WILMINGTON — Several small, infill developments have recently been submitted to the City of Wilmington, totalling 27 units to be built from downtown to the Wrightsville Beach area.
All three developments are in the pre-Technical Review Committee stage; only one will need rezoning approval from city council before moving forward to the TRC stage. The other two are allowed by-right.
Tract J Cottages
Developer Paul Taber has applied to build 13 townhomes at 1911 Allens Lane, off Eastwood Road near Lumina Station.
Though situated across from the single-family Lion’s Gate neighborhood, The Tract J Cottages will add to the townhome offerings already in the area, including one to the north of the development off Hunter Circle.
Earlier this year, the Wilmington City Council approved 18 townhomes in five buildings on Allens Lane, within walking distance of the Tract J development.
Tract J will require a rezoning from the current R-15, low-density residential to R-5, medium-density residential. Site plans indicate a conditional zoning will be requested.
The site plan indicates the units will be spread across three lots, two of them with three units totalling 3,750 square feet. The other lot will have seven units totalling 16,250 square feet. The building height, a maximum of 35 feet, will accommodate three stories.
The 1.1-acre site is currently vacant, with the site plan noting the development would bring nearly 30,000 square feet of new surface, though it’s unclear if any will be pervious. As a result of the land-clearing, 104 of the 127 regulated trees are to be removed for essential site improvements and 23 are set to be preserved; an additional 31 trees will be mitigated.
The site plan shows the development is estimated to impact traffic by generating 93 daily trips, with the development accessible via a private drive off Allens Lane.
Scalena Apartments
A small apartment complex is also proposed on a quarter of an acre at 206 Kidder St., which is located a few blocks from the South Front Apartments, Satellite Bar and Lounge and The Harp. The site plan shows six apartment units, all one-bedrooms around 550 square feet, to be built near the corner of Kidder and Third streets.
The property is owned by Maid in Brazil Cleaning Corporation, a commercial business operating out of the building next door to the proposed units.
According to the site plan, the property will not need a rezoning, as the apartments can be built under the current urban mixed-use zoning. The single building will be one story.
The development will be accessible from Kidder Street, with the site plan noting 36 daily trips are estimated to impact traffic in the area.
Though the site is currently undeveloped, only one tree, a willow oak, will need to be removed, per the plans.
If approved, the apartments will be located across the street from other single family homes and railroad tracks, though they are within walking distance of South Front businesses and half a mile from Greenfield Park.
Bonham Avenue
Arix Development, is proposing a total of eight apartment units at 1010 Bonham Ave, off Wrightsville Avenue near Hanover Center. The units will be spread across two buildings, each two stories tall.
If approved, the Bonham Avenue apartments would be developed beside the existing Elevation Apartments, a student living complex. Further down Bonham Avenue are predominantly single-family homes, though there are more commercial businesses toward Wrightsville Avenue.
The development will be allowed in the MD-17 zoning district without the need for a rezoning.
The site is currently being used for single-family residential, with nearly 3,500 square feet of impervious surface already onsite. With the addition of apartments, the impervious surface will increase to 8,600 square feet.
Plans show the site will be accessible off Bonham Avenue, with vehicular trip generation totalling 58 daily.
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