Pender County Planning Board Recommends Denial of 1,023-Home Riley's Creek Rezoning

County planning staff recommended approval of the rezoning before the August 4 Planning Board hearing.

The property is designated Rural Neighborhood under the Imagine Pender 2050 Comprehensive Land Use Plan, which supports up to 2 single-family homes per acre. Riley’s Creek proposes approximately 1.62 homes per acre.

The plan includes 253.52 acres of conservation land, representing roughly 40% of the project site.

Residents speaking against the proposal raised concerns about traffic, flooding, school capacity, emergency services and whether infrastructure in the surrounding area could support the additional growth.

The project is estimated to generate 9,318 vehicle trips per day and approximately 400 additional students.

Water service is proposed through Pender County Utilities. For wastewater, plans call for a pump station connection to Pender County Utilities if sewer can be extended to the site, with a private treatment facility identified as an alternative.

Approximately 150.5 acres of the property are jurisdictional wetlands and 81.54 acres fall within the 100-year floodplain.

Traffic counts on NC 210 near the property are approximately 4,600 to 5,300 vehicles per day. County materials estimate planning capacity along the road at roughly 21,000 vehicles per day.

After hearing from the applicant and residents, the Planning Board voted 3-1 to recommend denial.

The case highlights the growing tension between planned residential growth and infrastructure capacity in rapidly developing areas of Pender County.

Riley's Creek proposes a density below what the county's future land use designation supports, and planning staff recommended approval. The Planning Board’s recommendation shows that consistency with the long-range land use plan may not be enough to overcome concerns about roads, schools, wastewater infrastructure and other impacts associated with development at this scale.

At more than 1,000 proposed homes, the outcome could also influence how other large residential projects are evaluated as growth continues north and west of Wilmington.

The Planning Board's vote is advisory and does not determine the rezoning.

REZONE 2026-99 will next require consideration by the Pender County Board of Commissioners, which will make the final decision on the request.

Watch for the commissioners' hearing date, any revisions to the development plan before that hearing, and whether the applicant provides additional commitments addressing traffic, wastewater or other infrastructure concerns.