Historic Preservation Commission Meeting - August 5, 2026
Historic Preservation Commission Meeting
The Historic Preservation Commission held a public hearing on August 5, 2026, beginning at 11:00 AM, to consider six agenda items involving certificate of appropriateness requests for properties in the Wilmington Historic District. The commission also adopted a resolution regarding the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge replacement project.
Consent Calendar
- No consent calendar was used; each item was considered individually.
Public Comments & Testimony
- 814 McCumber Alley: Anthony Demings, neighbor at 812 McCumber Alley, expressed strong opposition to the proposed new house, arguing the 8.5-foot front setback is too close to the road, the house is too long and overpowering, and the four-bedroom layout will increase short-term rental traffic and parking problems. He stated the design is effectively a two-story house, not a story-and-a-half. Mike Belmonty (816 Grace Street) questioned the four-bedroom count, concerned about parking and Airbnb impacts. Jeff Schrader (807 Chestnut), owner of the property behind, spoke in support, noting the applicant has conformed to all setbacks and requirements.
- 310 Chestnut Street: No public comments were made.
- 20 North Fourth Street: No public comments.
- 115 South 7th Street: No public comments.
- 1403 Market Street: Brock Meyer, pastor of Trinity Methodist Church, spoke in support, stating the window changes will help preserve the building and allow natural light into a new safe stairwell.
- 1812 Grace Street: Michael Dell (216 North 19th Street) spoke against the proposed front porch expansion, arguing it would violate the historic 30-foot setback requirement for the neighborhood and set a precedent. John Stevens, Gretchen Look Stephens, Emma Stevens (all 1813 Grace Street) and Kathleen Tyler (1810 Grace Street) also opposed the porch, citing loss of streetscape congruity. Applicant’s agent David DeChamps (Landfair Builders) explained the design changes and noted the existing columns are not original.
Discussion Items
- 814 McCumber Alley (New House Construction): Staff presented a revised plan for a 1.5-story, 1,613-square-foot house (21 ft wide, 47.33 ft deep) with a 6-foot front porch, gravel driveway on the east side, and stepped setbacks due to the angled alley. Applicant Kurt Anderson and Tim Johnson stated they reduced the scale from previous versions and removed the second-story porch to better match the street. Commissioner discussion focused on congruity with the sawtooth setback pattern; staff noted the house will not be forward of the neighbor to the east. The commission voted to approve with staff conditions.
- 310 Chestnut Street (Thalian Hall Renovations): Staff reviewed a multi-faceted project including granite-clad front steps, a new accessible ramp, a scene shop addition, and a glass canopy with a blade sign. Architect John Sawyer explained the sign design is inspired by early 20th-century theater signs. Commissioner Kestin and others expressed support for the design, noting it honors history while looking contemporary. The commission voted unanimously to approve with conditions.
- 20 North Fourth Street (Window Expansion): Staff presented a proposal to enlarge three windows and add one new ribbon window at the Harrelson Center. Applicant Bruce Bowman noted this completes the building’s transformation from a jail to office space. No opposition; approved unanimously.
- 115 South 7th Street (Paver Walk): Staff described a 30-inch-wide, 132-foot-long concrete paver walk along the south side of the house, entirely within the property. Applicant Bruce Bowman (homeowner) explained it will provide a stable path for trash carts and define the property line. Approved unanimously with conditions.
- 1403 Market Street (Window Type Change): Staff reviewed a proposal to fill two existing window openings with aluminum storefront windows at Trinity Methodist Church’s education building, matching previously approved first-floor windows. Pastor Meyer noted it will create a safe stairwell and protect against moisture. Unanimous approval.
- 1812 Grace Street (Front Porch and Additions): Staff presented a proposal to replace the existing pediment portico with a full-width front porch, add side additions, and replace the door. Commissioners expressed concerns that the porch design was not consistent with the Secretary of Interior Standards or the historic character of the street. The applicant’s agent requested a continuance to allow time to redesign the front porch while preserving other elements. The commission voted to continue the item to the August 13 meeting.
Key Outcomes
- 814 McCumber Alley: Approved unanimously (motion by Commissioner Kestin, second by Commissioner X) with staff-recommended conditions, including clear glass, no tint, proper foundation height, gravel driveway specifications, and right-of-way permit.
- 310 Chestnut Street: Approved unanimously with five staff conditions: separate sign permit, clear windows, no mature tree removal, compliance with codes, any changes require review.
- 20 North Fourth Street: Approved unanimously with conditions: clear glass, no other windows altered, compliance with code.
- 115 South 7th Street: Approved unanimously with conditions: pavers must stay within parcel, no mature tree removal, compliance with code.
