New Hanover County Board of Commissioners approves Comprehensive Land Use Plan

"We have heard you want to preserve the western bank. We agree with you. We also want to preserve The Western Bank."

NEW HANOVER COUNTY (WWAY) –For years there has been talk about potential development on the West Side of The Cape Fear River near The Battleship North Carolina. On a unanimous vote, The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners approved The Western Bank Comprehensive Plan Amendment.

“We have heard you want to preserve the western bank. We agree with you. We also want to preserve The Western Bank,” says Commissioner Dane Scalise.

After being continued from August’s commissioner’s meeting, public comments were allowed on the Commissioner’s amendment on what should happen to The Western Bank of The Cape Fear and the Northeast Cape Fear Rivers. Residents fear if the land becomes developed, flood problems will get worse over time.
What’s left now is for the commissioner’s staff to acquire federal grants to purchase the land from private owners. And hopefully, preserve as much of the land.

“We’re going to have to work hard to locate funds from the federal government, to ultimately, clean up the property. It’s called brownfield, meaning it’s contaminated in many instances, and then hopefully voluntarily purchase it from the people who privately own it right now,” Scalise says.