Brunswick County Planning Board approves “Waterway,” formerly called Project Indigo
"Those underdeveloped areas should be developed before you keep on developing other areas."
BRUNSWICK COUNTY (WWAY)–In a five-to-one vote, the Brunswick County Planning Board approved the four conditions for “Waterway,” formerly named Project Indigo, to move forward.
“I feel like it’s a good project,” said Clifton Cheek- Chairman of the Brunswick County Planning Board. “The developer made some excellent points and seems to be working with the land and developing in more of a green fashion.”
This project has been in the works for over two years now. If it continues to move forward, it’ll reside in the Southport community, which gave major push-back in the past.
“The legislature rolled Southport’s ETJ- extraterritorial jurisdiction into the county’s preview, that is why they came before the planning board,” said Cheek.
There are four conditions for the project to be approved, stating that the development must proceed under all plans and designs submitted. It shall comply with regulations specified in the Brunswick County Unified Development Ordinance as well as get all the necessary permits from the federal, state, and county to build.
“There’s enough development that’s already here,” said Brunswick County Resident Carol Parker.
The developers, Bald Head Limited, and East-West partners may have won over the planning board on Monday night, but residents, not so much.
“Those underdeveloped areas should be developed before you keep on developing other areas,” Parker said. “Many areas have been marginalized so much, if we don’t get it pulled together, it will continue to be marginalized.”
The project is intended to bring more than 1,100 homes, retail spaces, and green space to be built over nearly 350 acres. However, residents worry about the health and safety of higher traffic, surrounding Southport schools, as well as stormwater drainage.
Reporter: “Are you opposed to growth?”
Resident: “No! What I’m opposed to is poorly planned growth. Yes, we’re going to grow, but we need to do it responsibly, and we need to think through all of these issues.”
