Brunswick County Planning Board holds public hearing for Ashton Farms planned development this Monday, Nov. 13
Media Inquiries: Media are requested to contact Brunswick County Communications by noon the day of the meeting to help facilitate requests for interviews or information related to the Ashton Farms planned development agenda item or other Planning Board items.
MEDIA RELEASE
BOLIVIA, N.C. – The Brunswick County Planning Board will hold public hearings for four planned developments including the proposed Ashton Farms development during its regular meeting this Monday, Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. The public is welcome to attend.
Planning Board meetings take place in the commissioners’ chambers on the first floor of the David R. Sandifer Administration Building at 30 Government Center Drive in Bolivia (28422).
Brunswick County has received several comments and questions from the community about the proposed Ashton Farms planned development (PD-115) over the past several weeks. Planning staff have addressed many of these concerns and requests in their recommendations to the Planning Board, which are outlined below.
Recommended Conditions for Approval Based on Community Feedback
- No Gates on Collector Spine Road and Public Access to Road: The collector spine road connecting Russtown Road NW and Whiteville Road NW shall not be gated and shall be open for public use.
- Limited Driveways: The collector spine road shall have limited individual driveways to promote traffic flow and reduce conflicts.
- Land for Fire/EMS Station: The developer’s site plan indicates it will provide land for a fire/EMS station at a minimum of 4 acres. The final site shall be selected after consultation with the local fire chief. The public safety station would benefit the surrounding area including existing communities.
- Public Access to Trails and Open Space: The applicant indicates that some of the trail system and open space will be open to the public. The applicant should identify those trails and areas accessible to the public including public parking site(s).
Additionally, some exceptional design elements included in the Ashton Farms planned development include:
- A proposed 500 acres of open space (whereas only 251.3 acres are required)
- All lots are outside of the AE Flood Zone
- Stormwater system constructed to the 25-year storm event
- Sidewalks on one side of all roads
- Low Impact Development (LID) methods used, such as bioretention areas with medians, cul-de sacs, and amenity sites, street trees throughout, etc.
The proposed Ashton Farms planned development is located in the Ash area at Whiteville Road NW (NC 130), Russtown Road NW (SR 1315), and Longwood Road NW (SR 1321). It consists of 2,750 single-family lots, 200 townhome lots, and 20.5 acres of commercial space on a total of 1,256.5 acres, creating an overall density of 2.35 dwelling units per acre, which is considered low density.
The full list and order of the public hearings taking place at the Nov. 13 meeting are below. The Planning Board could act on any of these planned development requests following their respective public hearings.
- PD-115: Ashton Farms
- PD-116: Berkley Bay (Modification)
- PD-117: Cresswind (Expansion)
- PD-118: The Preserve at White Rock Lake
Individuals wishing to speak during a public hearing should sign up before the meeting starts on the form at the door dedicated to public hearings. This form is different from the form used to sign up for public comments at the beginning of the meeting.
View all Planning Board agendas, accompanying reports, and minutes at brunswickcountync.gov/planning/boards/board/agendas.
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Media Inquiries
For media inquiries, contact Communications Director Meagan Kascsak at 910.253.2995 or email meagan.kascsak@brunswickcountync.gov