Castle Hayne residents gather to discuss proposed development

November 16, 2024

Ava Dorn,

CASTLE HAYNE, NC (WWAY) — Members of the Castle Hayne community hosted a Town Hall meeting this weekend to voice their concerns about a proposed development that could change the landscape of their area.

The development, known as “Hilton’s Bluff,” is planned for what is currently Sledge Forest, a natural area in the region.

Spanning over 4,000 acres, the project would take over much of the land, but only about 1,000 of those acres are viable for development.

The remaining land is protected wetlands, which cannot be used. The community meeting, organized by the group Save Sledge Forest, brought together residents and environmental advocates to discuss the potential impact of the project and hopefully garner support.

Speakers at the town hall included local experts with ties to New Hanover County and environmental preservation.

Topics of concern included protecting the flora and fauna of Sledge Forest, not allowing more cars on already-congested roadways, and ensuring that the public’s voice is heard during the approval process.

Many attendees expressed a desire for the developers to open lines of communication with the community and address their concerns directly.

Castle Hayne native Marcus Lewis shared why he believes dialogue with the developers is essential:

“The fact that we are able to organize like this is good news. I’d like to see representatives of the developers come meet with us and give the community the respect we deserve. We live here… I don’t know if they live here, I hear they are from Charlotte? So, if they are going to live in our area, that’s one thing—but if they are from out of town and come here to use our county, our land, the place we live and work, as a way to make money, I would like to see the respect given to us.”

At the end of the meeting, attendees were encouraged to write why they want to Save Sledge Forest on index cards, which will be sent to the county’s Planning Director and County Commissioners to ensure that local concerns are heard.