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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ19-09 Application PackageWrightsboro Commons– Supplemental Information  Date: 15 July 2019    Project Narrative  Wrightsboro Commons is proposed as a + 12.30 acre mixed‐use commercial and multi‐family project.  The site is currently split zoned with B‐2 in the front of the site along Castle Hayne Road with R‐15 on  the remaining portions of the site.  The land known as the subject site for Wrightsboro Commons is  currently comprised of small shopping strip retail/restaurants/office and stand‐alone retail/recreational  vehicle and boat trailer storage lot, cellular and PCS antennas along Castle Hayne Road and as a second  tier retail/restaurant building accessed from Riverside Drive adjacent to the Food Lion and associated  retail/restaurant.  Behind these uses, a couple of farms/homes are accessed by Riverside Drive.      This project is consistent with the County’s Future Land Use Plan which identifies the area as Community  Mixed Use and General Residential, and it utilizes one of the newly approved zoning districts, UMXZ to  create a truly small scale mixed use development.  This conditional rezoning will allow the applicant to  construct a walkable rental housing community blended into the heart of Wrightsboro’s commercial  area.  Furthermore, the project fills a need for a housing type not otherwise available in this area of New  Hanover County and a rental community close to both downtown Wilmington as well as the I‐40/I‐140  corridors.  The project offers a larger community benefit in that it can be work force housing for  employees at N Kerr Industrial Park, ILM, VA hospital, GE and surrounding and downtown  retail/restaurants due to its central location to these businesses.    The applicant is requesting a conditional rezoning of the subject site to UMXZ to create a multi‐family  residential community mixed with commercial use as neighborhood services, office, and restaurants.   The residential component of the community will include a variety of housing options with studio/1  bedroom apartments, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments and possibly lofts integrated above the existing and  proposed commercial spaces.   The project will work with existing businesses to upfit the existing  buildings.  In some cases, buildings may be in need of replacement to fit with the mixed‐use  community’s architectural style.         The proposed community scale mixed‐use project will bring work‐force housing into an area within  walking or short driving distance to necessary neighborhood services such as grocery stores, restaurants,  and financial services.  Integrated community walking trails and sidewalks will provide multi‐modal  access to internal and adjacent businesses and neighborhood services.  The project will also act as  transition from the commercial hub located near the intersection of N. Kerr Avenue and Castle Hayne  Road to the single family development located on the land behind the grocery store and surrounding  single family neighborhoods.      Wrightsboro Commons proposes to keep the existing, permitted uses within the commercial, retail,  restaurant, office currently existing on site.  The non‐conforming uses and associated sites will be  retrofitted into UMXZ conforming commercial, retail, office, and/or restaurant uses.  In addition to the  existing uses, small businesses will be encouraged to be part of the mixed use project.  Additional uses  welcomed to the site include: veterinarian office(s), showrooms for contractors, builders, designers, all  retail trade uses allowed in UMXZ, cellular & PCS Antennas (existing on site now), wholesaling with no  outdoor storage, financing, insurance, real estate offices, all services allowed in UMXZ by‐right,    office for private business & professional activities, motion pictures producing and distribution, single  family dwelling – attached, artisan manufacturing.      Proposed Conditions  The plan complies with UMXZ zoning.  We propose creating a community with sidewalks that is walkable  and allows access to commercial businesses, retail establishments, offices, restaurants, and multi‐family  residential areas within the project and access in some areas along the edge of the project to pedestrian  access to commercial areas immediately adjacent to the project.   The applicant is willing to discuss  other required or requested conditions as needed.    Consideration of a Conditional Zoning District  1.  How would the requested change be consistent with the County’s policies for growth and  development?    The proposed mixed‐use development falls in line with many policies and ideas outlined in the County’s  Plan NHC Comprehensive Plan.  To begin, the proposed development is located in an area identified as  “Medium Intensity Development” land cover and land use is identified as “Services” and “Residential”  according to the New Hanover County Comprehensive Plan.  The CAMA Land Use identifies the area as  “Transition”.  In addition, the Future Land Use classification is mixed between community mixed‐use and  general residential.  The County’s identified policies promote mixed‐use tax base enhancing projects in  areas with water and sewer and community services available to support the project.  This site is located  in a growth node in the County and fits well among the existing uses along Castle Hayne Road and the  commercial portion of Riverside Drive.  It preserves and enhances the businesses, restaurants, and  offices in the front of the + 12.3 acres site with apartments behind the commercial development.  The  design of this project acts as a transition, as the Comprehensive Plan sets forth for this land.  It is a  transition to single family residential with medium intensity development providing both services and  residential.  This project meets all intended land uses and identifications for the location.  Furthermore,  the County’s policies support this type of mixed‐use, small project growth throughout the County.  