LELAND —Plans to build a massive residential community in Brunswick County have gotten a second chance at life. The Leland Town Council voted last month to annex 2,100 acres off Malmo Loop and Colon Mintz roads. That’s the proposed location where Criteria Development, an Alabama based company, wants to build a 5,000 home community it calls East Lake.
The annexation was a plan B for the company, after their first efforts were rejected by Brunswick County officials.
The massive tract of land, which is just west 0f I-140, was initially in an unincorporated part of the county. Consequently, Criteria Development needed its vision approved by the Brunswick County Planning Board. Instead the board shot down the project unanimously in September. The rejection took place after several residents in the area spoke out against the development; sharing concerns about flooding, the displacement of wildlife, and overall infrastructure.
At the time, the vote seemed like the end of the project, but things were far from over.
Criteria Development entered into talks with the Town of Leland. If the town would annex the land, at the owners request, then approval power would be taken away from the Brunswick County Planning Board and ultimately given to the Town Council.
On the same night in December that Leland voted to absorb the 2,100 acres, it also voted to rezone the land. The Town Council approved 1,365 acres for single-family homes, 22 acres for multifamily homes, 57 acres for commercial property and 602 acres that will be kept as protected wetlands.
Although the vote appears to be a big victory for Criteria Development, its planned East Lake community still faces more hurdles. According to published reports Leland has not received the official application for the development. Once Criteria submits plans, they will have to work its way through Leland’s review process, which could include additional public hearings.