The Wilmington Historic Preservation Commission met on Thursday, February 9, 2023, at 5:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers, Skyline Center, 929 North Front Street, Wilmington, NC. The meeting was called to order by Chair Kathleen Egan and adjourned at 5:55 p.m. All witnesses were sworn in. The commission considered two evidentiary hearing items and received a staff update.
1. 406 N 5th Ave: New Construction (HD-R)
2. 116 N 16th Street: Installation of New Windows (Carolina Heights/Winoca Terrace HDO)
More simple the better. No. Good evening, everybody, and welcome to the February two thousand twenty-three meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission. Hearings before this commission are quasi-judicial in nature. This is a design review process to determine whether a proposed project is congruous with the special character of the historic district or landmark in which it is located. Decisions of the commission are based on the record of these proceedings, the Wilmington design standards for historic districts and landmarks, and the Secretary of Interior standards for rehabilitation. Evidence submitted to the commission for review will become part of the record. Appeal of a commission decision must be submitted to the Wilmington Board of Adjustment within 30 days of the date of the Commission's action. Further appeal must be submitted to a superior court. Evidence pertaining to an agenda item must be presented during the evidentiary portion of that item. In order to ensure witness evidence is properly recorded, each individual should come to the podium and clearly state their name and address before addressing the commission. As a brief reminder, members of the commission are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of city council. Our charge is with respect to the protection and preservation of properties located within the city's designated historic districts. Commissioners, if you have received or been made aware of any information outside this evidentiary hearing related to any agenda item before the commission, please refuse yourself from that agenda item. The city staff that are helping us tonight, Miss Melissa Huffman, the assistant city attorney, Miss Linda Painter, Planning Director, Ms. Jessica Brown, Historic Preservation Planner, Ms. Amy Bradshaw, Planning Coordinator, and Megan Basick, Associate Planner. I'm Kathleen Egan, the commission chair, and my fellow commissioners will now introduce themselves as well. Ross Thomas Ellie. Stephen Sulkey. Ashley Wilson. Christopher Yermal. Ron Wilson. Alison Watts. Thank you. We will now swear in those present who wish to present evidence related to an agenda item. If I could have all staff applicants and anybody here who wishes to speak this evening to please stand up and raise your right hand. Is he the only applicant? I'll need you to stand up as well as an applicant. Okay. Do you swear that the testimony you're about to give us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? Thank you. Thank you. Um, so we will now move to the evidentiary portion of the meeting. And the evidentiary portion begins with the first agenda item, the staff report. I'm gonna recuse myself from this item. Good evening. Okay. 406 North Fifth Street, North Fifth Avenue. The applicant seeks to construct a new two-story dwelling with an interior accessory dwelling on the vacant lot. The subject lot is a 3,000 square foot vacant lot. The subject lot is located on the east side of North Fifth Street between Red Cross and Walnut Streets. The subject property is a non-contributing resource in the historic district, and revisions to all facades of the building and site are subject to design review within this district. The applicant seeks to construct a new two-story dwelling with an interior accessory dwelling unit. The proposed dwelling will be 21 feet wide by 74 feet deep, and a total square total lot area is 3,000 square feet with a building footprint of 1554 square feet, approximately 52% of the lot. The front facade will be set back 15 feet, the side facade will be set back five feet, and a rear facade will be set back 10 feet. The proposed dwelling will feature a CMU foundation wall with no more than 20 inches in height, hardy plank siding, lap siding with a six-inch reveal in the color stone paver. The gable ends will feature hardy shake siding in the color stone paper, and all trim will be painted Sherman Williams extra white. The roof will be a GAF architectural shingles, and the windows will be in the color shown charcoal, and the windows will be an MGM vinyl windows with a one over one light pattern. Three fixed windows on the southern facade seen here at the top right will be a single light MGM vinyl fixed sash window.