Representative Community Representative Community

Team Member Clearwater Hidden Hills

Team Member Clearwater Stonegate

Team Member Clearwater Little Duck

Team Member The Reserve Bridge Pointe

Team Member Oak Point Saint George's

Team Member Bradmore Estates Rock Point Landing

Team Member Crystal Forest Knolls of Hyco

Team Member Crystal Cove Latoma

Whetstone Tangelwood Shores

Quail Hollow Hickory Ridge

Lakeview Caddenbottom

South Landing Duck Pointe

South Pointe Landing Fox Liar

Lakeside Wild Turkey

Jeff Road Coon Ridge

Pelican Point Beaver Dam

The Harbor Robin Road

Covington Place Heritage Harbor

McGhees Landing Deerfield

Concerns for prospective buyers

The Peninsula on Hyco Lake is expected to be a dramatic departure in style from other Hyco Lake communities and there are important, unanswered questions for potential buyers.

     -          Dock approvals are NOT guaranteed
                         Person-Caswell Lake Authority requires the 4 corners of the proposed dock to be staked, inspected, reviewed and approved by the board before any building permit is issued. For details - click here.
      -     This community will be much more crowded.
                        Density will be more than double the current standard around the lake.
      -          Lake safety around Peninsula lots may be diminished.
                        Increased water traffic from the development could endanger boaters and swimmers alike.
      -          Peninsula HOA costs and responsibilities are unclear.
                        Liability for the developer’s planned wastewater treatment facility may rest on HOA members long-term. No estimates for dues or HOA contract details have yet been released by the developer.

We encourage you to carefully consider all details before purchasing in the Peninsula. More questions to consider below.

Notice for current Hyco residents

The Peninsula developers have already received initial approvals on their plan but are trying to add even more lots for sale.
      -          Zoning for thirty additional lots is being requested.
                           If approved the development would contain 192 lots. This represents twice the lot count per shoreline footage of current Hyco communities.
      -          Plans may call for large, multi-slip docks.
                          A dual-slip dock, 1,800 sq. ft. or less, is the current standard. These provide a natural limit to lake traffic.
      -          No regulations on VRBO, airbnb, or other short-term rentals have been announced.
                         An increase in temporary rentals may bring more vacationers visiting both the lake and the local casino in nearby Danville, resulting in more tourism-related disturbances.

We urge homeowners to sign up for the Save Hyco email and to share any concerns with local officials.

To be added to our email contact list for updates, register your name as opposing this modification and more info around Hyco Lake, please click here: SaveHyco

Introduction

The Peninsula is a Person County concept approved high lakefront density subdivision for 162 waterfront lots residing on the northern end of Hyco Lake. In May of 2022, the developer requested Person County Planning and Zoning Department approval for an additional 30 interior lots eliminating the interior areas that were originally approved as undeveloped, natural areas (these lots would not be water front connected). The density of this project (192 total lots) exceeds the surrounding communities by more than 2 times in lot count per shoreline footage.

There are major water safety concerns with the increase in boats, wakeboard boats and jet skis associated with this high-density development. The Peninsula’s location is unique to the lake with three waterways converging with shallow water areas compounding the boating danger and safety of swimmers.

There are also environmental concerns about water quality. The subdivision has proposed a pressurized common sewer system similar to a municipal waste water treatment system which requires licensed operators. The possibility exist of a pressurized line rupture would empty into Hyco Lake rendering the water unsafe for human use including swimming and skiing and could damage the aquatic life in the area.

Hyco Lake is known for its laidback peaceful atmosphere where most residents enjoy weekends to get away from the big city high density and overcrowding.

Why is Hyco Lake Different?

Hyco Lake is a man-made lake built in the mid 1960s by Carolina Power and Light Co now known as Duke Energy Progress to provide cooling and make-up water for the Roxboro Electric Generating Station. (For more details about the plant click here) The lake encompasses approx. 3,750 acres and has about 120 miles of shoreline. The shoreline is controlled by Duke Energy and managed under contract to Person-Caswell Lake Authority. Duke owns the land under the lake and up to elevation 420' with normal water level (full pond) at 410.5'.

