Wilmington Historic Preservation Commission Meeting - July 9, 2026

The Wilmington Historic Preservation Commission met on Thursday, July 9, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at Skyline Center, 929 North Front Street, Wilmington, NC. Vice Chair Joan Keston presided as acting chair. The commission considered six certificate-of-appropriateness evidentiary hearings; five were approved unanimously (6-0) and one was continued to the August 13, 2026, meeting. The commission also adopted a statement to city council on the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge replacement project. All witnesses, applicants, and staff were sworn in before testifying. Commissioners present were Joan Keston, Paul Lowler, Beth Rutledge, Ashley Wilson, Stephen Salke, and Terry Williams. Staff included Assistant City Attorney Gina Essay, Assistant Planning Director Brian Chambers, Historic Preservation Manager Ben Riggle, Preservation Planner Alden Finholm, and Planning Coordinator Amy Bradshaw.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes of the June 11, 2026, meeting were approved unanimously (6-0) with no edits.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Anthony Demings (812 McCumber Alley, adjacent neighbor) opposed the new house at 814 Macumber Alley, arguing that the 8.8-foot front setback was far too close to the road compared with the 12- to 16-foot setbacks of neighboring houses, that the house remained overpowering despite the redesign, that the change from three to four bedrooms would encourage over-occupancy and short-term rental pressures, and that the driveway would sit too close to his property. He said he was very disappointed and very unhappy with the proposal.
• Mike Belmonty (816 Gray Street) questioned why the plan included four bedrooms, saying more occupants would worsen existing short-term rental parking problems, and asserted the 8.5-foot corner setback was too close to the road. He also expressed concern that the proposed driveway was only about 1.5 feet from a neighbor's foundation.
• Jeff Schrader (807 Chestnut) expressed support for the 814 Macumber Alley project, noting that the applicant had conformed to setbacks and requirements and that returning for a third hearing did not seem business-friendly.
• Michael Gill (216 North 19th Street) opposed the front porch expansion at 1812 Grace Street, citing developer Mary Bridgers' 1908 requirement of a 30-foot front setback for Carolina Heights. He argued that an 18-foot front yard would set a precedent and ruin the street's fabric, and he submitted 1980s newspaper articles supporting the covenant.
• John Stevens, Gretchen Look Stephens, and Emma Stevens (1813 Grace Street) spoke against the 1812 Grace Street porch. Gretchen Stephens noted the columns were originally wood, later replaced with iron, then returned to wood. Emma Stevens suggested reopening the existing enclosed side porch instead.
• Kathleen Tyler (1810 Grace Street, next door) opposed the porch, saying it would visually push her house back and look inappropriate, although she had no objection to the proposed lanterns or front door.

Discussion Items

Case 1 - 814 Macumber Alley (new house construction; continued old business): Staff (Ben Riggle) presented the completely redesigned application for a one-and-a-half-story bungalow on a vacant, non-contributing lot where a dwelling had been demolished circa 1965. The proposed house is 21 feet wide and 47.33 feet deep, about 28 feet 4.5 inches tall, with 1,613 heated square feet (985 on the first floor and 628 on the second), a 126-square-foot covered front porch, and a 34-square-foot storage room. Front setbacks are 8.8 feet at the northwest corner and 25 feet at the northeast corner; the rear setback is 10 feet; side setbacks are 3.1 feet (west) and 9.5 feet (east). A gravel driveway, 9.3 to 9.5 feet wide, is proposed in the east side setback. Staff recommended conditions on clear untinted glazing, siding installed smooth side out, foundation height of 12 to 24 inches above grade on the front facade, gravel type and stabilization, a right-of-way permit, and code compliance. Applicant Kurt Anderson said the revised plan incorporated prior board comments by reducing the house size, removing the stacked second-story porch, and moving parking beside the house. In response to objections about four bedrooms, the assistant city attorney stated the commission does not regulate interior bedroom counts, which are governed by building code and zoning. In deliberation, commissioners cited the neighboring massing data, the variation in the street's sawtooth setbacks, and the applicant's responsiveness. The motion to approve with conditions passed 6-0.

