Residents,
An URGENT Message Regarding the Sand Mine
The Residents Advisory Committee (Bob Conger, Lori Nichols and Elsie Freund) want to pass on some comments received from residents and ask all residents to URGENTLY consider any way you can support the effort to convince the New Hanover County Planning Board to deny the zoning request ON THURSDAY that is currently poised to approve operation of a sand mine adjacent and north of the GE property.
We are in the unfortunate position that makes this situation black & white.  Those taking action to attend the Planning Board meeting at 6:00 this Thursday and/or sending more emails to the Commissioners will be counted by them as opposing the request to rezone the property.  The Planning Board will assume all others support the request.
The Planning Board can deny the request and stop the sand mine project.  Only a very large attendance at the meeting Thursday will impact the decision as the report recently sent to the Commissioners by their staff recommends approval of the rezoning and special use permit requested by the sand mine company.  Follow this link if you want to see the 312-page agenda and information package sent to the Commissioners. More importantly though, please read on. http://laserfiche.nhcgov.com/weblink/0/edoc/3449919/01102019%20January%2010%202019%20PB%20Agenda%20Package.pdf
Taking action not only can influence this decision but will also identify River Bluffs as a neighborhood that needs to be consulted about decisions on future nearby projects.   If the Planning Board approves the request, the last review will then be scheduled to be performed by the Commissioners.
Those wanting to know more about the history of the project can check a large number of Facebook postings or contact one of the residents who attended the October information meeting and whose names are on the attendance sheets included as pages 38-43 of the agenda and information package sent to the Commissioners.
Link: http://laserfiche.nhcgov.com/weblink/0/edoc/3449919/01102019%20January%2010%202019%20PB%20Agenda%20Package.pdf
Action with the most impact would be to attend the New Hanover County Planning Board meeting at 6:00 this Thursday, January 10thin the Andre Mallette conference room, New Hanover County Government Center, 230 Government Center Drive, Wilmington, NC.
People can figure out carpools by meeting in front of the Mail Room at 5:15PM to go to the meeting or at 4:15PM to go to dinner and then attend the meeting as some of us plan to do.
Answering the questions posed by some people who are unable to attend the meeting, the action that will have the second most impact is to represent yourself by sending an email to all of the Commissioners. Their email addresses are as follows:
jbarfield@nhcgov.com;pkusek@nhcgov.com;rzapple@nhcgov.com;wwhite@nhcgov.com;kcrowell@nhcgov.com; swatkins@nhcgov.com
A simple example is:
My name is ——- and I’m a resident of the River Bluffs community. I am unhappy that because of my work hours I am unable to attend the January 10thPlanning Board meeting.  The best I can do to convey my firm opposition to the rezoning request Z18-19 by Hilton Properties to operate a sand mine in the 4100 block of Castle Hayne Road.
(examples of other reasons are travel, health, etc.)
Those attending the meeting can create additional impact by also writing an email to the Commissioners. At this point, the number of emails will have a primary impact so the content can be short.  Here are a few examples that can be reworded to personalize them:
My name is ——- and I’m a River Bluffs community resident who is counting on the NHC Planning Board and Commissioners to deny rezoning request and special use permit Z18-19 by Hilton Properties to operate a sand mine in the 4100 block of Castle Hayne Road. I strongly support the multiple topics of opposition already voiced in longer letters from our and nearby neighborhoods. I hope it will be obvious that the few benefits to the county of the project are not long lasting while a large number of other aspects associated with the sand mine is negative to a large number of residents and there could be huge unexpected negative long term impacts.
Greetings Commissioners. My name is ——- and I’m a River Bluffs community resident. I and my family request the NHC Planning Board and Commissioners to deny rezoning request and special use permit Z18-19 by Hilton Properties to operate a sand mine in the 4100 block of Castle Hayne Road. We understand that many topics of opposition have already been sent via letters and emails and we agree with all of the issues voiced.  While current knowledge of environmental, traffic and noise concerns may not appear to be extremely burdensome to we hundreds and likely thousands of residents, they are all negative except for the small number of temporary jobs and modest tax income associated with the mine.  Additionally, there are potentially large future negative environmental impacts not yet predicted as have been encountered by other sites, some even becoming Superfund Sites for remediation.   Approving a contentious project with short term benefits and a hoard of issues would in our minds not be good stewardship of New Hanover County. It obvious that the recent residential growth along Castle Hayne Road will provide many superior benefits to NHC residents the County.  The Planning Board and Commissioners have done a great job in guiding the residential growth of our area and the industrial growth along 421, just a short drive from us.  Please do not let this industrial project negatively impact that valuable growth, our lives and potentially our environment.
Please make the push over the next two days that could hopefully stop the sand mine project.