Wilmington City Council Regular Meeting – March 4, 2025
Wilmington City Council Regular Meeting – March 4, 2025
The Wilmington City Council held its regular meeting on March 4, 2025, at 6:30 PM in City Hall. The meeting included presentations, public comments, public hearings, ordinances, resolutions, and a closed session. Key actions included approving a 5–2 rezoning for a commercial parking lot, unanimously supporting a substitute resolution urging NCDOT to explore all practical alternatives for the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge replacement, and accepting over $2.4 million in federal funding for a multi-use path.
Presentations
- Mayor Saffo read and presented a Proclamation naming March 2025 as Women’s History Month, accepted by Sheila Evans, Chair of the Wilmington/New Hanover County Commission for Women.
- David Ingram (Sustainability Manager) and Richard Smith (Clean Energy Advisory Committee Chair) presented the annual report. Smith highlighted 2024 accomplishments: energy efficiency upgrades at police and fire headquarters (reducing energy usage intensity), LED retrofits, recommendations for a fleet EV transition study, adoption of a Sustainable Municipal Building Policy, and contributions to C-PACE. 2025 goals include expanding the EV pilot project (currently two Nissan Leafs at public works), pursuing SOLSMART Silver/Gold accreditation, and enhanced communication. Smith noted two current committee vacancies.
Consent Calendar
- C1–C3 approved unanimously (7-0):
- Approval of minutes from January 31, February 4, February 17, and February 18, 2025 council meetings.
- Resolution authorizing a $332,347 golf cart lease agreement with Club Car, LLC for the Wilmington Municipal Golf Course.
- Resolution authorizing retirement of Police Canine Officer Jacco and transfer to Corporal David Garriques. Mayor Saffo thanked K-9 Jacco for his service.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Cynthia Gierer (tenant at Arboretum West Apartments) described unresolved mold, pest, and plumbing issues after a pipe burst; she said code enforcement directed her to legal aid rather than taking action.
- Michael O’Leary (resident in Brooklyn Arts District) opposed the social district pilot, citing noise, parking, public intoxication, and DUI risks. He provided statistics: North Carolina ranks third nationally in alcohol-related fatalities, with 345 fatal crashes and 12,146 alcohol-related crashes in 2023; estimated $10 billion annual cost of alcohol abuse in NC. He referenced a European study finding 19% of festival attendees drive home intoxicated.
- Alex White (owner of Pizzeria Don Luca) supported the social district pilot, reporting that the three Saturdays of the program were the three busiest days in his shop’s history; sales doubled February 2024 totals, employee tips tripled, and he observed no negative incidents. He expressed willingness to address parking concerns.
- Elizabeth O’Donnell (resident on South 2nd Street) urged council not to support a 135-foot fixed-span bridge, which she said would destroy her historic home and neighborhood. She supported the 100-foot option, noting reduced bridge openings (approximately 67 for sailboats in the past year) and lack of dredging plans north of the bridge.
- Elizabeth Wright (resident on South 2nd Street) argued the 100-foot option is fiscally responsible and less disruptive. She cited declining large-vessel use north of the bridge, and warned that a 135-foot bridge could threaten federal funding and lead to tolls. She highlighted potential impacts to Davis Funeral Home and other historic businesses.
- Susan Bullock (resident, Wrightsville Beach Chamber chair) requested postponement of the proposed U-5710 flyover bridge at Eastwood Road and Military Cutoff, suggesting the $85 million be reallocated. She described expected traffic congestion from overlapping construction projects.
Public Hearings
- PH1 – Special Use Permit at 5651 Greenville Loop Road: Unanimously continued (7-0) to June 17, 2025 meeting.
- PH2 – C-PACE Program: Resolution authorizing City participation passed unanimously (7-0). David Ingram noted no budgetary impact and that New Hanover County adopted the program on February 17, 2025.
- PH3 – Rezoning at 4717 College Acres Drive (R-5(CD) to CB(CD) for commercial parking lot): Staff recommended denial, citing inconsistency with the Comprehensive Plan; Planning Board recommended approval (5-2). After testimony from applicant Cindee Wolfe and property manager Grace Sneed (who presented 223 signatures in favor), council approved the rezoning on a 5-2 vote (Councilmembers Joyner and Andrews voted no). Second reading waived unanimously.
- PH4 – Rezoning at 5601 Oleander Drive (CB to RB(CD) for commercial recreation center): Unanimously approved (7-0). Applicant John Reese described a 40,816 sq. ft. facility with arcade, bowling (10 lanes traditional, 8 duckpin), axe throwing, pickleball courts, restaurant, and bar. The applicant will install a traffic light at no cost to the city. Second reading waived.
- PH5 – Rezoning at 102 & 104 Meares Street (R-3 to UMX): Unanimously approved (7-0). Applicant Christian Cardamone emphasized alignment with Southside Small Area Plan and potential for mixed-use infill. Second reading waived.
- PH6 – Rezoning at 6624 & 6710 Market Street (R-15 to RB): Unanimously approved (7-0). Staff said the rezoning is consistent with surrounding commercial uses. Second reading waived.
