Carolina Shores Golf Course owner has new plan to build homes on his property

CAROLINA SHORES, NC (WWAY)– “They said they wanted open space, they wanted nature, all that goes away,” said owner Phillipe Bureau says the demands of opponents to his Carolina Shores development have backfired.

“Everything that they wanted, they took it away from themselves,” said Bureau.

Earlier this month, the Carolina Shores Town Commissioners voted against Bureau’s plan to rezone the dilapidated, and now vacant golf course.

The commissioners didn’t like his plan to build 120 homes on 34 acres, as they say it would create flooding issues, traffic congestion, and density that would change the town’s landscape.

When Plan B went south, the owner went to Plan C. Instead of more homes and smaller lots, he is going to build bigger homes on one acre lots.

“By not endorsing the 120 lots, they are forcing us to go to the one acre,” said Bureau.

Bureau says that means less shared open space, and more private property.

“They did not allow us to help the town as a whole. The community, with the stormwater issue that’s been present for over 40 years, the new plan takes away the trees, diminishes nature. There’s no open space that remains; it becomes all private property on one-acre,” said Bureau.

Carolina Shores resident Lon Forehand, one of bureau’s most vocal opponents, says he doesn’t buy that argument.

“I totally disagree with that,” said Forehand.

He says the original rezoning plan was never going to work.

“He wasn’t doing us a favor; he thinks he’s saying that as a public thing to say. It sounds good that you’re building all these infrastructures. You say you’re going to help prevent stormwater damage and that kind of thing,” said Forehand. “We weren’t buying it; all commissioners weren’t buying it.”

Bureau says to make the project financially work, he will have to build all available land, following town ordinances. He expects the development to move forward.

Forehand says the new lower-density plan may actually be more workable and could help with flooding concerns.

“The rezoning, we were very much against it. That high density is not for this community, and it was going to change the character. I think the newer plan could be workable if done correctly,” said Forehand.