*UPDATE - VICTORY: On Sept. 2, 2025, the NHC Board of Commissioners voted UNANIMOUSLY to reject this rezoning — 6634 Carolina Beach Road remains R-15.* 

The proposed 6634 Carolina Beach Rd rezoning puts families and commuters at risk. Nearly 1,000 households / 1,400+ drivers across Lords Creek, Woodlake, and Ocean Forest Lakes share a single entrance/exit onto a 55-mph highway. Adding another entrance only feet away would create a traffic nightmare and a daily safety hazard for families, school buses, commuters, and emergency vehicles. This is not just a neighborhood issue. It threatens every New Hanover County resident and tourist who relies on this stretch of Carolina Beach Road.

What is at stake?

Zoning ignored: This property is zoned R-15, and it was purchased with that zoning in place. R-15 reflects what the land and infrastructure can reasonably handle. The developer is seeking a rezoning to CZD R-5, but continues to put forward plans that fail to address the fundamental problems with this site.

Traffic and safety:  Carolina Beach Road is already overburdened. The proposed townhome entrance and exit lane would sit only feet before the turn lane used by nearly 1,000 households / 1,400+ drivers in Lords Creek, Woodlake, and Ocean Forest Lakes. Two stacked turning lanes on a 55-mph highway is a recipe for traffic backups and accidents. No NCDOT study has been done. The developer is avoiding it by clinging to the technicality that fewer units do not require one. That does not make it safe.

Stormwater Runoff: New Hanover County’s own elevation map shows the 6634 Carolina Beach Rd property sits higher than the neighboring homes in Lords Creek. The developer has clustered most of the townhomes along the lower-gradient western and southern edges, directly in the path of natural runoff. Portions of the site drain west into existing yards rather than south into the proposed retention pond. While the developer claims grading will redirect all water to that pond, the natural slope of the land makes that unlikely. One pond is not an adequate solution. If the natural flow is ignored, flooding will impact existing homes first - not the developer’s bottom line.

No neighborhood betterment: This is the fourth version of this plan. Yes, units were reduced, buildings are now for-purchase, and they are limited to two stories. This fourth proposal makes concessions on paper, not in reality. The fundamental issues traffic, stormwater, and safety remain untouched. In New Hanover County, rezonings are often approved when developers offset their impact by investing in infrastructure. This proposal does nothing.

Proximity: The proposed site plan pushes most of the townhomes to the western and southern edges, directly against Lords Creek homes. This preserves trees in the middle but does so at the expense of existing residents. Thoughtful development should balance natural preservation and respect for surrounding neighborhoods, not prioritize one at the cost of the other.

Why now?

This is the fourth attempt to force this project through. Each time before, the community has rallied and stopped it. The Board of Commissioners will vote on Tuesday, September 2, 2025. If it passes, these risks become permanent.

We are not against development. We knew this land would eventually be built on. What we oppose is careless planning that ignores traffic and the safety of surrounding neighborhoods. A rezoning could be considered if the plan respected the property’s limits and invested in solutions that bettered the area. This plan does not.

We call on the Board of Commissioners to reject the rezoning of 6634 Carolina Beach Road until a proposal is brought forward that truly addresses traffic, stormwater, and the integrity of surrounding neighborhoods. Sign today ahead of the September 2 vote and stand with Lords Creek, Woodlake, Ocean Forest Lakes, and New Hanover County residents. Tell the Board of Commissioners: Protect our safety. Protect our neighborhoods. Reject this rezoning.