It appears to be back to the planning board route for developers proposing a massive community in Brunswick County.

After public comments on the matter during the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners’ meeting on Monday, a representative of developers planning to build nearly 12,500 homes on 4,300 acres withdrew a proposed development agreement, citing opposition from residents and commissioners.

The development agreement would have put decisions and potential benefits regarding the Strategic Maco Road Project in the hands of the commissioners, rather than the county’s planning board, which has to sign off on a planned development if it meets a list of criteria.

The development agreement for the Strategic Maco Road Project, which is planned on a site along Town Creek and Turkey Creek and bordered by N.C. 87 (Maco Road) and Town Creek Road, describes potential benefits for both the developer and the county.

The path forward for developers in the future will be the more traditional major subdivision or planned development route, both of which are subject to a public hearing at a planning board meeting and planning board approval.

Much of the opposition to the development agreement and to the project as a whole has stemmed from multiple issues related to the county’s infrastructure as it continues to experience rapid growth. Commissioner Randy Thompson put those issues in dire terms.

“If a county in North Carolina qualifies for a moratorium, it’s Brunswick County. We have public safety issues, we have stormwater issues, we have water-sewer issues, we have issues up one side and down the other. …. This is the best place to live in the United States, and apparently, more and more people are recognizing that,” Thompson said. “It’s not going to happen this meeting, and it doesn’t happen the next meeting, (but I) guarantee you, six months from now, we’re going to be in a moratorium. It’s coming. And it’s coming because we desperately need to protect the citizens of Brunswick County.”

During Monday’s public hearing, residents said the massive development would harm the county in various ways.

Shallotte resident Holly Long was among those who spoke against the project. Individual speakers had three minutes each to share their comments.

“I won’t be alive when this monstrosity is completed, but my children will still be paying for the consequences if this agreement is approved. There are so many things wrong about this project, but my three minutes aren’t enough time to name them all. This project disregards the concerns of residents whose daily lives will be disrupted by increased noise, pollution and traffic,” Long said. “I don’t care what the stats say. Our roads are maxed out, so are the schools, the hospitals, doctors’ offices, grocery stores, and anything else that you can name. … This relentless expansion threatens to overwhelm everything around us, diminish our quality of life and erode the character of our county.”

Ahead of public comments, Richard Collier, regional growth manager of McKim & Creed and the engineer representing the developer, addressed some of those concerns.

In addition to many road improvements and additions, the development would include over 1,300 acres of open space, 15% of which is recreational; stormwater management designed for 100-year storm events; and no homes built in certain high-risk flood zones, he said. Collier also said the developer would extend a water main from U.S. 17 and build a regional sewer pump station, with a dedicated force main to allow schools on the site to open on their own timeline.

“We want to make sure we’ve designed this project to grow alongside the infrastructure and not ahead of the infrastructure,” Collier said.

He said the development agreement, rather than a standard planned development process, was pursued so the county would have more say.

“We wanted to come before the elected officials and bring a development agreement that is something that the county can be proud of and not something that you’re worried about overturning at some point,” he said.

Board of Commissioners’ chairman Mike Forte said he can’t “in good conscience support this plan right now. I get it. It’s a 35-year plan. It’s five different phases. I get it. It’s no secret that I am pro-development, but this one is just too much.”

Amy Schaefer, of the Wilmington-based Lee Kaess law firm, representing the developer, announced the withdrawal of the development agreement, but made it clear that Strategic Partners is not withdrawing the project itself.

“Please, if you want to meet with the development team, please reach out again,” Schaefer said.

She encouraged residents and officials to continue to share any feedback, thoughts and concerns.

“We’ve taken all the notes from tonight,” Schaefer said. “I promise we’ve all been taking them, and we’ll incorporate them, but please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions or comments or hear something that didn’t come up in this meeting.”