Wilmington Historic Preservation Commission Meeting - March 12, 2026

The Wilmington Historic Preservation Commission met on Thursday, March 12, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers, Skyline Center, 929 North Front Street, Wilmington, NC. The quasi-judicial evidentiary hearing considered design-review applications for properties in local historic districts; all votes were 7-0.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the February 12, 2026 minutes 7-0.
• Continued the new-house application at 230 McRae Street to the April 9, 2026 meeting 7-0; no one in the audience asked to speak.

Public Comments & Testimony

• 226 South Front Street: Catherine Day Carlson (305 South Front) said she was neither for nor against; she asked about square footage, questioned whether the modern farmhouse design fits downtown, and raised parking concerns. Jane Patterson (Wharton Orange) spoke in favor, calling the property a missed opportunity and supporting a small, professionally run boutique hotel over Airbnbs. Caitlin Talaney (6103 Faxton), neither for nor against, worried the exterior would lose the current/historic character and that the modern farmhouse feel may not be congruent with the district; she also mentioned the film industry. Alicia Plunket (315 North 7th) said the black roof and black windows seemed unlike other historic-district buildings.
• 1822 Chestnut Street: Anthony Demings (812 McCumber Alley) asked whether the fence would come to the street; he was told it stops behind the house and does not extend to Chestnut Street.
• 1605 Grace Street: Ken Lindsay (904 Drayton Court) asked whether federal funding would require the tax-credit three-part certification; NCORR staff said the recovery program is separate from the tax-credit program.

Discussion Items

218 North 17th Street - New Garage Construction

• Proposal: a 12-foot-wide by 16-foot-deep, 12-foot-high garage in the rear northeast corner with LP SmartSide siding to match the house, 5:12 roof pitch, and architectural shingles. Staff recommended conditions on material color/compatibility, no removal of mature trees, permits, and staff review of changes. Approved 7-0.

226 South Front Street - Major Renovation and Rear Addition

• Applicant Brooks Addis (Addis Construction) proposed a major rehabilitation: reconstructing the severely deteriorating front porch, adding a second-story balcony, replacing second-story windows with doors, repairing/restoring windows, painting the unpainted brick foundation white, adding carriage doors, and constructing a three-story rear addition with covered porches and a standing-seam metal roof. The property would become a 10-12-room boutique hotel, with 10 rooms projected. A previous 2024 COA for a similar project was never completed; the adjacent lot is not part of this application but is owned by the same owners.
• The commission asked about the adjacent retaining wall, brick painting, roof replacement, parking/curb cut, and storm windows. After public comments and deliberation, the commission found the massing and the third-level rear balcony should be scaled back and the black roof reconsidered toward a natural/galvalume/mill finish. It continued the case to April 9, 2026, 7-0, with direction to submit revised drawings.

1822 Chestnut Street - Fence on Corner Lot

• Applicant Denise Wars (1816 Gray Street) proposed a 6-foot stockade fence on three sides of the rear yard of a corner lot, with gates. She said the property is a rental and the former garage was a school; she was willing to consider a shadow-box style and lower height. The commission approved 7-0 with conditions limiting the fence to a maximum of 5.5 feet, preferably 5 feet, and requiring a shadow-box rather than solid stockade design.

7 South 4th Street - Enclose Second-Story Rear Porch

• Applicant Laura Nasser proposed enclosing the rear second-story porch with cedar shake siding and installing 16-over-1 white painted wood windows. Staff noted the rendering showed 12-over-1 but the application and motion specify 16-over-1. A commissioner advised checking wind-rating/design pressure and possibly using a structural engineer for shop-built windows. Approved 7-0 with conditions.

315 North 7th Street - New Walkways and Steps

• Applicant Alicia Plunket (315 North 7th) proposed replacing cracked concrete with brick walkways/steps, using historic brick found under her house for the herringbone walkway and new paver brick between the sidewalk and curb. Staff clarified the HPC reviews materials and aesthetics for the public right-of-way, but actual installation requires separate city right-of-way/encroachment permits. Approved 7-0 with conditions.

312 South 6th Street - Hardscaping Project

• Proposal: a 20-foot by 14-foot red brick patio (about 280 square feet), a 20- to 24-inch brick knee wall, 6- to 12-inch low brick borders around front planting beds, and replacement of front hedges with lower plantings. The property's ADU was previously approved in October 2025. The applicant was not present. Approved 7-0 with conditions, including approved plant list or administrative bypass and no removal of mature trees.

1605 Grace Street - Demolition and Reconstruction

• Staff presented a NCORR/Rebuild NC project to demolish the storm-damaged Richard G. Stokely House and construct a new one-story dwelling. Rehabilitation to code was estimated at $27,540.05, above the program's $20,000 rehabilitation cap, and the program requested waiver of the 365-day demolition stay. The replacement would be approximately 1,080 square feet, with a 24-foot by 45-foot footprint, brick-veneered foundation, HardiePlank siding, vinyl 4-over-1 windows, and a hipped roof with asphalt shingles.
• NCORR director Jeff Royal explained that the program funds both demolition and reconstruction, uses standard plans for cost and equity, and will cease to exist on September 30, 2026. A Section 106 review documented an adverse effect; a memorandum of agreement includes formal documentation of the house and State Historic Preservation Office design review. The commission noted it does not have discretion to deny demolition under state statute and that the vote concerned the design and the 365-day stay. Approved 7-0 to remove the stay and approve the demolition and new construction with conditions.

Other Business

• Staff reported that historic preservation will remain under Planning and Development in the city reorganization, while zoning compliance will merge with code enforcement in a new Department of Compliance.
• Commissioners discussed a late-March preservation training; staff offered to help register interested members.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the February 12, 2026 minutes 7-0.
• Continued 230 McRae Street to April 9, 2026, 7-0.
• Continued 226 South Front Street to April 9, 2026, 7-0, with requested design revisions.
• Approved with conditions: 218 North 17th Street, 1822 Chestnut Street, 7 South 4th Street, 315 North 7th Street, 312 South 6th Street, and 1605 Grace Street, each 7-0.
• Directed staff to help the 315 North 7th Street applicant contact the appropriate city right-of-way/encroachment permit office.