WILMINGTON — More than 250 new apartments and space could be coming to Park Avenue near the intersection with Independence Boulevard, and directly behind Hanover Center, anchored by Harris Teeter, off Oleander Drive.
Plans have been submitted to the Wilmington’s Technical Review Committee for the project known as MetroPark. It would consist of multiple buildings on a nearly 7.5-acre site and also include 8,000-square-feet of office/retail space.
But it appears the project will need some leeway from the city if it is to be built to current specifications. The maximum lot coverage for the property by-right is 40%, the plans only call for 25.91% coverage — so coverage would not be a problem. But when it comes to setbacks, proposed plans begin to diverge from the requirements.
From the front, the required setback would be 25-feet, plans only call for 15-foot setbacks for MetroPark. The buildings would also be 5-feet taller than what is permitted coming in at 40-feet + a parapet; by-right zoning appears to allow up to 35 feet.
The two buildings would be built in phases and would have 153 single bedroom units, 104 two-bedroom units, and seven three-bedroom units.
When it comes to impervious surfaces, that is, surfaces that do not allow water to breach its surface, the project is more than half impervious. Of the 237,044-square-feet of the project, 62.8% of it will be impervious, according to plans.
There are also a number of so-called regulated trees that will need to be removed in order to build the development. Nearly 20 regulated pine trees, 36 regulated oaks, 13 regulated gum trees, one regulated magnolia tree, one regulated palm tree, and two crape myrtles, are slated for removal.
Projects submitted to the TRC are not yet finalized and things can change before construction ever begins. No date is officially set for TRC review, although other projects submitted this week have been scheduled for the committee’s October 24 meeting.
