Monday marked the lone New Hanover County Board of Commissioners meeting for July, featuring an array of topics for discussion. A look at what took place is below …  

Business Park infrastructure construction and naming plan

Commissioners considered two matters related to the county’s investment in the upcoming business park off Holly Shelter Road. First, Commissioners reviewed a proposed partnership with Carolina Civilworks, Inc. to build infrastructure, including water and sewer, as part of Phase 1 work at the site, at a cost of approximately $6.6 million. Additionally, Commissioners were asked to consider renaming the park to I-40 Coastal Commerce Park. The park will provide more opportunities for industrial growth in the community. Both proposals were unanimously approved.  

Future workforce housing investments

Next, Commissioners heard a presentation from staff regarding a proposed workforce housing investment opportunity and a request for proposal. The first was a request to provide $2 million from the county’s Revenue Stabilization Fund to Cape Fear Development for the construction of affordable rental units as part of a development off Blue Clay Road known as “Proximity Blue Clay.”  

Once complete, the facility will feature 236 townhomes and provide a reduced rental rate compared to market value for 10 years. With this investment, the county will receive $100,000 in interest annually from the loan, which can be reinvested, and the entire loan would be paid off over a 10-year span.

Additionally, staff also presented a proposal to utilize $4 million of the Revenue Stabilization Fund to invest in a Workforce Housing Investment Fund, $2 million of which would be for the Proximity Blue Clay project. These proposals were unanimously approved.

That’s not all … 

Commissioners reviewed and approved the 2025 annual tax settlement. For the Fiscal Year 2025-26, the rate of collection between the general fund, debt service and fire district was 99.6 percent or higher. That presentation is available here.

Two hearings were held as part of the meeting, the first being a public hearing for a text amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance. The request was to allow for crematoriums to be part of properties zoned I-1, light industrial and I-2, and heavy industrial zoning districts. The request was unanimously approved.

The second hearing was a quasi-judicial hearing for a special use permit, allowing approximately 11.48 acres at 3222 N. Kerr Avenue to be used as an outdoor recreation establishment and lodges, fraternal and social organizations in the airport residential district. Commissioners granted the request unanimously, allowing for the current playing fields at the site to be renovated, along with the construction of a new 18,000-square-foot clubhouse, six batting cages and more.

Commissioners ended the proceedings by considering applications for vacancies on boards or committees that provide guidance on a variety of community issues. Details on these boards and committees or how to get involved is available here.

You can view the July 13 meeting by clicking here and below. The next regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners is set for 4 p.m. on Monday, August 17, 2026.

The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners holds its regularly scheduled meetings on the first and third Monday of each month at the New Hanover County Historic Courthouse (24 North 3rd Street, Room 301), unless otherwise noted. Click here to view the schedule of the 2026 meetings.

All meetings are broadcast live on NHCTV.com, New Hanover County's YouTube channel, and Spectrum channel 13. For meeting agendas, minutes, and exhibits, visit Commissioners.NHCgov.com.