Carolina Shores residents asks for moratorium on new town developments

BRUNSWICK, NC (WWAY) — Carolina Shores is a small town, located on mostly swamp land, a fact that makes flooding a constant concern.  

On top of that, many residents worry new developments could bring even more problems. 

“The issue is that the growth is too fast, and the concerns of the resident is the traffic safety, stormwaters, evacuation, and the strain on safety,” says Diane Sbardelli. 

Carolina Shores resident Diane Sbardelli says the town simply isn’t ready for dozens of more homes. The property owner of Carolina Shores Golf and Country Club is seeking a rezoning request to develop the former golf course. 

“So, we don’t have the infrastructure necessary right now to support another 120 homes,” said Sbardelli. 

With those concerns in mind, many residents spoke during public comment at Monday’s town commission meeting, asking for moratorium on new projects intended for Carolina Shores.  

Carolina Shores Mayor Dan Conte says that he understands their worries.  

“I get the point about hurricanes, I get all of that, because I live here too. And we don’t just, if you knew, we don’t just worry about our own homes. My responsibility is for everybody,” says Conte. 

For now, it’s unclear if a moratorium will be considered in the future, but Mayor Conte says that the county does have a plan in place for growth. 

  “The county has a process in place to address water sewer issues, and you can’t just have the process, it has to be operational, and it is operational,” said Conte.