Ownership of the property is complicated. New Hanover County owns part of the land, which was deeded to the county by Flossie Bryan in a will, executed in 2000, calling for the land to be used as a park or community garden. As reported by Port City Daily, that will was later legally challenged by Bryan’s heirs, and a court-ordered settlement determined the property should be rezoned to the “highest and best” use and then sold, with the family receiving a third of the proceeds and the rest going to the county.
Last year, a developer expressed interest in buying and rezoning the property, but withdrew its application before the process was very far along. Last week, Wilmington City Council — which has rezoning authority over the property — unanimously passed a resolution supporting the “pursuit of grants, public-private partnerships, and other funding opportunities to facilitate the acquisition, restoration, and maintenance of this property for the benefit of all residents and visitors” as a public park. County Commissioner Dane Scalise has been a vocal proponent of creating a park on the property, calling it "Airlie 2.0" — a reference to Airlie Gardens.
This week, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners heard a presentation from UNCW professor Dr. Roger Shew, outlining some potential preservation options. Shew started by showing that this 60-acre tract is surrounded by development except for some wooded properties owned by the Cameron family and CCC Midtown developers. Moreover, the surrounding developments built around the tract are mainly within the 100 and 500-year floodplain. The southern part of the Bryan Tract also has these floodplains, Shew noted, adding that preserving the land would help keep pollutants from the neighborhoods from entering Barnards Creek and help protect existing homes from future flooding, as the trees would absorb more of the floodwaters.
Shew wrote to the county previously to say that a petition in favor of preserving the tract had received over 1,000 signatures. He added that the county strategic plan states, "Natural areas and the environment should be protected, and community well-being and environmental stewardship are critical.” Then, he also referenced the 2023 City of Wilmington community survey, which found that the top two concerns of residents were growth and development and traffic congestion.
Shew acknowledged that New Hanover County is the second smallest in landmass in the state but is the sixth most densely populated county, drawing attention to the balance between conservation and the need to build housing for the area’s residents.
He said previously, the county looked at rezoning this tract for a high-density, multiple-dwelling residential district that would host a 580-unit complex but asked them to consider other options.
“One of the things wrong with this country is that we’re not connected to nature,” he said.
He suggested that the area could be a place to conduct STEM training, education, and community hiking trails.
A more specific suggestion he had is that this could be a place to house a satellite office for the county’s Cooperative Extension, Arboretum, and Soil and Water Conservation District. Those employees can then use the land as a teaching tool for students and the community.
He also referenced that this land could be used to grow food for the community and/or New Hanover County students. It could also be used for "agrivoltics" where the property would have farming and solar panels.
Shew said the county has an opportunity to preserve this land and mentioned other possible spaces for conservation that have been hotly debated in the public sphere, like Sledge Forest and Smith Creek.
Commissioner LeAnn Pierce said it was clear to her that the community wants to preserve green space so they can be healthy and walk with their families. Commissioner Stephaine Walker said she's a gardener and wanted to see this space as a possible place for students to learn about nature and have the opportunity to grow food.
About eight citizens came to speak to the commission about preserving green spaces, including conserving the Bryan Tract, Sledge Forest, and Smith Creek.
Independence Bryan Tract by Ben Schachtman on Scribd
