New Hanover Co. Commissioner pushing to save Echo Farms

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — For more than eight months the group ‘Save Echo Farms‘ has been pushing the City of Wilmington and New Hanover County to save their golf course and now they are getting some much needed help.

Since October New Hanover County Commissioner Jonathan Barfield has been working on a plan to save Echo Farms Golf and Country Club. And now, he is pushing for the county to buy back the land and save it from being redeveloped.

“To lose something that would draw our visitors in, to me would be a determinant to our community,” Barfield said.

Barfield’s main goal is to maintain the golf course.

“Maintain Echo Farms as a golf course. Have the county go in and hopefully buy it. And make it an enterprise fund and keep that course as one open course for the citizens of New Hanover County and this region,” Barfield said.

In March Wilmington’s planning commission approved Matrix Development to build nearly 500 homes in Echo Farms. The plan includes an apartment complex, single family homes and townhouses.

It is a plan the group ‘Save Echo Farms’ has been fighting for months and now they feel the fight has been ignited.

“Honestly it’s rewarding knowing that some of our commissioners and some of our council members are stepping up and they are in full agreement,” Save Echo Farms Vice Chair John Hirchak said. “We do need to save more green space.”

And County Commissioner Rob Zapple agrees.

“Open space, bike paths, walking paths, outdoor activities are right at the top of the list of everyone’s list here. And here’s an opportunity that could be tailor-made. Whether it stays a golf course, whether the swimming pool and tennis activities stay I’m not sure,” Zapple said.

While Barfield pushes the county to buy back the land, Zapple wants the city, county, and public to come to an agreement first. In the meantime, Hirchak says its a step in right direction.

“We need to think of the future generations here in Wilmington. What sort of quality life are we offering them? If we don’t take advantage of the open space we have now, there’s going to be none left in five years in the city,” Hirchak said.

By maintaining the land as an enterprise fund, aside from the initial cost of buying it back, Barfield said it would not cost taxpayers anything.

Barfield said county staff has been in communication with Matrix Development recently. He adds he should know more about what their next step in this process will be some time next week.