New Hanover County board to hear appeal over proposed Sledge Forest development

Castle Hayne, NC (WWAY) — The New Hanover County Board of Adjustment is scheduled to hold a quasi-judicial hearing Monday on appeals challenging a proposed residential development in the Sledge Forest area of Castle Hayne.

The hearing is set for 9 a.m. July 20th at the New Hanover County Government Center, located at 230 Government Center Drive.

The appeals were filed by more than 40 Castle Hayne residents, who are represented by attorney Grady Richardson. The group is challenging county approval related to a proposed access road for the Hilton Bluffs development, arguing the road should not move forward.

The proposed Hilton Bluffs project includes approximately 1,800 homes on a 4,000-acre tract in the Sledge Forest area.

The hearing follows months of opposition from residents and advocacy groups, including Save the Hayne, which have raised concerns about the scale of the development and its potential impacts on the surrounding community.

County officials previously placed a temporary stay on permitting activity while the appeals moved through the process.

Separately, developer Copper Builders has announced a contingent agreement with the NC Coastal Land Trust that would permanently conserve more than 3,200 acres of Sledge Forest if the development receives final approval.

Some opponents have also raised broader concerns about the county’s zoning process, arguing the project’s approval under the county’s Performance Residential regulations allowed it to move forward without a public hearing before the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners. Those concerns are not the subject of Monday’s Board of Adjustment hearing.

The Board of Adjustment will consider the appeals during Monday’s quasi-judicial proceedings.