MANTEO, N.C. — More than 18 months after a cluster home property was approved by Dare County, commissioners have made efforts over the last month to buy the more than 10-acre property back that was to bring 48 homes to Wanchese.
"We were looking at every single angle and way, and try to perhaps maybe resolve this issue for the residents in Wanchese," said Bob Woodard, chairman of the Dare County Board of Commissioners.
Over the last few weeks, Woodard and Vice Chair Steve House have met with the developer in hopes of agreeing on a dollar amount to buy the property. Woodard said initially the developer's price tag was $5 million, that went up to $6 million in the most recent talks. Ultimately, the developer took the potential sale off the table.
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"I can assure you this morning that this board was not willing to offer him the $6 million that he wanted for the property, which was about a month or so ago. As a matter of fact, when we had the conversation, he said that, having further thought about it, that he was not willing to sell the property any longer, so the purchase of it was off the table," said Woodard.
Only a few people spoke during the public comment period, with all but one feeling like the developer has gone through the right avenues for this, and it's time to move on.
“He’s not a demon. He saw a business opportunity, he went forward," said Mitchell Bateman, who has lived in Wanchese for nearly 50 years.
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Bateman understands the frustrations of Wanchese residents over the years about the cluster home property.
"Do I like what he's doing? Absolutely not. And I told him, you know, because we're all a little resistant to change, and it's all single family, and it's all a village, residential area community," said Bateman.
All the commissioners agreed that even though they might not like the development's plans, it would be wrong to step in and take it over.
“I am a minimal government guy. I can’t be a minimal government believer and then decide that I’m going to condemn somebody’s property because I don’t like it. I know that’s not going to be a real popular opinion in Wanchese but it is the right thing to do," said Carson Creef, Dare County commissioner.
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“I’m gonna hold Mr. Alexander to his statements to vice chairman House and myself, that it will be a project that the community will be proud of," said Woodard.
A message echoed by Bateman.
“We're we like what we are, but it's never going to stay the same. Mr. Alexander got his foot in the door, he got his development going, and now we're all just praying that it will turn out to be a blessing to our community and not an albatross," said Bateman.
It’s not clear when the development will be finished, but just over 10 acres of the development's land is in the process of being cleared.
