Despite some members’ concerns they were proceeding too quickly, Wilmington City Council has gone forward with an amendment to its urban mixed-use district that would allow the higher density approach in more areas of the city.
But after hearing concerns from neighboring residents, council stopped short Tuesday night on a request that prompted the amendment: a request to rezone the recently annexed Galleria shopping center property on Wrightsville Avenue to the amended urban mixed-use, or UMX, zoning.
That request will instead be heard at council’s meeting Sept. 2.
Residents on Edgewater Lane, which runs beside the 12-acre Galleria property at 6800 Wrightsville Ave., told council they generally support the zoning amendment, which would encourage a mix of uses and pedestrian-friendly development in areas beyond the city’s urban core that have been identified for potential redevelopment.
But they said they did not want the zoning as proposed to be applied to the Galleria without additional conditions and more detailed restrictions.
“The reason we moved to that area is because of the charm that we’re in,” said Brian Buckley, president of the Edgewater Property Owners Association, which he said represents 34 property owners whose homes are in proximity to the Galleria property.
Buckley said they look forward to the site’s redevelopment, noting neglect and vandalism since the site was vacated, but he said they were concerned about potentially tall buildings next to single-family homes and wanted to preserve the quality of life around Airlie Road, a state scenic byway.
The amendment requires a minimum parcel size of 5 acres and a mix of commercial and residential uses for properties outside the city’s 1945 corporate limits. The UMX restriction on building height—a maximum of 55 feet, or five stories—would not change, but the amendment would allow for structured parking in buildings, with the goal of discouraging expansive parking lots.
A grid street pattern would also be required within a development, and street trees would be required along public and private streets, among other requirements added by the amendment.
Council members Laura Padgett and Kevin O’Grady opposed the amendment, contending the proposal was being rushed through council without adequate public awareness or input in the process.
“None of us knew this was even coming,” said O’Grady, who said public comments received that night could have helped shape the amendment, had the public been aware. O’Grady confirmed with staff that notice of the changes, which he called “significant,” was made only through a legal advertisement.
Council member Neil Anderson said the push for the zoning was due to a statutory requirement that council zone an annexed property within 60 days. The Galleria property was recently de-annexed from the Town of Wrightsville Beach through state legislation.
“We have a situation where we need to zone it,” Anderson said.
But Padgett said no harm would come of leaving the property “un-zoned” a few weeks, contending the decision on zoning the property could wait. Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo agreed, suggesting the zoning be continued to next month.
But Padgett also said the amendment should wait, sharing O’Grady’s concerns that certain details appeared unfinished.
Noting language that would allow a setback of 20 feet between a UMX district and multifamily housing, O’Grady told staff: “This has not been worked through. You pushed this through too fast, and I’m concerned about what problems we may be creating in the future.
“While we have to do things to encourage developers, we have to be good neighbors with the people who are living there, because they got there first,” O’Grady said.
Padgett said staff did its job in getting a proposal to council within 60 days, but she said the amendment as written had holes that could result in unintended consequences.
“The code amendment we’re making, we’re making under duress,” Padgett said. Noting she understood the developer was agreeable to waiting a few more weeks, Padgett added: “We make idiots of ourselves if we put the zoning in place and it really isn’t finished.
“There’s no damage to be done by leaving a property un-zoned for two weeks,” Padgett said. “Why create something that we’re going to have to change?”
Padgett motioned to continue the amendment to a meeting in September, and O’Grady seconded that motion. But the rest of council voted in opposition to that motion, voting instead by majority to adopt the amendment.
Saffo described the amendment as an option for developers who would still need to come before council for approval of specific mixed-use developments. The Galleria request, to be heard Sept. 2, would be the first case in point.
Past stories:
- Galleria de-annexation proposal stalls out
- Wrightsville Beach aldermen oppose Galleria de-annexation
Jonathan Spiers is a reporter for Port City Daily. He can be reached at (910) 772-6313 or [email protected]. On Twitter: @jrspiers