Case 2 - 310 Chestnut Street (Thalian Hall exterior renovations): Staff (Alden Finholm) presented a rehabilitation, restoration, and addition project across all four facades of the circa-1855 contributing landmark, which is owned by the City of Wilmington while the adjacent parking lot is owned by New Hanover County. The west facade work replaces the non-original concrete entrance stairs with granite-clad concrete steps, restores the original brownstone stair walls, and adds a bronze railing. The south facade includes a new accessible egress ramp and removal of an abandoned door opening, limited to the 1989 addition. The east facade includes a new scene-shop addition and equipment screen. The north facade work encloses the covered outdoor space with a glass and aluminum curtain wall, adds the originally intended but never built glass canopy over the drive aisle, new brick and concrete paving and bollards, and a new roughly 18- to 20-foot-tall aluminum marquee blade sign by artist Greg Hall with warm LED globe lighting. The Princess Street Playhouse entry renovation was deferred to a later application. Vice Chair Keston disclosed her service on the Thalian Hall Capital Campaign Committee, and another commissioner disclosed service on the Thalian Association for Community Theater Board of Directors; both affirmed they had no conflict and would remain impartial. Staff conditions included separate sign permit review, clear untinted glazing, no removal of mature trees, code compliance, and review of any changes. Questions addressed the anti-slip thermal granite finish, 140-mph wind design, the ramp extending about 5 feet into Innes Park, and a loading area large enough for two trucks. No public comment was offered. The commission praised the design as honoring the building's past while welcoming its future and approved the request with conditions 6-0.

Case 3 - 20 North Fourth Street (Harrelson Center window renovation): Staff presented a proposal to enlarge three courtyard-facing windows from about 2.5 feet to 5 feet wide and to add one six-unit ribbon window measuring 29 feet 10 inches by 4 feet 4 inches on the third story of the west elevation, directly below a similar fourth-story window. The building is the former New Hanover County Law Enforcement Center (1978-1980), purchased by First Baptist Church in 2005 and renamed the Harrelson Center. The new and expanded windows will use non-reflective glass and bronze aluminum storefront frames matching the existing building and consistent with earlier approvals (MJW-16-29, MJW-15-60, MJW-15-05). Staff conditions required clear glazing, no alteration of other windows, and code compliance. Applicant Bruce Bowman (Bowman Murray Hemingway) said this is the last major renovation before full occupancy and will introduce natural light and courtyard views for new office suites. No public comment was offered. Approved 6-0.

Case 4 - 115 South Seventh Street (paver walk along gravel driveway): Staff answered a question from Vice Chair Keston about an alley maintenance agreement, explaining that the agreement applies solely to the eight-foot gravel access easement and that the proposed 30-inch-wide, 132-foot-long concrete paver walk would be located fully within the applicant's property. Owner and applicant Bruce Bowman said the pavers, which have a travertine look but are colored concrete, will provide a walkable and drivable surface beside the gravel drive, will remain liftable for utility access, and will not change the site's 100 percent impervious character, since the gravel driveway has been impervious since construction circa 2017. Staff conditions require the pavers to remain within the parcel and outside any public rights-of-way or shared easements, no removal of mature trees, and code compliance. No public comment was offered. Approved 6-0.

Case 5 - 1403 Market Street (Trinity Methodist Church window type change): Staff presented a request to infill two second-floor window openings on the west elevation of the 1948 education building with bronze aluminum storefront windows matching first-floor replacements approved under COA MJW-11-2608 in August 2025. The circa-1921 church is a contributing resource in the Carolina Heights/Winoca Terrace Historic District Overlay. Pastor Brock Meyer explained that the openings were never windows but were an open breezeway stairwell, and the new infill supports a safe interior stairwell, moisture protection, and natural light. The storefront style matches the 1921 sanctuary building's existing ground-level windows, and manufactured double-hung units would not fit the openings. Staff conditions required clear glazing, no change to the size of existing openings, and code compliance. No public comment was offered. Approved 6-0.