The Person-Caswell Lake Authority (PCLA) has guided the development around the lake and the area around the boat launch ramps and campground area. (Click this link for more info about PCLA) PCLA has worked with Duke Energy to enforce guidelines on lake use and development. The guidelines have always provided what can and cannot be allowed on the land below the 420' property line. Limits are placed on the maximum size of the boat docks (2500 sq. ft. in the early days and 1800 sq. ft. now), the distance required from the boat dock to the property line at the full pond level of 25', and other requirements such as no plumbing, no totally enclosed boat docks, limited projections of boat docks in the natural pathway of boats, limited width of walkway length and widths to the dock and so on. The land below the 420' line is leased yearly from PCLA and is very reasonable averaging around $170 and depends on property line adjoining the lake.

As a result of the PCLA/Duke Energy lake management, Hyco Lake has become a favorite for all kinds of recreation and is the number one visitor/tourist attractor in Person County per Person County Tourism Development Authority (Click here for PCTDA link)

To sum up the Hyco difference as compared to other lakes and the advantages we enjoy and will work diligently to keep:

Large home lots with most exceeding one acre land (includes leased waterfront land and homeowner owned land)
1800 sq. ft. boat docks with most having two boat slips suitable for 24' boats and a 180 sq. ft. storage area and large sun decks
High water quality - clear, clean, refreshing, safe - suitable for swimming, boating, kayaking, paddle boards, fishing, skiing, wake boarding and more
Navigable water while maintaining NC Wildlife regulations including 100' minimum distance between boats, jet skis and docks (Click here for Wildlife regulations)
Minimal water level fluctuations allowing permanent docks (unlike Kerr Lake or better know as Bugg's Island Lake)
Peaceful atmosphere with family gatherings on the dock, porch or in the house without freeway noise, without bright city lights and without feeling like a sardine in a can!
A weekend respite for several homeowners to get out of the big cities and come relax at the lake where we play by day and grill steaks near the fire pit at night
No salt, no sharks, no worries!
3,750 acres of water and approx. 3500 registered PCLA boat annual lake permit tags ($75 each)

Concerns With "The Peninsula" Proposed Development

The Peninsula Concept Plan was presented to the Person County Commissioners in 2018 and approved by a vote of 4 for and 1 against. The Commissioner against the proposal was a retired Health Department employee and had concerns about the pressurized sewage system, the interior roads not meeting NC State DOT standards and concerns about Home Owner Association (HOA) liability. The Commissioner felt that questions had not been answered by the developer and that there were no binding documents answering questions such as: 1) What happens if the HOA goes bankrupt? Who is then responsible for the sewer plant that requires licensed sewer plant operators. 2) Since the side streets are not going to be built to NCDOT standards, are the home owners forced to be a member of the HOA and what happens if the homeowner does not pay dues? 3) Who is responsible if there is a sewer spill into Hyco Lake? Who is liable? 4) Are there any provisions for storm water runoff since all the water, sediment, fertilizer and insecticide will be uncontrolled entering Hyco Lake. 5) Is Duke Energy informed of the high density proposal for this area of Hyco Lake? So far, it appears Duke has only seen the concept plan and has not been fully involved but has recently volunteered to send representatives to a PCLA meeting.

As you see above, there is concern from a safety and health consideration. (Click here for a news article from Lake Norman on water safety)

There are several HOAs located in the immediate area of where The Peninsula is proposed to be built. The HOAs have formed a group of representatives to perform a "deep dive" into all the facts about The Peninsula concept plan. The following concerns are listed by priority of concern:

