A deal between Southport to sell hundreds of acres of land to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission remains on the table after elected officials there recently agreed to extend the city’s contract deadline with the state agency.
Following what was, at times, a contentious discussion March 13 during the Southport Board of Aldermen meeting, members cast a 5-1 vote to push an option agreement with the state from March 21 to July 31 with a closing date of no later than Sept. 5.
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The agency anticipates closing before that date, Ben Solomon, assistant chief and land acquisition manager of the commission’s Land and Water Access Division, said in a statement to Coastal Review on Monday.
More than a year has passed since aldermen agreed in a majority vote their intent to sell more than 400 city-owned acres to the commission for just over $637,000.
The Wildlife Resources Commission had been eyeing the property for the past few years with hopes of expanding the game land footprint in the area, a move that would place the land in conservation in perpetuity.
The property is adjacent to the state’s Green Swamp Game Land. The land also borders the country’s largest ammunition port, Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point, or MOTSU.
The federal government prohibits development of the property because of its proximity to the 16,000-acre port.
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Brunswick County land owners whose property is near the 441-acre tract fought a construction firm’s proposal about three years ago to buy or lease no fewer than 50 acres from the city. The firm wanted to mine clay-like material and use the earth to build up eroded berms buffering ammunition and explosive areas within the Army installation.
Under the proposed deal with the state, Southport will keep 10 acres to use to temporarily place hurricane debris. The county will retain another 5 acres, which could eventually be the site of a water tower or some other type of water reserve used to improve water pressure in the area for fire-fighting.
Brunswick County property owners whose land is near the tract asked last week for clarification on how the city and county planned to use the land to be retained by local governments.
The handful of residents, including Ron Madden, expressed relief that the city would move forward with plans to sell the land to the Wildlife Resources Commission.
“We’re concerned to see what happens there,” he said. “This is paradise. Our neighborhood is paradise. We’re just asking you to be the good neighbors that we are to you. We take great pride in our neighborhood as you do in Southport.”
His and others’ comments to the board angered Alderman and Southport native Marc Spencer, the lone alderman to vote against extending the deadline to the commission, who balked at the proposed sale price for the tract.
Spencer said members of the city planning board tried to come up with multiple uses for the site, including a cemetery, but the city got “shook around by our local neighbors who didn’t like what they thought we were going to do so we didn’t do anything at all.”
“Now we’re selling 441 acres for $600,000. Really? I will sell my house today and buy it. I’ll take it. I’ll take it forever. Anybody here would. That’s ridiculous. This was a bad deal from the beginning with a bunch of people from Bethel Church Road (Bethel Road) who didn’t like what we were going to do who haven’t ever paid tax in Southport in your life. You’re not a member of Southport. You talk about paradise? You ruined paradise for me,” he said.
The commission received funding in late 2021 to buy the land, an area wildlife officials say is ecologically important because it supports both federal and state listed species.
The agency received funding in 2021 to buy the land through the North Carolina Land and Water Fund, state Attorney General’s Office Environmental Enhancement Grant Program, and the North American Wetlands Conservation Act Program.
“We’ve already agreed to sell it to them,” Southport Alderwoman Karen Mosteller said. “All we’re doing is agreeing to extend the agreement.”
The city bought a majority of tract 20 years ago with plans to use it as a spray-irrigation site for a new sewer plant. Those plans were eventually scrapped after the city decided to merge its water and sewer with the county.
