For now, a plan to build 348 townhome units off Market Street is on hold after officials with the development firm withdrew a rezoning request Monday.

CIP Construction, a division of Greensboro-based The Carroll Companies, wanted a new zoning designation for 33.5 acres at 8138 Market St. in Porters Neck to allow the townhomes. But after residents and elected county officials expressed concerns about the project and the developers faced a potential denial of the request, they pivoted.

“We'd like to withdraw and go back to the drawing board and consider our plans,” said Craig Carlock, chief operating officer of The Carroll Companies, during a meeting of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners on Monday.

During the public hearing portion of the meeting, nearby residents took issue with several aspects of the development, including the increase in traffic it would cause and its potential to contribute to a flood-prone section of northern New Hanover County. 

CIP Construction officials had hoped to start construction of the townhomes in mid-2025 and complete them during the second half of 2027, according to a CIP email last week. Withdrawing the project, planning officials said Monday, could allow the developer to come back sooner with a different plan.

“If a project is withdrawn, then in order to submit something else, it would be treated as a completely new application. However, if a project is denied, there's a one-year waiting period before the applicant can submit a substantially similar project,” Rebekah Roth, the county's planning and land use director, said when commissioners asked about the process Monday. “With a withdrawal, they have the opportunity to get back to the drawing board and potentially submit something similar within that one-year period.”

CIP officials were optimistic during their presentation at the start of the public hearing.

"Let me say at the outset that we are excited to be here," Carlock said. "This area of New Hanover County as you know is vibrant. There's great retail here, great commercial activity, tremendous housing activity, golf courses. It's a vibrant area. We believe our project will add to the attractiveness and the appeal of the area."