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Board recommends rezoning for Castle Creek Business Park expansion; TIA monitoring proposal fails
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Summary
The board recommended approval of a conditional B-2 rezoning to expand Castle Creek Business Park (Z2603) but declined to adopt an added condition requiring immediate traffic impact analysis; staff and MPO said the project currently falls just below the county’s 100‑trip TIA threshold and TRC review will monitor cumulative impacts.
The New Hanover County Planning Board voted March 5 to recommend approval of rezoning request Z2603, a proposal to rezone about 8.36 acres near Castle Creek Lane and Harnett Avenue from airport residential to conditional B‑2 regional business to expand the Castle Creek Business Park.
Planner Ron Beal said the concept envisions three 5,100‑square‑foot warehouse buildings and six flex‑space buildings totaling about 43,500 square feet, two stormwater ponds and a mix of uses intended to limit visual and traffic impacts on adjacent residential areas. Beal noted portions of the site lie in an AE special flood hazard area and said the developer would be required to work with the Army Corps and obtain required flood or wetland determinations during TRC review.
Applicant representative Cindy Wolf said the plan is a logical transition for the site and emphasized screening and phased development. Board members focused significant attention on traffic: staff and WMPO transportation planning engineer Caitlin Serza explained trip estimates were calculated using ITE codes and that the project's current peak‑hour trip generation (estimated 88–98 additional PM peak trips) falls just under the county’s 100‑trip threshold that triggers a traffic impact analysis (TIA).
One proposed condition — drafted during the hearing and offered by board members — would have required that TRC monitor cumulative trip generation across phases and require a TIA if cumulative peak trips exceeded 100. The board voted on whether to add that cumulative‑trip condition and the motion to include it failed; board members were divided about the board’s authority and the timing of a TIA versus TRC oversight.
After debate the board approved recommending the rezoning with conditions including permitted uses lists by parcel, lighting restrictions, a requirement to document legal access to Harnett Avenue prior to TRC approval, and required street yard landscaping distribution. The motion to recommend approval passed with one recorded nay.
Planning staff said TRC review and the development permitting process will remain the mechanism to track phased uses and to require any subsequent TIAs if use mix or cumulative trips change as buildings are occupied.
Next steps: Planning staff will forward the board’s recommendation and the application materials to the Board of County Commissioners for consideration.
