Wilmington Planning Commission Meeting - June 3, 2026

The Wilmington Planning Commission met on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at 6:00 PM in City Council Chambers, Skyline Center, 929 North Front Street, Wilmington, NC. Vice-Chair Danny Adams chaired the meeting in the absence of Chairman John Lennon and Commissioner Ace Cofer (both excused). A quorum was present with Commissioners Richard Collier, Livian Jones, Jack Pollock, and Ron Woodruff. The meeting was adjourned at 6:31 PM. The next regular meeting is scheduled for July 8, 2026.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes – May 6, 2026: The minutes were presented without discussion. Commissioner Pollock moved to approve, seconded by Commissioner Jones. The motion passed unanimously (5-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public were present to speak during the public hearing for the rezoning item. No written comments had been received by staff. The public hearing was opened and closed by Vice-Chair Adams.

Discussion Items

• General District Rezoning – 320 Military Cutoff Road (Z-PC-2026-0003):
  • Staff Presentation (Hillary Taylor, Planner II): The request was to rezone a 6.69-acre site from O&I (CD) (Office and Institutional Conditional District) and RB (Regional Business) to O&I (Office and Institutional). The site consists of two parcels: one occupied by a church facility (Korean Baptist Church) and an additional building, zoned O&I (CD) with a religious assembly condition and 25-foot-5-inch height limit; the second parcel is vacant and zoned RB, allowing commercial/mixed-use up to 45 feet (90 feet with step-backs). The proposed O&I district permits professional offices, medical offices, places of assembly, and commercial district mixed-use (CDMU). The site lies within a High-Density Transition Area and along a High-Capacity Transit Corridor. Staff found the application consistent with the Create Wilmington Comprehensive Plan, particularly policies encouraging compatible infill, commercial development, and mixed-use along major corridors, and recommended approval.
  • Applicant Presentation (Cindee Wolf, Design Graphics, representing the church): She explained that the church recently completed a deed of combination merging the two parcels into one (not yet reflected in GIS). The split zoning complicated future improvements (parking, playground, pavilion). Unifying the zoning under O&I would allow the church flexibility without requiring further conditional district amendments. She noted the church has been on the site since the 1980s and that the rear RB parcel lacked frontage for commercial development, making the rezoning practical.
  • Commissioner Questions & Discussion:
    • Commissioner Pollock asked about a policy reference to “technology industries” in the staff report; staff clarified the language came from adopted Comprehensive Plan policies, not a specific project.
    • Commissioner Pollock also noted the church sign appeared to be Korean; applicant confirmed it is a Korean Baptist church.
    • Commissioner Collier initially stated, “I do not support the project” but then asked clarifying questions about why conditions on the O&I (CD) front lot should be removed. Staff explained the conditions only specified a church facility, additional building, and 99 parking spaces—no other restrictions. Collier later made the motion to recommend approval.
    • Commissioner Jones asked about the parcel history; applicant detailed the special use permit history and conversion to conditional district in 2018.
    • No other commissioners raised opposition.

Key Outcomes

• Motion and Vote: Commissioner Collier moved to recommend approval of the rezoning, stating the request is consistent with the Create Wilmington Comprehensive Plan and is reasonable and in the public interest. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Pollock and passed 5-0 (Commissioners Adams, Collier, Jones, Pollock, Woodruff voting aye).
• Other Business – Items from Commission:
  • Commissioner Pollock reported on the Process Subcommittee meeting (Commissioners Jones, Collier, and himself with staff). They discussed commission roles, long-range planning, potential code amendments, and organizational changes. The subcommittee agreed to remain a standing body without a fixed meeting schedule, meeting as needed.
  • Several commissioners requested that the city provide an on-screen timer and electronic voting display (similar to City Council meetings). Staff agreed to explore options with IT and Communications.
• Other Business – Items from Staff:
  • Planning Director Linda Painter noted that the Greater Downtown Plan and Land Development Code maintenance amendments are scheduled for presentation to City Council on June 16, 2026.

Discrepancy Note: Commissioner Collier expressed initial non-support for the project during discussion but later moved and voted for approval. The minutes record his motion without noting the earlier statement.