Case 6 - 1812 Grace Street (front porch replacement, door, lighting, and rear additions): Staff presented a four-part application for the circa-1925 Charles A. Thomas House, a two-story Colonial Revival contributing dwelling. The proposal would replace the existing pediment portico with a full-width front porch about 11 feet 6 inches tall and 10 feet deep, sitting 18 feet 7 inches from the north property line; replace the six-panel door with a 40-inch mahogany door with Baldwin Pasadena hardware and a three-light transom; install two antique-style entry lanterns; and construct rear additions on the west and east elevations, only portions of which are visible from the public right-of-way. Windows on the east addition are not part of this application and will be submitted later. Applicant David DeChamps (Landfair Builders) confirmed the existing round columns are not original and stated the owner prefers square columns. Public testimony opposed the porch (see Public Comments). In deliberation, commissioners cited the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and the city's design standards, which call for retaining original porches and entrances, and found the porch would change the house's character and be incongruous with the 'Little Grace' streetscape. The commission indicated the rear additions were not objectionable, and a commissioner also raised concerns about construction damage to alleys and prolonged placement of portable toilets; staff noted alleys are excluded from design review and offered to forward complaints. At the applicant's request, the matter was continued to the August 13, 2026, meeting so the owner could decide on revisions; the motion to continue passed 6-0. Staff noted that R-7 zoning generally requires a 25-foot front setback, although design review is based on congruity, and that the existing three-foot side setback can be maintained under a code provision allowing an addition to a single-family or two-family structure to extend the existing setback.

Other Business: Cape Fear Memorial Bridge Project

• Vice Chair Keston read a draft statement to city council on behalf of the commission. The commission recommends the 65-foot lift bridge over the 135-foot fixed bridge, finding that the lift bridge would maintain the current right-of-way and the four-lane Third Avenue connection, thereby limiting adverse effects on historic downtown Wilmington, while the fixed bridge would cause significant adverse effects, severe traffic issues, and extreme noise and vibration, and would exit onto the two-lane Fifth Avenue corridor. The commission noted that both options cost the same to construct. The commission also recommends no tolls, citing traffic diversion to the Isabel Holmes Bridge and harm to the central business district and its economic drivers, and requests that the NEPA study area be expanded to include all downtown local historic districts from Marsteller Street to Isabel Holmes Bridge, between the Cape Fear River and Sixth Avenue.
• During discussion, members added points about recent public investment in Fifth Avenue (bike lanes, medians, and the approximately $250,000 fountain), the iconic status and historic outline of the existing bridge, and the importance of hammering home the size differential. The statement was adopted as amended, with Vice Chair Joan Keston designated as the spokesperson to present it at an upcoming city council meeting; the vote was unanimous with no nays. The July 21 council meeting and staff's related programmatic-agreement resolution at the August 4 meeting were noted.

Staff Updates

• A full-day Certified Local Government (CLG) training is scheduled for Friday, July 31, at 9:00 a.m. in the Zale Room, with registration required; details were to be emailed to commissioners.
• Assistant City Attorney Gina Essay noted that she would be attending a local government law conference in Wilmington and would not be at the training.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes of the June 11, 2026, meeting: approved 6-0.
• 814 Macumber Alley: certificate of appropriateness approved 6-0 with staff conditions.
• 310 Chestnut Street (Thalian Hall): approved 6-0 with conditions 1 through 5.
• 20 North Fourth Street, Unit 310: approved 6-0 with conditions.
• 115 South Seventh Street: approved 6-0 with conditions.
• 1403 Market Street: approved 6-0 with conditions.
• 1812 Grace Street: continued to the August 13, 2026, meeting (6-0).
• Cape Fear Memorial Bridge statement: adopted unanimously, with Vice Chair Joan Keston designated as spokesperson.
• Meeting adjourned after staff updates.