Leland tries to find a balance between residents and resources

LELAND, NC (WWAY) — One of the fastest growing towns in Brunswick County is trying to find a balance between the increase in residents and its resources.

WWAY spoke with Leland administrators on Monday about how they plan to accommodate this growth.

With the town of Leland growing at a rapid pace, the town has a mission of bringing more business and amenities for residents. 

The town’s Economic and Community Development Director, Barnes Sutton, said with the work being done to the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge in Wilmington it’s Leland’s time to shine. 

“It also highlights the opportunities for us to have some of the services on our side, whether it be your retail needs, or medical, or just recreational things,” Sutton said. “New parks we could plan for, or just better interconnectivity between different neighborhoods as people meander around town here, opposed to meandering over in Wilmington.”  

With a growing population comes the need for increased emergency services. 

The town’s Public Safety Director, Chris Langlois, said the proposed budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year considers this. 

“Five new firefighters and then five positions in the police department, which includes a lieutenant’s position,” Langlois said. “Because when we increase our staffing at our patrol levels or the firefighter levels, we also have to accommodate for supervision for those levels.”  

Barnes said 2024 will be an exciting year for the town. One project currently underway is a Chipotle which will be located next to the Emerge Ortho, off of Hwy. 17, near Brunswick Forest.