Update – September 2025

The developer is back again. Despite rules requiring a 12-month wait before refiling, Hoosier Daddy LLC slipped in a new Special Use Permit (SUP) application under a last-minute “change of circumstance” loophole -just before the County’s zoning amendment took effect that would have required a more open, legislative process. This new request seeks approval for 290 high-density units (apartments and townhomes) directly beside our single-family neighborhoods, including Tarin Woods, Battle Park, Covington, Congleton Farms, Sentry Oaks, and Rosa Parks.

Our concerns remain the same-outdated traffic studies, stormwater and flooding risks, school strain, and the incompatibility of such density with the character and harmony of our communities. We need your continued support to show the Planning Board and County Commissioners that this proposal is still not right for our area. Please sign, share, and leave your public comment today.

If you're inclined to donate, please follow the donation link here (donating to change.org does NOT help the cause, it boosts the petition but has very little impact):  https://givebutter.com/7S4atV

Submit your comment here → https://www.nhcgov.com/1105/Public-Comment

______________________________________________________________________________

We are residents of Battle Park, Tarin Woods, Covington and Congleton Farms, as well as adjacent communities in Wilmington, NC. Many of us moved into these single-family home communities seeking peace and quiet. We valued the safety it offered our children to play and travel freely within the neighborhood. The ease of movement throughout our community, the use of amenities tailored to our small community sizes, and the beautiful trees that contribute to a natural aesthetic were all factors that drew us here.

Now we face a threat to this tranquility with a Special Use Permit application that would allow developers to introduce high density multi-family housing into our low density residential neighborhoods. This is not consistent with what we desire nor is it consistent with the aesthetic and character of these communities

Our area is already overburdened without proper infrastructure in place to support such development. The addition of too many units onto an already suffering highway system will be detrimental. According to data from North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), traffic congestion has been increasing steadily over recent years due largely to population growth outpacing infrastructure improvements.

We're deeply concerned about the proposed increase in impervious surfaces in an area previously classified as wetland and largely still designated as Class IV Pamlico soil. As a coastal community vulnerable to severe weather, including major hurricanes, we're particularly worried about drainage issues and access to evacuation routes. The existing development within Tarin Woods already suffers from unresolved drainage problems, impacting our land, roads, and the properties of numerous homeowners. Despite being aware of these issues, the developers have been unresponsive, even though they are legally responsible for the affected roads and common areas.

The developers have attempted to rezone this property (along with other adjacent properties) five times since 2018, but were ultimately denied each time. Now, they're requesting an even greater density than before, using this Special Use Permit as a workaround to the rezoning process. The Board of Commissioners must not approve this project, as it would set a precedent for developers to misuse Special Use Permits to seek increased residential density in unsuitable areas

We urge the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners to not only consider this data but also listen closely to those who live here daily - those who understand first-hand what these changes mean for their quality of life.

We ask you stand with us in opposing this Special Use Permit application and preserve the character and integrity of our neighborhoods. Please sign this petition today!