- 1403 Market Street: Approved unanimously with conditions: clear glass, window openings not altered, compliance with code.
- 1812 Grace Street: Continued to the August 13, 2026 meeting to allow redesign of the front porch; all other elements (door, lights, side additions) may be reconsidered.
- Bridge Resolution: The commission adopted a resolution recommending the city council support the 65-foot lift bridge option for the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge replacement, oppose tolls, and request expansion of the NEPA study area to include all downtown historic districts. The resolution will be presented by Commissioner Kestin at the August council meeting.
Meeting Transcript
Five. Unfortunately, no photographs of this house were found in the archives. Because of the slanting nature of McCumber Alley in comparison to the surrounding road grid, the house will be set in set in a stepped orientation with the neighboring dwellings parallel to the road system. The applicant proposes to construct a new side gable one and a half story house with a bungalow style on the currently vacant parcel. The initially proposed front gable and hip gable or hipped roof designs were revised to the currently proposed design to reduce the scale of the proposed house relative to the surrounding dwellings. The proposed house will be 21 feet wide by 47.33 feet deep with a six-foot uh front porch for it and a total height of 28 feet 4.5 inches. The new house will have a front setback from McCumber Alley of approximately 8.8 feet to the northwest corner and 25 feet to the northeast corner, while the rear of the house will have a setback of 10 feet. The west side setback will be 3.1 feet, while the east side setback is approximately 9.5 feet. The applicant has revised the proposed gravel parking area at the front of the new house to be a gravel driveway within the east side setback between nine feet 9.3 feet and 9.5 feet in width, as can be seen on the project plan on the right side of this uh site plan. The new house will feature a full facade, integral one-story front porch with brick facade foundation supported by eight-inch square panel columns. The decking of the new porch will be concrete with brick row lock floor. The porch will be accessed by brick steps on the northwest corner of the front north facade. The porch will have a simple handrail with pickets at five inches. The front facade will feature the main entry in the west bay of the first floor, while the three over one windows will highlight the rest of the front north facade. A similar set of three windows will be featured in the shed dormer extending from the front north slope of the roof. A freeze and brackets will ornament the proposed roof line. The proposed front door will be a two-thirds light fiberglass entry door with a lintel over the entrance. The proposed windows will be geled when white vinyl single hung V V 2500 windows in a variety of sizes. The house will rest on a block foundation, approximately 12 to 16 inches from grade and parched with a gray mortar. The cladding of the house will be hardy lap siding with square edge clapboard with a hardy shake featured in the sides of the gable shed gate, excuse me, sides of the shed dormer extending from the front slope of the side gable roof. The roof will be covered with charcoal colored timber line HDZ architectural shingles and will have a pitch of 8 by 12, while the shed dormer will have a slope of plus or minus 3 by 12. Two exterior doors, one half-lit door, one a half-light door, and the other a six-panel door will provide access to the side east elevation of the house and the gravel the proposed gravel drive. The proposed foundation plan can be seen here. The first story, as in the plan that you can be keen on this slide, will feature 985 heated square feet. The second floor features 628 square heated square feet for a total of 1,613 heated square feet for the proposed new house. The proposed house will also have a 126 square foot covered front porch and a 34 square foot unfinished storage room. The roof will be approximately 1200 square feet and include in the including the cover porch, and the roof plan can be seen in this slide. Project specific specifics including details of the structure, windows, brackets, rails for the in the rails for the proposed project can be seen here. Staff notes that if the dwelling is used for home stay or whole whole house lodging, it is subject to the applicable requirements as as noted in code. If approved, staff recommends the following conditions. All door and window glazing shall be clear with no tent, all hardy material shall be installed smooth side out with the texture side hidden. The proposed foundation shall be raised at least 12 inches but no more than 24 inches above grade on the house's front facade. The gravel driveway shall feature a wash stone number 57 or number 78 gravel with a reinforced grid to stabilize the gravel surface to keep the stone on site. A right-of-way permit for the gravel driveway shall be obtained prior to beginning the installation of the driveway. All construction shall comply with code and any changes shall be reviewed. Staff would like to enter the presentation into the record of tonight's proceedings. Are there any questions? Thank you. Any questions for Ben? Thank you, Ben. Would the applicant like to come forward and speak? Is the applicant not here? Please state your name and address. Kurt Anderson, 102 Mount Vernon Drive. Tim Johnson, 2316 Waverly Drive. Would you like to add anything to this? Uh yeah, we took the board's uh comments from last meeting into account and reduced it to a little bit smaller of a house with uh the little bit less overpowering were the words uh from the last meeting floor plan. One and a half stories similar to some of the other houses on the street. Speaker in the same can you put the microphone to you a little bit more? Sure, yeah.
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