Sunset Beach planning board approves Hampton Inn site plan despite neighbor concerns about cut‑through traffic and utilities

The Sunset Beach Planning Board voted Aug. 21 to approve a major site plan for a Hampton Inn proposed on a 5.28‑acre parcel, with the hotel occupying about 2.4 acres and 109 guest rooms, after a roughly two‑hour review and public comment period.

Ron Satterfield, planning staff for the Town of Sunset Beach, told the board the hotel is allowed in the town's mixed‑use (MUD) zoning district with applicable use standards and that the elevations included in the application demonstrate compliance with the MUD height limit (maximum four stories and 60 feet inclusive of mechanicals). Satterfield said the plan shows about 113–116 parking spaces on site and that the applicant has provided a draft shared‑parking agreement that has not yet been finalized.

Why it matters: approval clears a major step for the project but does not authorize construction. County and state approvals (stormwater, water/sewer) and any necessary NCDOT off‑site improvements or turning‑warrant analysis remain outstanding, and the shared‑parking agreement must be finalized before building permits are issued.

Residents at the meeting urged stronger buffering and measures to prevent hotel traffic from routing through the nearby private Sanctuary neighborhood. "We already have a tremendous amount of cut‑through traffic," said Mike Mell of Moray Loop, describing delivery trucks and speeders that he said force pedestrians and dog‑walkers to jump out of the way. "If they come down to go to the hotel, they're going to be cutting through the Sanctuary."

Bonnie Gable, of 1620 Mantaray Way, said she feared decisions had effectively already been made and asked the board to require plantings and secure dumpster enclosures. "It feels like the town administration seems to be more concerned with the revenue than the concerns and welfare of the citizenry," Gable said during public comment.

Developer representative Gail Wallace of Clarendon Properties said the applicant will "embellish" the landscape plan to provide screening between the hotel and the neighboring town homes and that an existing easement will provide the proposed private access drive. Wallace said the hotel parcel will be subdivided from the larger property and that the developer intends to work with neighbors on plantings.

Board deliberations focused on code compliance and the limits of the board's authority in an administrative major site plan review. Satterfield reminded members the town's MUD zone does not require gateway overlay architectural standards and that off‑site DOT roadwork cannot be compelled by the town if it would be on state roads.

On a motion to approve the site plan, the board voted two in favor, one opposed. The approval authorizes the plan under the planning board's administrative authority but requires the applicant to secure Brunswick County and state stormwater approvals and finalize other permits and agreements before construction.

Next steps: staff and the applicant will finalize the shared‑parking agreement and pursue necessary county and state permits; the applicant may need to work with NCDOT on any required turning‑warrant analysis or off‑site improvements.

The board took a short recess after the vote and then returned to consider a separate parking text amendment.