserve wooded buffers along I‑140.

Speakers from the public opposed the change, raising traffic concerns (noting there is no direct NC‑140 interchange at Blue Clay Road), questioning why a straight rezoning without conditions was appropriate for a site with wetlands and an historic family cemetery, and urging job‑producing industrial uses instead of dense residential development. Planning board member Pete Avery summarized the planning board discussion, noting the board considered conditional zoning but the majority supported straight RMFL as consistent with the comprehensive plan; the planning board recommended approval by a 3‑0‑1 vote.

Commissioners debated the tradeoffs between industrial and residential uses, environmental protections and the need for housing. One commissioner said modern residential site design with multiple on‑site stormwater controls could reduce nutrient and runoff impacts compared with large industrial footprints. Another commissioner expressed concern about approving a straight rezoning without a concept plan given floodplain and wetlands on the site.

After discussion the board voted 4‑1 to approve the RMFL rezoning. Staff noted all future development must comply with resource delineations, TRC stormwater and UDO requirements, and any required traffic impact analysis at the development stage.