Wilmington Historic Preservation Commission Meeting - July 8, 2021

The Wilmington Historic Preservation Commission held a regular meeting on Thursday, July 8, 2021, at 5:33 p.m. at the Wilmington Convention Center (originally noticed for the Skyline Center). Vice-Chair Joan Keston presided in the absence of a chair after a tied election between Kathleen Egan and Christopher Yermal resulted in no chair being appointed; Keston served as interim chair. All seven present members were sworn in. The meeting adjourned at 9:16 p.m.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes (May 13, 2021): Approved 7-0 without discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Dustin May (612 Grace Street): Asked about pergola rafter tails; the applicant preferred a plain design without tails.
• Travis Gilbert (Executive Director, Historic Wilmington Foundation): Expressed concern about the process for removing contributing status, noting the lack of data and the precedent it sets.
• David Lisle (Agent, 124 South Front Street): Spoke in support of the application, stating the building has structural issues and little remaining architectural significance.

Discussion Items

Election of Chair

• The commission attempted to elect a new chair. Kathleen Egan and Christopher Yermal each received three votes, with Yermal abstaining. The tie resulted in no chair, and Vice-Chair Keston continued to run the meeting.

Item 4: 117 South 2nd Street (demolition)

• Moved to the beginning of the agenda. Staff requested a continuance due to prior litigation. Commission voted 7-0 to continue to August 12, 2021.

Old Business: 512 Nun Street (new dwelling unit and garage)

• Continued from May 13, 2021. Applicant revised parking to a shared driveway with 514 Nun Street. Discussion centered on the pecan tree in the right-of-way. Commission conditionally approved the project 7-0, requiring an arborist review of the shared driveway and preservation of the tree. Conditions included foundation height ≤31 inches, pervious concrete driveway, and tree protection fencing.

New Business: 1812 Princess Street (fence installation)

• Proposal for a 4' aluminum fence in front and 6' wood fence in rear. Commissioner Wilson expressed concern about incongruity with the front-porch neighborhood. Commissioner Yermal argued it is consistent with the district. Motion to approve 7-0 (note: the agenda indicated 6-1; however, the minutes and transcript report 7-0). Conditions included finished side facing adjacent properties.

612 Grace Street (pergola and pool)

• Proposal for a 10'x14' wood pergola and 10'x16' fiberglass pool. Public comment asked about rafter tails; applicant preferred plain design. Approved 7-0 with standard conditions.

411 South Front Street (pergola and landscaping)

• Proposal for a 21'x25' pergola with shingle roof and five palm trees. Discussion on materials: columns to match existing porch posts, ceiling material debated (wood vs. PVC). Commission mandated wood tongue-and-groove ceiling and columns matching a photo in the packet. Approved 7-0.

1902 Market Street (ADU, fence, demolition)

• Waiver of 365-day stay for demolition of an accessory building. New ADU to be 583 sq ft. After-the-fact approval for a pool fence that was inadvertently installed without a COA. Applicant worked to preserve trees. Approved 7-0 with conditions including tree protection and salvage of materials.

514 Nun Street (driveway modification)

• Modification of previously approved COA to create a shared driveway with 512 Nun Street and change material to pervious concrete, plus revised garage setbacks. Approved 7-0 with conditions.

124 South Front Street (remove contributing status)

• Applicant sought removal of contributing status to allow full 50' building height (instead of ~32' penalty). Extensive discussion on scoring and lack of sufficient evidence. Public testimony raised concerns about precedent. Commission decided to continue the item to September 9, 2021, and to develop an internal process for such reviews. A special meeting may be scheduled.

505 Ann Street (enclose second-story porch)

• Enclosure of 95 sq ft rear porch with wood windows (conditioned to be all wood, not Fibrex composite). Approved 7-0.

Key Outcomes

• Election: No chair elected; interim chair continues.
• Approvals: Most items approved with conditions (7-0), except 1812 Princess Street recorded as 6-1 in agenda but 7-0 in minutes.
• Continuances: 117 South 2nd Street continued to August 12; 124 South Front Street continued to September 9.
• Process Development: Commission will hold a special meeting or subcommittee to develop an internal process for contributing status removal requests.
• Future Work: Commissioner Smith proposed a resolution to support state-level legislation for stay of demolition outside historic districts. Commissioner Sulkey raised boundary expansion study; staff suggested discussing during budget cycle.