Wilmington Historic Preservation Commission Meeting - September 10, 2026
Wilmington Historic Preservation Commission Meeting - September 10, 2026
The Wilmington Historic Preservation Commission met on Thursday, September 10, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers, Skyline Center. The commission considered nine evidentiary hearing items, including old business (three properties on North Front Street) and new business (six properties across the historic district). All votes were unanimous. The meeting also included approval of minutes from August 13, 2026, and discussion of the FY 2026 annual report and other preservation matters.
Approval of Minutes
- The commission approved the minutes from the August 13, 2026 meeting after a brief discussion to clarify language regarding the institutional versus religious nature of a property at 1403 Market Street. The approved minutes noted that the property was considered an institutional building specifically religious in nature.
Discussion Items & Key Outcomes
Old Business – North Front Street Properties (Items 1-3)
- Commissioner Lawler recused himself from items 1, 2, and 3 due to prior professional involvement. Vice Chair Keston chaired these items.
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23 N. Front St. (Courtyard Design) – Applicant David Maurer presented a plan to redesign the rear courtyard for outdoor restaurant seating, including a pergola, landscaping, and a new brick wall along Princess Street. The commission approved with conditions (proper disposal of materials, code compliance). Motion passed 6-0.
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27 N. Front St. (Masonry, Windows, Rear Exit) – Applicant amended the request to include storm windows on five rear windows. The commission approved with conditions (clear glazing, no new openings, proper disposal). Motion passed 6-0. Later, the applicant clarified that no new rear steps would be built, as the exit level would be moved to the basement.
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35 N. Front St. (Storefront Replacement, Masonry) – The commission approved with conditions, including that the gate along Princess Street must not swing into the right-of-way. Motion passed 6-0.
New Business (Items 4-9)
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120 N. 8th St. (New House Construction) – Applicant Joseph Finley proposed a two-story house on a vacant corner lot. After discussion about window sizes on the Chestnut Street elevation and setbacks, the commission approved with a condition that three windows on that elevation be enlarged to full size to match the opposite side. A neighbor expressed support and asked about construction timing. Motion passed 7-0.
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620 Orange St. (New House Construction) – Applicant Tim Johnson proposed a new house on a vacant lot. Public comment from Bruce Bowman requested additional windows on the street elevation and relocation of the HVAC condenser. The commission approved with conditions: adding a horizontal band board between floors, moving the condenser to the right side, and adding one full-size window on the left elevation near the stairs. Motion passed 7-0.
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511 Grace St. (Pool Installation) – Applicant Landon Beale presented plans for an in-ground pool and pergola. The design was updated to replace handrails with planters. The commission approved with conditions (fence not exceeding 6 feet, no tree removal, archaeological reporting). Motion passed 7-0.
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712 Red Cross St. (Renovations) – Applicant Sue Lawfer Boone described extensive renovations to a shotgun house, including raising the structure, new foundation, metal roof, replica diamond window, and two-over-two windows. The chimney would be removed and rebuilt in brick. The commission approved with conditions, including the chimney replacement and window specifications. Motion passed 7-0.
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19 N. 5th Ave. (Securing Niches and Concealed Spaces) – Applicant Bruce Bowman (on behalf of First Baptist Church) proposed installing lattice underpinning and new carriage-style garage doors to prevent illicit activity. The commission approved with conditions (removable installation, no tree removal, code compliance). Motion passed 7-0.
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407 & 411 S. 3rd St. (Pool and Setbacks) – Applicant Paige Toto proposed a pool on the combined parcels, requiring a property line adjustment. The pool would be located behind 407 S. 3rd St. and shielded by existing fencing. The commission approved with conditions (inconspicuous equipment, recorded property boundary, archaeological reporting). Motion passed 7-0.
Other Business
- The FY 2026 Historic Preservation Commission Annual Report was included for information. Commissioner Williams noted a minor error regarding her attendance in April; staff will correct the minutes.
- The commission discussed a recent condemnation notice on a historic church at 4th and Church streets (Holy Ghost Deliverance Church) due to structural unsoundness, with a 30-day response period.
- Commissioner Keston reported that the owner of the Graystone property has not responded to inquiries; the property remains without a roof and at risk.
- Staff reminded the public of upcoming NCDOT meetings regarding the bridge replacement project.
Meeting Transcript
30 days of the date of the commission's action. Evidence is received during the evidentiary hearing portion of an agenda item. Those who want to address the commission are sworn as witnesses to present material and substantial evidence to the commission. The chair recognizes those who want to submit such evidence during the evidentiary hearing. Evidence should be directed to the commission. To ensure that evidence is properly recorded, please come to the podium to address the commission, state your name and address, and speak clearly. Members of the historic preservation commission are uh appointed by the city council and serve at its discretion. Our responsibility is to protect and preserve properties within the city's designated historic districts. We adhere to the Wilmington design standards for historic districts and landmarks as well as applicable North Carolina state law to assess whether exterior changes align with the unique character of the city's historic districts. It is important that we deliberate the merits of each request in a manner that provides a record of the basis for our decisions. Please remember that our deliberation should center on how a project meets to the design standards and whether the proposed change is congruous or not. Commissioners, if you have been uh I'm sorry, if you have received or been made aware of any outside evidence related to any of the matters, please recuse yourself. And if you would all please turn off your cell phones or set them to silent mode. Thank you for that. I would like to introduce staff over here, stage right, uh, I'm sorry, stage left. We have Gina Esse, Assistant City Attorney, Brian Chambers, assistant planning director, Ben Riggle, Historic Preservation Planning Manager, Alden Finholm, uh historic preservation planner, Amy Bradshaw over to my right, uh planning coordinator. And I've uh commissioners could please introduce themselves, starting over here with Paul. Uh Paul Lawler. Joan Keston. Christopher Yermel. Ashley Wilson. Stephen Salke, Carrie Williams. Uh staff uh will now swear in any witnesses who wish to speak this evening. If you would uh facing over there with um Amy, please. If I could have all applicants, staff and members of the public, if you wish to speak tonight, please stand up and raise your right hand. Do you swear that the testimony you're about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? Thank you. Uh so first item of business uh review and approval of the meeting minutes from Thursday, August 13th. Uh we got an email earlier. Paul, if we wanted to make some adjustment to that, we can go ahead and discuss that now, and then we'll get uh a motion for approval. Yes, under um evidentiary hearing number nine, 1403 Market Street, which was the uh church windows. There's notations in here about the um special circumstances, and it noted the institutional nature of the property, and I think that's what was first brought up last meeting, but I think we discussed it and suggested it'd be more perhaps just uh religious institution because if it's all institutions, um that would be uh I mean I hate to see Citicorp and they brings their headquarters down here and claims poverty, they toss all the windows out. Yeah, I mean I I brought up at that meeting just uh it was a broader outlook I had that I was mentioning uh the institutional nature of the building, not necessarily just the fact that it was a religious or church. So uh, and I think in the I'm sorry, in the minutes it does say I'm sorry, Paul. Tell me again in the minutes it does say uh the fact that it was a a church. No, when you spoke and then I added on that it was a church, and that was then added into it. Right. The minutes say institutional, yeah. But uh we also had subsequent discussion when that point came out, and I thought um the the consensus is more of just church to to narrow the exception. Okay. So does that do how do we want someone like to go ahead and state it? How do how do we want because then we're gonna you know get a second and some approval for this? How do we want that to actually be stated then on that note? Um that detail. Yeah. What was that address? Word be the religious nature of the property or the church affiliation. Uh nature of the property as a house of worship. Gina, did does this matter? Yeah.
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