Compacting almost two hundred homes in a small area parallel to existing homes and docks will make the narrow waterways unsafe for boat passage and swimmers
High density means high irrigation and sewage handling in an area of Hyco Lake that has little inflow from Cane Creek and Crystal Harbor area resulting in water quality concerns especially during the peak summer months.
Approving a high density plan such as this will open the door to other areas of Hyco Lake resulting in similar issues.
The HOA representatives are not anti-development - we are all supportive of increased amenities in a controlled manner respecting the past development of Hyco Lake.
The Peninsula was granted four variances from PC Planning and Zoning Department and it is anticipated variances may be requested to PCLA.
The property where The Peninsula is to be located is zoned residential by Person County. No commercial building is allowed such as boat ramps, marinas, gasoline stations, etc.
HOA fees are likely to be considerably higher than normal to maintain streets, commercial sewage treatment system and underground utilities.
There has been no mention of high speed Broadband Internet Services or cable TV via fiber optic cable. This should be a requirement.
The developer is East Coast Investors, LLC of 3129 Springbank Lane Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28226 - The Peninsula appears listed as being the only project by East Coast Investors in Person County according to GIS and Register of Deeds Records.

Aerial photo below - Convergience of Cane Creek (lower land area), The Peninsula (center land mass), Ski Course/Clearwater (North of The Peninsula) and Oak Pointe (upper right land mass) Can you imagine the addition of 192 homes with 2.5 boats per home or about 500 additional boats in this bottle neck area?

Lake Norman high density living - do you want to live like this?

Photos and Documents

Recommendations to the Developer

So the bottom line is, what would be satisfactory to the current land owners and visitors to Hyco Lake for a new development to be located on the property? The consensus is that if The Peninsula followed the same format as The Reserve which is the adjacent property to the south, most everyone would be supportive.

Utilize the design of The Reserve as the model for development.
100' minimum and 150' recommended water frontage as measured at the full pond, 410.5 elevation
1 acre lot not including the land below the 420' elevation
Custom built homes with landscaping
Underground utilities including Internet Broadband fiber optic cable
Common boat trailer storage area off site

Below is a capture of the "water line" around The Peninsula - there are 58 green waypoints measuring approx 18,076'. If 162 lots are placed in this area, the average water line length per lot is 111' with several less than 100'. Can you imagine 104 additional green dots in this area for a total of 162?

Projected waterline of Peninsula lots

Questions for Potential Owners to Ask

What are the estimated HOA monthly fees expected to be now and in 10 years?
Are there resetrictive convenants established to insure conformity and standards are met and maintained to protect property investment?
What are the anticipated annual Person County Property taxes?
What will happen to Person County property tax rates if the Roxboro Electric Generating Station is decommissioned in 2028-2034?
What items are expected to be covered by the HOA? All roads and streets built and upkeep? Sewage treatment plant operation and compliance to new regulations? Underground utilities? Natural area maintenance and improvements? Property taxes of non-developed land? What additional items will be paid for by the HOA?
Is High Speed Broadband Internet going to be supplied to the homeowners premises underground via fiber optic cable?
Is cable TV service provided to the homeowners premises underground?
Is the homeowner responsible for cost of connecting to the common sewer system?
Who is liable in case of non-compliance to environmental regulations and sewer spills?
What are the water depths at each corner of the proposed dock at normal pond level on my lot?
What happens to homeowners who do not pay their HOA dues?
What happens to all the HOA services if the HOA declares bankruptcy?
Is there to be a common storage area for boat, PWC and work trailers?
What is the ISO Fire rating of the lot I am buying (approx. 10 miles from end of main street Watersail Way to Semora Volunteer FD)
Will the boat dock size be limited due to setbacks or minimum distance to property line or adjacent boat docks now set at 25'?
Will Cane Creek or the waterway where the ski course is (North side of development) be speed limited to no wake speed in the future due to heavy traffic?
Will there be a limit on the number or percent lots/homes that can be used as VRBO or short term rentals to VIR or the new Danville Casino?
Will common multi-slip (more than two slips) boat docks be allowed in the development such as a 10 slip common dock?
Will PCLA eventually declare a maximum number of annual boat permits to control boat congestion and safety?

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To be added to our email contact list for updates and more info around Hyco Lake, please click here: SaveHyco

Power Plant View from North Hyco