New Hanover County leaders approved a zoning change this week that could clear the way for more commercial space in Castle Hayne.

The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted on Monday to rezone just over 2 acres along Castle Hayne Road, giving it a regional business district designation. That approval will allow plans for up to 18,000 square feet of flex commercial space to move forward on the site.

The commercial space will be split across three approximately 6,000-square-foot buildings at 2117 Castle Hayne Road, said Cindee Wolf, owner of Design Solutions. 

“We opted for the three smaller buildings so that the uses could be flexible,” she said Monday.

Wolf presented the site plans Monday on behalf of her client Backyard Specialist, a company that designs and installs outdoor upgrades that range from pergolas and fire pits to outdoor kitchens. Backyard Specialist will occupy one of the site’s three buildings, Wolf said. The space will house offices, a showroom and product storage for the company.

Other businesses will occupy the site’s remaining two buildings. But they must fit into the conditions placed on the site in its rezoning approval. 

Permitted uses include an indoor recreation establishment, animal grooming, a business service center, a contractor office or other office type, personal services, instructional services, general retail sales or a restaurant. Conditions prohibit a shooting range, animal kennel or day care, a tattoo parlor or a drive-thru restaurant to occupy the site.

The land was initially zoned for low-density residential development in 1974, according to Amy Doss, a planner with New Hanover County. It was rezoned in 2006 as part of the Hanover Lakes subdivision. Then in 2016, the land was rezoned to an office and institutional district for the development of a commercial office building – the current zoning would allow nearly 13,000 square feet of office space. Those plans never materialized.

In recent years, the Castle Hayne Road corridor has witnessed an uptick in both residential and commercial development. The area “has seen an increasing shift toward more commercial districts and uses,” according to documents included in the rezoning application. 

That increasing development has sparked concerns among the area’s existing residents. Several residents who live in the Hanover Lakes subdivision turned out when the rezoning went before the New Hanover County Planning Board last month to voice concerns about the impact the proposed development could have on traffic, stormwater and noise in the area. 

Developers have promised to limit the number of trips generated by the new buildings. Following a condition previously put in place during the last zoning, developers will limit car trips during morning and afternoon peak hours to less than 100 for the whole site.

That trip generation standard will be enforced during the permitting that will take place during the building upfit process, county planners said.