Going through the administrative approval process is what any rational land owner would do. It can take years to even get approvals. Then you need funding. The goal for approvals is almost always maximum density.
I just think you guys are getting scared of boogeymen that aren’t really that scary, and may not even occur. It’s easy to hear 1,500 homes approved and run with it. But does anyone really understand how long that takes? Watersound Origins has existed for over a decade and just recently got to 1,000. Forest View bought the 100 acres around Dune Lakes Elementary almost 20 years ago and you have an apartment complex, some self storage, and the Walmart. Topsail/Hewett Rd has a 1000 or so home project that has been working its way through the approval process for 5 years, and if they break ground by 2026 expect to finish in….2042. Watersound Company over the next 5 years is building 200 more homes at Longleaf Park, an Art Park for the public, and a 300 unit multifamily complex. It remains to be seen whether there is even the demand for these, as the number of units seems to far outstrip the population growth. Not everything you hear about or every developers ambition is just going to sprout up out of the ground tomorrow.
I just think you guys are getting scared of boogeymen that aren’t really that scary, and may not even occur. It’s easy to hear 1,500 homes approved and run with it. But does anyone really understand how long that takes? Watersound Origins has existed for over a decade and just recently got to 1,000. Forest View bought the 100 acres around Dune Lakes Elementary almost 20 years ago and you have an apartment complex, some self storage, and the Walmart. Topsail/Hewett Rd has a 1000 or so home project that has been working its way through the approval process for 5 years, and if they break ground by 2026 expect to finish in….2042. Watersound Company over the next 5 years is building 200 more homes at Longleaf Park, an Art Park for the public, and a 300 unit multifamily complex. It remains to be seen whether there is even the demand for these, as the number of units seems to far outstrip the population growth. Not everything you hear about or every developers ambition is just going to sprout up out of the ground tomorrow.