By Catherine M. Welch
Wilmington, NC – New Hanover County commissioners are expected to decide during their February 5th meeting whether a portion of River Road can be moved to clear the way for a massive development planned for along the Cape Fear River.
Back in 1999, New Hanover County Commissioners re-zoned a nearly 1,400 acre parcel of land for what was then a planned community with 33-hundred homes.
The property has changed hands and now Developer Newland Communities is drawing up plans for a smaller community.
Developers are asking the county to move a part of River Road farther away from the Cape Fear River and closer to existing neighborhoods.
County planners say they're pleased with the new plan because it opens up more green space and includes public access to the river.
But residents Ed Mikulewicz and Melanie Doyle are concerned about the impact on their neighborhood and the environment that would come with moving the road. We start our conversation with Mikulewicz talking about how the new road impacts him directly.
Extended version of the conversation with O'Keefe and Mallin
New Hanover County Planning Board approves River Road proposal.