Kitchen Cabinets in Leland, NC

Novant Health announced plans Monday to expand its footprint in Brunswick County, including a new hospital in Leland.

Novant has submitted a certificate of need application to build a 20-bed hospital in Leland, according to a news release. This would be the first new hospital in Brunswick County since 2011, when the 74-bed Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center opened in Bolivia.

The new hospital, to be called the Novant Health Leland Medical Center, would be located on just over 40 acres near the intersection of Fawnbrook Way and U.S. 74/76 in Leland, according to a certificate of need application Novant submitted to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services last week.

The land is part of Terrapin, a neighborhood set to hold about 2,800 homes in Leland. Logan Developers Inc. broke ground on the nearly 1,000-acre master-planned community in January.

Development of the two-story, 142,460-square-foot hospital is expected to cost more than $251 million and could accept patients beginning in January 2030, according to the certificate of need application.

The hospital will serve as a new campus of Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center, according to the application. Novant plans to relocate 20 licensed acute care beds from Brunswick Medical Center to the new hospital location. Novant also plans to develop five procedure rooms, four of which will be constructed to operating room standards. Four of the acute care beds will be intensive care unit beds.

Novant’s application highlights Brunswick County’s growing population and states that the new hospital aims to bring health care closer to patients.

“Current patient destination data indicate that a significant proportion of Brunswick County residents travel outside the county – most often to Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center (NH New Hanover) – for acute care services,” the application states. “This project is designed to redirect care back into the county, bringing services closer to where patients live.”

The site eyed for the hospital is made up of two parcels. Novant could purchase the larger 37-acre parcel for $350,000 per acre, according to the certificate of need application. The purchase price for an adjacent 5-acre parcel is listed as just over $2 million. Novant is under contract to purchase the land needed for the project, according to spokesperson Julian March.

If the certificate of need is approved, the application states that the site would need to be rezoned for a medical center.

Novant has also submitted a certificate of need application to develop a new freestanding emergency department near U.S. 17 in Carolina Shores. The $24.2 million project would operate under the Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center license and is expected to open in September 2028.

Plans for the emergency department aim to “close a critical gap in emergency medical access for the southern portion of Brunswick County.”

“Currently, this North Carolina region relies solely on two existing hospital-based Emergency Departments (EDs) – one in Bolivia and one in Southport – both of which are a significant and challenging distance from the Carolina Shores area,” the application states. “Due to high population growth and seasonal tourist traffic, particularly along the U.S. 17 corridor, patients face unacceptably long transit times, where delays can range from a half-hour to over an hour.”

Novant also plans to invest in Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center, including an expanded MRI space and a new cardiac catheterization lab. The new lab will allow patients to receive interventional cardiology procedures, such as stent placements, without having to travel outside the county, according to the release.

These plans complement ongoing construction for an ambulatory surgery center in the Leland area, which broke ground earlier this year. The center is slated to open in 2026.

“Our strategic efforts are designed to expand access to care close to home to meet the current and future care needs of this community,” Ernie Bovio, president of the Novant Health Coastal Region, stated in the release. “Novant Health has proudly served Brunswick County for nearly 20 years, and we’re excited to continue to add facilities and recruit needed physicians to secure healthcare access throughout the county.”

In the release, Laurie Whalin, president, Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center and acute care operations for the Novant Health Coastal Region, stated the plans could expand access throughout the county.

“Our existing inpatient and emergency care is concentrated in the middle of the county, so we’re focused on extending care options to better serve population centers throughout the county,” she wrote. “We’re also continuing to explore other opportunities to grow care in this community and throughout the region.”

D Logan of Logan Developers said he's excited about Novant's plans.

He said, "I think it will add great value to the (Terrapin) community and its residents and to the community overall."

Leland residents who wanted an end to land-clearing burning got their wish on Oct. 20.

Following recent land clearing for a future shopping center site, Leland officials adopted an ordinance that immediately stopped land clearing open burning. Despite the effort to help, some residents left with feelings of disgust.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality describes open burning as controlled outdoor fires. These fires range from small residential yard fires to burn debris, to commercial land-clearing fires that pave the way for construction and land development, the NCDEQ website states.

Motorists driving through Leland and Brunswick Forest residents noticed smoky air in mid-October as fire burned debris along U.S. 17 across from Brunswick Forest's commercial area.

