NEW HANOVER COUNTY — Though development in New Hanover County has seemed to slightly decelerate in recent months, there are a few projects looking to add to Wilmington’s housing stock.
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The developments will fill out options along Kerr Avenue — The Lofts at South Kerr and Ethos 622 Apartments — as well as Wooster Street with Sapphire on 5th. In total, and if approved by city council, the apartments would bring almost 150 to the city limits.
At least two units included in the Ethos 622 Apartments will be dedicated to workforce housing. Port City Daily reached out to the other two developers and the City of Wilmington requesting if the projects would include affordable housing, though did not hear back by press.
All applications in the pre-technical review committee phase have yet to be scheduled for planning commission consideration. The TRC is the first stop in an approval process, allowing feedback from various departments on what the applicant needs to meet city ordinances and codes.
The Lofts at South Kerr
At 215 S. Kerr Ave., Tripp Engineering is hoping to develop a three-story apartment building accommodating 19 units and almost 700 square feet of commercial space.
The property is owned by 215 S. Kerr Avenue LLC, registered by agent John Cockrum.
Each of the 19 units will be one-bedrooms. Of those, two will be set aside for workforce housing, equalling 10% of the residential offerings. Workforce housing is generally defined as affordable for those earning between 80% and 120% of area median income, which in Wilmington is $58,908.
According to the site plan, the building would go behind Environments Unlimited, fronting Kerr Avenue. The parcel is zoned regional business, meaning the residential component of the development would only be permitted under a conditional district imposed by the city.
Parking already exists on site for the current business, though 29 spaces will be added in a surface lot flanking the apartment building. Per the site plan, the residences will generate 128 24-hour trips, while the commercial will generate 10.
Ethos 622 Apartments
Ritz Partners 7 LLC, registered by agent Matt Scharf, and Intracoastal Engineering are proposing another set of apartments down the road from the lofts at 610, 614, 618, 622 S. Kerr. Ave.
The property owner is proposing two buildings, each three-stories high, to house 48 two-bedroom units. The apartments will accompany the existing single-family home on site.
The development will be allowed by-right, as it’s zoned for high-density multiple-dwelling residential use, or MD-17. The district is designed for the “urban core of the city and other areas with a full range of amenities and commercial services.” Though surrounding parcels are single-family, the property is just a few hundred yards away from the intersection of New Centre Drive and Kerr Avenue, where a Royal Farms gas station is in the works.
Per the site plan, the buildings will sit on the east side of the property while the existing home is on the west, with 102 parking spaces located behind it. The property will be accessed only by South Kerr Avenue and the site plan reports a daily generation of 383 trips — 38 a.m. peak, 41 p.m. peak.
Open space equals 0.72 acres with around 100 trees to be removed, 11 of which will need to be mitigated.
Sapphire on 5th
Three buildings are also planned for 418 Wooster St., bringing 61 one-bedroom and 21 two-bedroom apartment units to Wilmington’s south side. The site plan was put together by CSD Engineering for property owner Envoy Opportunity Fund QOZB LLC, registered by agent Frank Williams.
The property will also accommodate 852 square feet of commercial space.
The plan shows the development zig-zags between other single-family homes, though the property is zoned for urban mixed-use; therefore, the proposed development is permitted by-right.
Per the city’s land code, UMX zoning inside the city’s 1945 corporate limits is intended to “reinforce and restore traditional mixed-use patterns in the older parts of Wilmington” and encourages “compatible infill and redevelopment.”
Over 70% of the property will be impervious surface, while over 10% (the requirement) is dedicated to open space, equal to 11,045 square feet.
The apartments will be accessible via Fourth Street. According to the site plan, the housing will generate 134 daily trips.
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