Pender County commissioners voted unanimously on Oct. 19 to allow construction of a 236-site RV campground on 52.16 acres north of Holly Shelter Game Lands, clearing the way for a project that drew nearly two hours of public debate over road access and how long campers could legally stay put. The Blakes Bridge Campground is proposed on a roughly 52-acre site near Shaw Highway and N.C. 53, about nine miles from Burgaw.
The special-use permit, granted after the lengthy public hearing, came with conditions attached, according to Port City Daily. Commissioners required a second everyday ingress and egress point for the site, on top of the developer's original plan. Of the 52.16 total acres, only 32.2 acres will actually be disturbed by construction, while 21.73 acres will remain as open space, the outlet reported.
As described in reporting from the Charlotte Observer, the campground will provide more than 200 RV campsites, with county records putting the total at 236 individual lots. Each lot is set to measure 2,100 square feet, exceeding Pender County's required minimum lot size of 2,000 square feet, per the same Port City Daily account. The remaining acreage is planned for walking paths and an amenity pond, according to the Observer, with a community bathhouse, an office and a dump station clustered near the entrance.
Traffic Projections and Road Access Disputes
A traffic impact analysis tied to the project estimated the campground could generate as many as 746 vehicle trips per day, including 38 trips during the morning peak hour and 61 during the evening peak hour, Port City Daily reported. That volume became a flashpoint during the hearing, since Orchid Road — proposed as the campground's main entrance — is slated to be widened and surfaced with gravel to handle the new traffic.
Two Orchid Road property owners, Robert and Doug Kenan, opposed the project at the hearing, arguing the road is not public at all. Robert Kenan said Orchid Road has been a private road since at least 1968, and the pair worried the RV park could ultimately create roadblocks preventing them from reaching their own land, per the same account. Robert Kenan told commissioners he was concerned he would have to travel through the campground itself just to access his Orchid Road property.
Stay Limits and the 180-Day Question
Robert Kenan also raised concerns about the permit's 180-day cap on how long an RV can remain parked at a single site, suggesting an owner could simply shift a vehicle to an adjacent trailer site to dodge the limit altogether. Doug Keenan went further, saying the campground could effectively become permanent housing for people unable to afford housing elsewhere in Pender County, according to the Charlotte Observer.
The applicant's attorney pushed back on that characterization, telling commissioners the 180-day policy would be actively enforced specifically to prevent RVs from becoming permanent residences. Commissioners ultimately sided with the project, approving the permit with the added entrance requirement rather than rejecting it outright.
Creek Access and a Largely Undeveloped Setting
The site has access to Holly Shelter Creek and sits near a public boat ramp operated by the state, according to the Observer's reporting. A separate account from Woodall's Campground Magazine described the proposal as a creekside development in a largely undeveloped stretch of central Pender County, one that would include several supporting amenities and, that outlet suggested, expand outdoor recreation options for both visitors and local residents.
The project remains contingent on FEMA issuing a letter of map revision, since part of the property sits within a special hazard flood zone, Port City Daily reported. County agenda materials filed with the Pender County Board of County Commissioners show the request, listed as SUP 2026-58, was originally scheduled for an Aug. 17, 2026 special-use-permit hearing in Holly Township before ultimately coming to a vote this month.
