Flooding, stormwater and growing concerns dominated the headlines in Brunswick County last week, with residents and elected officials continuing to wrestle with how development should fit into communities seeing rapid change.
From Boiling Spring Lakes' effort to tighten flood regulations, to Southport residents challenging a county-approved stormwater plan, to a major Leland development seeking approval for a golf course expansion, growth and its consequences remain at the center of conversations across the ever-growing county.
Boiling Spring Lakes commissioners recently amended its flood damage prevention ordinance in hopes of decreasing potential flood risks. Though the changes will help new homeowners, residents behind filed lawsuits believe
the city should have done it years ago. Read why and how the ordinance changed right here.
While Boiling Spring Lakes residents continue their battle with post-flooding, a group of Southport residents are trying to prove how a county-approved development, the 362 multi-family unit Pointe Grand project, plans to use their existing community as a stormwater pond. Residents behind one of the appeals had a hearing in front of the Brunswick County Zoning Board of Adjustment on Sept. 10, and others are expected to be heard this week.
The town of Oak Island recently approved a business license for a Utility Task Vehicle (UTV) rental business named High Tide Motorsports. Though council approved the license under certain conditions, some council members pushed back after the business owner announced plans to eventually add e-bikes and more to the mix. Find out more about the business plans here.
Here we grow again
Developers behind the nearly 4,000-home East Lake development in Leland are taking a swing at rezoning to add an 18-hole champion golf course and more. The proposed changes follow a flood study conducted earlier this year and include a fishing pond and lakefront amenity center.
The applicant is asking to rezone more than 2,000 acres to the planned unit development district from its current medium density residential, multifamily, commercial business, general commercial, conservation and flexcode zoning designations.
Let’s get social
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The agenda
The Brunswick County Board of Commissioners will meet at 6 p.m. today, Sept. 21. Commissioners are to hold a de novo public hearing and consider rezone a piece of property, as well as potentially hear the appeals of the Pointe Grand Long Beach stormwater permit. The board will also be discussing cemetery regulations.
On Sept. 22, the Leland Planning Board will discuss their recommendation of rezoning 2,060.55 acres of East Lake to the planned unit development zoning district.
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Savanna Tenenoff covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at stenenoff@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: What Brunswick residents are talking about this week
