A single-family rental community under construction in Leland is expected to begin welcoming residents around the spring of next year.

Cape Cottage Apartment Homes on Westgate Boulevard near the Westgate Nature Park is set to hold 315 one- and two-story cottages ranging in size from 510 to nearly 1,300 square feet.

The development of for-rent housing communities has increased in the area in recent years, including projects in New Hanover and Brunswick. Leland has one other cottage development under review – Hawthorne Waterside Cottages, said Ben Andrea, director of planning and inspections for the town.

Cape Cottage developer Sands Companies, based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, saw the growth of Leland and Wilmington as a big factor in the decision to embark on a project there. Asked about demand for the single-family rental product, Sands Companies president Joe Morrison said one advantage is that they alleviate noise objections apartments can create for residents. 

“It seems like everybody that's in an apartment complains about someone above them, below and next to them,” Morrison said.

He added that the layout for Cape Cottage “creates a sense of community,” by having the houses face each other and encouraging residents to take advantage of the outdoors by offering sidewalks, parks, open space and other amenities.

Cape Cottage Apartments, 2909 Shoals Point Way, have the same kind of amenities as apartment complexes, he said, including a fitness facility, pool, grills, putting greens and bocce ball courts, among others.

He said the Cape Cottage community is expected to take about 30 months to complete, with the first units potentially available to move into by next March or April.  

The Cape Cottage project is the only development Sands Companies has in Leland, Morrison said, but the company has about 2,000 other units under construction in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.