Pender County Commissioners voted on Oct. 19 to allow an RV campground to be built north of the Holly Shelter Game Lands. The project will proceed despite opposition from nearby residents.
The proposed Blakes Bridge Campground will provide over 200 RV campsites and several supporting amenities on land with access to Holly Shelter Creek, increasing visitor access to outdoor recreation in that part of the county. However, the project comes with concerns from adjacent property owners about road access and long-term stays at the RV park.
The RV campground required approval of a special-use permit to proceed, which commissioners granted after a public hearing that lasted nearly two hours.
Here's what's being built and why some residents have concerns.
New RV campground
Blakes Bridge Campground is proposed for a 52-acre site near the intersection of Shaw Highway and N.C. 53, around nine miles from Burgaw.
The proposal calls for 236 RV sites. The sites, along with the supporting facilities, are clustered together, while the remaining land would be used for paths and an amenity pond. Site plans show that a community bathhouse, an office and a dump station would be located at the entrance to the campground.
The campground will sit along Holly Shelter Creek near a public boat ramp operated by the state.
Opposition
Two residents who own property on Orchid Road testified in opposition of the campground in the public hearing. They raised issues surrounding road access and stay limits.
"One of my big problems is Orchid Road has been a private road at least since 1968," said Robert Kenan. He continued to say his biggest concern is that he'd have to travel directly through the campground to reach his property on Orchid Road.
Kenan also expressed a concern about the 180-day limit on an RV staying parked at the campsite. He suggested an RV owner may be able to circumvent the rule by simply moving to an adjacent trailer site.
“What you're really creating is permanent housing for people that cannot afford housing in Pender County," Kenan said.
An attorney representing the applicant refuted this worry, saying the 180-day policy would be enforced to stop RVs from staying permanently at the site.
Commissioners ultimately approved the permit with a condition requiring the applicant to add a second ingress/egress point maintained for everyday use.
Charlie Kingree is the Pender County and trending topics reporter for the StarNews. He can be reached at ckingree@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Pender Commissioners approve RV campground despite resident concerns