In  addition, the planned development proposes enhancement to the existing commercial area at Castle  Hayne Road near Riverside Drive/N. Kerr Ave.  This enhancement will give the area a face‐lift and  generally clean up and organize traffic flow around existing businesses.  In addition, the project will  integrate pedestrian friendly routes to get folks from the residential areas to the neighborhood services  within and adjacent to the mixed‐use development.  All of this furthers the County’s goals of smaller,  targeted growth promoting a mixture of uses featuring residential in close proximity to commercial and  neighborhood services.      2.  How would the requested Conditional Zoning District be consistent with the property’s classification  on the Future Land Use Map located within the Comprehensive Plan?      The applicant proposes a project consistent with the County’s Future Land Use Plan which identifies the  area as Community Mixed Use and General Residential.  The mixed‐use project will provide a  combination of community mixed use and attached residential within one site located in the heart of  Wrightsboro’s commercial corridor.  See responses above and below for additional information.    3. What significant neighborhood changes have occurred to make the original zoning inappropriate, or  how is the land involved unsuitable for the uses permitted under the existing zoning?    Wrightsboro has historically seen single family and rural development.  However, with the extension of  CFPUA water and sewer along Castle Hayne Road, the potential for growth has expanded.  Now the  intersection of N. Kerr/Riverside Drive at Castle Hayne Road is a key commercial node with  neighborhood goods and services serving the community from Downtown Wilmington to Castle Hayne.   With access to I‐140 and I‐40 within 2 miles of the project site, commutes to jobs and destinations in  Brunswick and Pender Counties are easy and quick.    The growth and growth potential around this  portion of New Hanover County is due to the recent availability of urban services and proximity to  multiple locations in New Hanover County now makes this area of the County suitable for a wide variety  of development.  However, the County’s planning documents have identified the site as suitable for the  type of project proposed.  This is a case where the zoning has remained unchanged in an area now ripe  for growth; therefore, we seek a zoning that complies with the County’s vision for the area.    In recent years, the County and Wrightsboro have experienced growth along the Castle Hayne Road  corridor in large part because of the availability of CFPUA’s water and sewer.  Furthermore, this  Wrightsboro area project is located in the heart of the commercial corridor which is in keeping with  some of the clustering of neighborhood services, thus fulfilling many objectives set forth in the County’s  comprehensive and future land use plans.    With the added capacity to serve a + 12.30 acre mixed commercial and attached residential project, this  project will provide a combination of community mixed use and attached residential within one site  located in the heart of Wrightsboro’s commercial corridor.  The applicant believes this project is  compliant with the projected growth goals and policies set forth in guiding planning documents and  respectfully requests that the board approve this conditional rezoning.             Wrightsboro Commons Community Meeting Summary Submittal Date: June 12, 2019 Community Meeting Date: November 29, 2018 Meeting Time: 5:45-7:45 Meeting Location: La Bella Airosa Meeting Summary Neighbors attended the community meeting in which a site and development plans were presented to the community. The site was put into context of the adjacent Riverside single family and multi-family development. At the time of the meeting, the developer was under contract to purchase a 72 unit entitled multi-family development from the developer of the Riverside neighborhood. This 72 unit development was included with the proposed multi-family development on the TIA release the same day as the community meeting. It was the 72 unit development immediately adjacent to the single family homes in Riverside that drew ire. Since the community meeting, the developer has dropped the contract to purchase the entitled 72 unit multi-family development. The TIA at this time was approved with 360 total apartments. The current proposal of 222 total apartments is far reduced from that approved TIA amount and the amount discussed at the community meeting in November of last year. This will drastically reduce the number of trips the applicant’s subject development will generate. At the time of the community meeting, there was much concern over traffic and the needed improvements at the intersection of Riverside Drive/N. Kerr Avenue and Castle Hayne Road. Since the meeting, the Riverside developer has completed required improvements including medians, pavement markings, traffic signal improvements and paving. Other improvements are required in this applicant’s TIA, and those will be installed as required in the appropriate phase dictated by the approved TIA. The NCDOT also proposes improvements to Castle Hayne Road in the area around the subject development. This will widen the road to 4 lanes and provide medians and other traffic control measures to raise the level of service of Castle Hayne Road. Stormwater and buffering were additional concerns and a large part of the discussion at the community meeting. The Riverside ponds under development at the time of Hurricane Florence, failed. This caused much concern about new development coming in nearby. The applicant has since re-evaluated stormwater and proposes a large pond between the Riverside property and the subject development. All stormwater will be designed, permitted and maintained in accordance with local, state, and federal requirements. In conclusion, the developer heard the concerns of the neighbors, and has taken a hard look at the plans to alleviate potential trouble spots. We present the plans to the board and the community in good faith that we hear and understand the concerns and want to be good neighbors.