New assisted living facility up for debate in Brunswick County

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A proposed facility near the South Carolina state line would provide more assisted living care in Brunswick County.

Commissioners will vote on a rezoning request at their meeting next month.

Community Real Estate submitted an application for the assisted living facility on Ocean Highway, between US 17 and Old Shallotte Road.

The group wants to build the 110 bed facility on 12 acres of land.

According to the Brunswick County Department of Planning, the facility was awarded the beds by the state, because there’s a need in Brunswick County for an assisted living facility.

The group held neighborhood meetings to address concerns, but many residents were still upset about the facility and wanted it to remain as-is, said Planning Manager Kirstie Dixon.

Dixon said the Planning Board denied the facility’s rezoning request in a 3-4 vote, but since that meeting, the operators of the proposed facility have worked with the community and have come to an agreement on additional conditions.

Some of those conditions include increasing the buffer area on the western boundary from 20 ft to 40 ft. Also, the facility can not put a driveway on Old Shallotte Road, which will keep traffic off of that road.

Dixon says neighbors signed an agreement to those new conditions.

Now the rezoning request goes before the Board of Commissioners on April 3. After a public hearing, they will vote whether to deny or approve the rezoning request.