Planning Board approves 355‑lot Piver Tract master plan despite widespread public concerns about traffic, emergency access and wetlands

The Pender County Planning Board approved a master development plan for the 147‑acre Piver Tract in the Topsail Township after extended presentations by staff and the applicant and nearly two hours of public comment urging changes.

Staff and the applicant presented the proposal as a Planned Development (PD) that meets the county’s Unified Development Ordinance and the Imagine Pender 2050 future‑land‑use designation for a coastal neighborhood (up to 3 dwelling units per acre net). The plan proposes roughly 355–358 detached single‑family homes across about 147 acres, roughly 20 acres of open space, the preservation of approximately 12–13 acres of wetlands, multiuse paths and amenities including a clubhouse, pool and community dock. Staff said a Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) recommended a right‑turn storage lane at the Country Club Drive entrance for phase 1 (first ~95 lots) and signalization at the Country Club Drive/Spring Garden Road intersection in later phases (around 228 units), and that NCDOT will determine final permit requirements.

Residents raised a common set of concerns at the public hearing: congestion on Country Club Road and nearby feeder…