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A newly approved project will give more people options for living in rural Chatham County just a few miles from the Haw River and the destination mill village of Bynum.
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Chatham County’s commissioners voted 5-0 Monday to approve the 238-home Whispering Creek conservation subdivision for 288 acres off Bynum Ridge Road.
The project, from Morrisville-based developer Meritage Homes, is roughly 13 miles south of Chapel Hill and eight miles north of Pittsboro.
It will be a conservation subdivision, which allows the developer to build more densely if roughly 40% of the land is kept in a natural state, and about 80% of that land remains undeveloped.
Most of the homes are planned along the southeastern boundary of Pokeberry Creek, just northeast of Bynum.
Meritage Homes agreed to preserve up to 108 acres, including steep slopes and woodlands. Roughly six acres would be open space, which can also be used for septic fields. A 200-foot vegetative buffer could separate the homes from Pokeberry Creek and its floodplain, which run along the eastern boundary.
Another waterway, Ward Branch, flows along the northern property line — one of roughly 11 streams and six possible wetlands.
The conservation land is spotted, however, with roads, septic irrigation fields, and homes. That, and the plan for more housing near Pokeberry Creek, raised concerns for Planning Board members Nelson Smith and Elaine Chiosso, former head of the nonprofit Haw River Assembly, who questioned the potential effects on migratory bird nesting, bat habitat and downstream erosion.
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But the project met the county’s rules for conservation subdivisions, leaving the commissioners with little room to negotiate for changes.
The plan shows Whispering Creek could be built in two phases, with construction tentatively beginning by the early 2030s. The one- and two-story single-family homes could occupy lots up to a third of an acre and offer roughly 2,700 to 4,100 square feet.
The community also could include recreation options, such as a pool and clubhouse, an open-air pavilion, sports courts, a playground, and a dog park, project documents show.
The homeowners association would maintain wastewater and stormwater systems, with public water provided by TriRiver Water. Project official Mark Ashness noted the proposed wastewater system is smaller than those in communities such as Briar Chapel, and some septic fields may never be used.
The site was previously approved in 2006 for a different, single-family home development, which fell apart due to the 2008 housing crash and recession. It lies across from the entrance to The Retreat at Haw River neighborhood and just south of the Berrybrook Crossing neighborhood, both of which are conservation subdivisions.
Neighbors have expressed concerns about more traffic and speeding on the winding rural road. A traffic study estimated the project could generate another 2,243 trips per day, including 170 trips during the morning commute and 219 trips in the evening, documents note.
The N.C. Department of Transportation has already approved reducing the Bynum Ridge Road speed limit from 55 mph to 45 mph, documents show.
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