Pender County commissioners voted unanimously on Oct. 19 to allow construction of a 236-site RV campground on 52.16 acres north of Holly Shelter Game Lands, clearing the way for a project that drew nearly two hours of public debate over road access and how long campers could legally stay put. The Blakes Bridge Campground is proposed on a roughly 52-acre site near Shaw Highway and N.C. 53, about nine miles from Burgaw.
The special-use permit, granted after the lengthy public hearing, came with conditions attached, according to Port City Daily. Commissioners required a second everyday ingress and egress point for the site, on top of the developer’s original plan. Of the 52.16 total acres, only 32.2 acres will actually be disturbed by construction, while 21.73 acres will remain as open space, the outlet reported.
As described in reporting from the Charlotte Observer, the campground will provide more than 200 RV campsites, with county records putting the total at 236 individual lots. Each lot is set to measure 2,100 square feet, exceeding Pender County’s required minimum lot size of 2,000 square feet, per the same Port City Daily account. The remaining acreage is planned for walking paths and an amenity pond, according to the Observer, with a community bathhouse, an office and a dump station clustered near the entrance.
Traffic Projections and Road Access Disputes
A traffic impact analysis tied to the project estimated the campground could generate as many as 746 vehicle trips per day, including 38 trips during the morning peak hour and 61 during the evening peak hour, Port City Daily reported. That volume became a flashpoint during the hearing, since Orchid Road — proposed as the campground’s main entrance — is slated to be widened and surfaced with gravel to handle the new traffic…