The land-clearing fires were at the Leland Village shopping center site, formerly called Savannah Branch Town Center. The burned forest floor will eventually be home to Publix, Marshalls, Ulta Beauty and more.

Leland Town Council called a special meeting on Oct. 20 to discuss open burning after many residents shared concerns about public health risks from the outdoor flames. The meeting did not include public comments.

Is open burning for land clearing allowed?

Under North Carolina law, open burning of leaves, branches and some plant growth is allowed but there are limits and rules to what can be burned outdoors, and when, per the NCDEQ website. For example, yard waste and commercial land clearing burning are only allowed from 8 a.m.-6 p.m., and burning trash and non-vegetative materials is prohibited.

"In addition to the state open burning rules, you may also be subjected to local ordinances, local burn bans or permitting requirements from the N.C. Forest Service," the NCDEQ website states.

Leland officials change open burning rules for town

Town council members on Oct. 20 unanimously adopted an ordinance immediately prohibiting land clearing burning within town limits. Prior to the new ordinance, open burning of natural vegetative debris was allowed within Leland if burn permits were obtained.

Leland Town Manager David Hollis described the proposed ordinance to the crowded room but did not read it in its entirety. In addition, no copy of the ordinance was released before the meeting.

Land clearing burning causes "significant risks to public health, safety and welfare," the ordinance states. Smoke from open burning for land clearing purposes can create emotional and physical distress for people with health condition, and dangerous conditions for motorists by impeding road visibility, per the ordinance.

Developers are encouraged to dispose of land clearing debris by transporting it to a permitted solid waste facility or chipping and mulching, or composting facility.

The ordinance states it was crafted to protect air quality, reduce potential fire hazards and wildfires, and improve public health.

Residents blame board members and election pressure

Residents Brian Gudely, Gary Ostby and Shaunda Blake said they believe the ordinance adoption was fueled by election pressure, not residential outcry for change. All three residents expressed frustrations with council members' delayed actions and the town not publicizing the proposed ordinance prior to its adoption.

"You go outside and you can't even breathe," said Gudely, noting he moved to the area to escape wildfires.

Ostby said land clearing burning was an issue 13 years ago, when he moved to Brunswick Forest, and that he feels "disgust" about the issue not being addressed sooner.

Blake and Ostby claim they had no idea the town was crafting a new land clearing burning ordinance and question why the town did not take action when similar complaints were brought up about a year ago.

"This problem has existed as long as these major developers have existed. So, this is not new, it's age old... They could have done what they just did tonight a year ago," Ostby said.

Both Gudely and Ostby said they believe they are not represented by existing town council and hope to see a new board.

"The problems that we are having as a town are very specific to not focusing on the needs of the residents,'" Ostby said.

Development has significantly changed Leland in recent years, said Ostby, noting many residents are unhappy with what Leland has become and blame a developer-supported local government.

"It was just a nice area," Ostby said. "That's not what you have today. What you have is density, and density brings all kinds of issues."

Violation fees of land clearing open burning

The NCDEQ website states the North Carolina Division of Air Quality enforces state open burning regulations and that law violators can be fined up to $25,000.

In Leland, violating the new ordinance results in a class 3 misdemeanor and $500 per day, per violation fine, Hollis said. The fire chief could also order civil citations that add an additional $500 per day, per violation fee if the order is not addressed within 24 hours, per the ordinance.

Council member Veronica Carter said staff has worked to make the ordinance "as tough and as permanent as possible."

Despite residents wishing the fines to be higher, Hollis said state law restricts the town to a $500 maximum for violating the land clearing burning ordinance.

Are residents still allowed to burn debris?

Residents are still allowed to burn yard debris, have camp a fire or use fire for personal heating or cooking within the state fire prevention code, Hollis said. Fires used for forestry management, fire fighting training, agriculture and wildlife management purposes are also not impacted by the adopted ordinance, Hollis said.

More burning questions and discussions

The town will host an open burning workshop at 3 p.m. on Nov. 10 in the Leland Cultural Arts Center, 1212 Magnolia Village Way. Presentations on current regulations, enforcement and applicability in Leland and a public comment period will be included in the workshop, per a town of Leland news release.

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Savanna Tenenoff covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at.