You may think that if you’ve visited one beach town, you’ve been to them all. But simply put, that’s not the case. Beach towns vary greatly. Some cater to tourists, featuring high-rise hotels, putt-putt golf courses, arcades, and outdoor eateries.
Many other beach towns, however, focus on local residents. These towns are often built with a master plan that emphasizes attracting permanent residents, not tourists. They tend to feature large oceanfront homes overlooking the Atlantic.
Then there’s Oak Island, a town that also caters to its residents but stands out from the others. Unlike its neighboring beach towns, Oak Island is known for its smaller homes. More like beach cottages than estates, the average home size on Oak Island is slightly over 1,500 square feet, making it the smallest in the Cape Fear region. For comparison, here are the average home sizes in other communities:
| Town | Average Size of a Single-Family Home |
|---|---|
| Wrightsville Beach | 2,700 square feet |
| Bald Head Island | 2,100 square feet |
| Ocean Isle Beach | 2,090 square feet |
| Sunset Beach | 1,950 square feet |
| Carolina Beach/Kure Beach | 1,915 square feet |
| Holden Beach | 1,900 square feet |
| Surf City | 1,850 square feet |
| Oak Island | 1,513 square feet |
The desire to maintain Oak Island’s small-town feel led to controversy when a property owner submitted plans to build a 10-bedroom, 4,900-square-foot home. Several residents voiced their concerns at town government meetings, referencing Oak Island’s Unified Development Ordinance. According to the ordinance, a “large home” is defined as a dwelling with a maximum square footage of 4,998 square feet or more. Homes exceeding this size require a special use permit, which includes a quasi-judicial process.
While the original application for this home was approved in 2022, it expired earlier this year. As a result, the property owner had to submit a new application. According to documents filed with Oak Island’s planning staff, the home will be located at 6963 Kings Lynn Drive. Plans reveal it will include 10 bedrooms, a living room, dining room, duckpin bowling alley, deck with an infinity pool and jacuzzi, outdoor bar, and porch. The home will also feature an elevator and numerous sliding glass doors and windows.
Following a presentation by the owner’s attorney at a recent town council meeting, the board cast a split vote in favor of issuing the special use permit. Construction is expected to begin next month.