Bravo, board of aldermen.
Thank you for reversing a disturbing trend that was eroding the delightful character of Wrightsville Beach.
Study after study nationwide reveals the quality of urban life increases quantitatively when residential neighborhoods are supported by businesses within close proximity; ideally close enough to be reached without the use of a car. This is the feature developers create when forming new communities out of raw land.
And yet, previous boards have prevented this basic feature by caving to requests to rezone prime waterfront commercial property for residential.
Why, you ask? It has been all about the dollars.
The sale price of a residential lot at Wrightsville Beach far, far outweighs that of a commercial property.
Wrightsville residents and second home owners — who almost outnumber residents — have repeatedly said they want to retain the precious few restaurants and shops the town has, as do the tens of thousands who flock to our sandy shores each year.
The town does not need more McMansions going up at the cost of its scant business community.
The Wrightsville Beach Board of Aldermen proved last week they recognize this fact when they unanimously rejected a proposal to rezone part of one of the remaining commercial sites for residential use.
New Carolina Properties representative Frank Martin’s argument in favor of the rezoning was because he unsuccessfully tried to develop the panoramic waterfront site of the shuttered Scotchman. His protests did not sway the board. Developers wanted to split the tract bordered by Lees Cut, Banks Channel and Kenans Creek at 100 W. Salisbury St., keeping the convenience store site as is and rezoning the western portion for a proposed waterfront home.
Most of the board could have said, “Seen it, done it, been there, been down this road before. Got the T-shirt.”
No one wins here except the developers and their agents. And, of course, the sellers.
The town’s land use plan highly encourages retention of commercial tracts as community services and businesses. Losing more commercial sites would push Wrightsville toward the unenviable reality of becoming a Wilmington bedroom community with a public beach.
Mayor Pro Tem Darryl Mills, presiding in the mayor’s absence, expressed a strong town-wide sentiment when he said he was committed to not “draining away any of the local services and commercial opportunities.”
In many communities, it is commercial development that worries residents. Not at Wrightsville Beach.
Residents, many resentful, still remember the 2004 loss of the Pizza Hut across the road from the property Martin wanted to rezone, owned by the same family. After the closing of the popular waterfront restaurant, the owners came with the same arguments to rezone it for residential use, and to the determent of the town, the aldermen acquiesced.
The seller of the real estate office located opposite was showered with the same favor.
The Pizza Hut site remains undeveloped except for Banks Channel boat docks.
A similar fate awaited the former LaQue waterfront commercial site anchoring the Causeway at Banks Channel. Rezoned and split into residential lots years ago, the vacant lots went into foreclosure during the recession. The last lot on the former center for erosion technology site finally has a house beginning construction 16 years later.
Many residents bemoan the loss of what could have been a boat-up business at that prime location.
Martin apparently believes he could successfully redevelop the property if only he could build a big-ticket residence on a portion of it. What he didn’t say: residential is where the big bucks are.
It may be more challenging and much less profitable to develop the property as commercial, but not impossible. Other businesses have opened up and are succeeding around town.
Right next door to the site is a thriving stand up paddleboard business and small marina.
South End Surf Shop opened in 2010 in the former Glenn dining area, and upstairs the Post Coffee Shop became a neighborhood gathering spot in 2015.
Poe’s is finally poised to open on the old Causeway and next door, Nathan Sanders is exploring options to refurbish and place businesses in the empty MOI location.
Over on Salisbury, now that the option of rezoning to residential is off the table, it is exciting to dream of what could be done on the last undeveloped waterfront commercial site in the town.