Discussion Items
- Clean Energy Advisory Committee Annual Report (presented earlier). No separate discussion beyond presentation.
- Cape Fear Memorial Bridge Resolution: Councilmember Andrews introduced a substitute resolution supporting a 100-foot fixed-span replacement. After extensive debate, the motion lacked a second. Mayor Saffo presented a substitute resolution urging NCDOT, US Coast Guard, and US Army Corps of Engineers to explore all practical alternatives to prevent negative impacts to homes, businesses, and historic structures. Councilmember Andrews moved, Mayor Saffo seconded; passed unanimously (7-0). Mayor Saffo noted that the state’s $242 million grant for the bridge could be at risk, and that any height determination may take up to five years of study.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar approved 7-0.
- PH1 continued to June 17, 2025.
- PH2 (C-PACE) approved 7-0.
- PH3 (College Acres parking lot) approved 5-2; second reading waived 7-0.
- PH4 (Oleander Drive rec center) approved 7-0; second reading waived 7-0.
- PH5 (Meares Street rezoning) approved 7-0; second reading waived 7-0.
- PH6 (Market Street rezoning) approved 7-0; second reading waived 7-0.
- O1 (Gender equity grant) approved 7-0; second reading waived 7-0.
- O2a (Energy block grant appropriation) approved 7-0; second reading waived 7-0.
- O2b (Fleet EV transition strategy contract) approved 6-0 (one member absent).
- O3a (South 17th Street MUP resolution) approved 6-0.
- O3b (South 17th Street MUP appropriation) approved 6-0; second reading waived 7-0.
- Resolution on Cape Fear Memorial Bridge: Substitute resolution (urging exploration of alternatives) passed 7-0; original resolution failed for lack of second.
- Council entered closed session (6-0 vote) to discuss potential legal claims (Hunn v. City of Wilmington). No action taken; reconvened and adjourned at 9:35 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Call the meeting order of the Wilmington City Council, like to welcome all those who are with us here this evening, all those who taking an interest. Thank you for taking an interest in your government. At this time, I'd like to call and introduce Sergeant Ron Evans of the Wilmington Police Department. If we'll come forward and please give us our invocation, if everyone was standing, we may standing afterwards for Pledge of Allegiance. Sergeant Evans. Good evening. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day. We thank you for everything that you have done in our lives, everything that you're doing, and everything that you're going to do. We ask for your protection this evening. We ask that you cradle us in your arms. Hold us close to your bosom. Protect us from the seen and the unseen. Father, tonight we ask that you give this council and their staff wisdom. And they make the preparations to make major decisions for the citizens of Wilmington. And Father, also tonight, we ask that you allow us to keep in our prayers and remember our friends to the South, men, women, children, firefighters, first responders, as they are battling wildfires in North and South Carolina. We thank you for this prayer, and we pray in your son's precious name. Amen. Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Next presentation, I would like to recognize Mr. David Ingram, our sustainability manager, and Mr. Richard Smith, who is the chairman of the Clean Energy Advisory Committee. They're going to be talking to us about our Clean Energy Advisory Committee annual report. Good evening, Mayor. Mayor Pro Tim, City Council members. Thank you very much for this opportunity to come before you tonight to present present the our Clean Energy Advisory Committee's annual report. Our seven person committee right now is very hardworking, very dedicated to the tasks that they've been presented. And I'll present a few words tonight and then hand it over to our chairperson, uh Richard Smith to present the entire report. So just a little background. And those goals again 50% clean energy by 2035, as well as transitioning our fleet of vehicles over to EV or or hybrid as as technology allows. So with that, I'd like to turn it over to our committee chairperson, Richard Smith, who will go over the details of the report with you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Good evening. So over the course of 2024, the committee undertook a number of sustainability focus areas for this year, including energy efficiency of the municipal facilities, the beginning of the fleet EV transition over to low emission, zero emission vehicles, sustainability policy for new construction and retrofits on the build on municipal buildings. Focusing on clean energy policy and legislation, and then as well as the EV charging infrastructure for municipal facilities. Those included energy efficiency initiatives, including building equipment repairs and upgrades to both police headquarters and the fire headquarters, uh, LED lighting retrofits at the parks and recs facilities. And that resulted in a reduce reduction in the aggregate energy usage intensity across city facilities. For those that you of you that might not know, EUI is a way to measure uh energy usage per square footage across facilities. So it eliminates you know a higher bill for a larger facility versus a lower bill for a low smaller facility. It gives you a comparison, an even comparison across the board for your entire portfolio. Um we worked on a recommendation for a fleet EV transition study. Um this should help uh in addition to looking at uh EV options, it should also help the city staff uh determine the size of the fleet that's needed, um, whether we need to add or subtract vehicles to the fleet to efficiently carry out city operations. Um in addition to that, um the city staff also are participating in the Piedmont and Coastal NC Clean Communities uh Coalition. That is a new initiative uh that they're excited to be part of partaking in. And then back in December, the city council adopted a sustainable municipal building policy that we helped to recommend the structure for. So I applaud you for your decision to adopt that policy. Additionally, we made recommendations to city staff for the 2024 state and federal legislation agenda for clean energy goals that we'd like to advocate for at the state and federal level.
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