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Residents warn of worsening traffic as Hawksbill Cove and proposed Walmart move forward
Summary
Residents at a Pender County town-hall in Hampstead pressed county officials about growing congestion on Country Club Road and US 17, citing the Hawksbill Cove subdivision (about 1,100 homes) and a proposed Walmart; county staff said developers must address project-level impacts while larger corridor fixes fall to NCDOT and state funding.
Residents at a Pender County forum in Hampstead urged county leaders to address mounting traffic problems tied to multiple new developments, including the Hawksbill Cove subdivision and a proposed Walmart near Dan Owen and U.S. 17.
A County resident opened the discussion by asking what plan exists "to cope with the traffic that is going to increase exponentially when the new development is finished," saying morning backups already extend past Old Point Country Club (speaker 2). Justin Brantley, Pender County's interim planning director, told the meeting that Falls Mist and similar projects are under county review but must obtain NCDOT driveway permits; NCDOT’s permit determines required turn lanes and off-site mitigation. Brantley said developers are typically responsible only for the traffic they add and are not required to fix preexisting corridor congestion.
Residents and commissioners discussed scale and timing. Brantley said the Hawksbill Cove project is proposed at roughly 1,100 homes and "could take 10, 15 years till that's completed," adding that build-out timing will be driven by the market rather than by county scheduling. One resident urged the county to consider combined impacts across adjacent projects, noting several approved and planned subdivisions that will funnel traffic onto Country Club Road.
County officials repeated that Pender County does not control state roads and encouraged residents to use NCDOT public-input tools and to lobby state representatives. A board member noted the county participates in the Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization (WMPO) but said local projects often rely on developer-triggered improvements such as turn lanes or traffic signals rather than larger capital projects funded through NCDOT.
The chair and staff said the planned Hampstead bypass will relieve some pressure once complete, but is not a cure-all; larger corridor projects require state prioritization and funding. Staff urged residents to track NCDOT project pages and to contact WMPO and state representatives to press for higher prioritization of local needs.
The meeting did not produce any formal county action; officials said staff would collect comments and follow up with residents.
