Wilmington Planning Commission recommends one housing project, denies another

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - The Wilmington Planning Commission reccomended one and denied another proposal for new apartments and townhomes at their meeting on Wednesday, September 7.

The reccomended proposal was a 248-unit apartment complex on 40.45 acres at 4126 River Road at the end of Independence Boulevard. The site was previously used as a dry stack boat storage facility and marina but is no longer in use. Though the commissioners had some minor reservations, they agreed 6-0 to recommend the development given some adjustments are made.

The Proximity at Watermark, owned by SCS Ventures and applied for by Cape Fear Development... — The Proximity at Watermark, owned by SCS Ventures and applied for by Cape Fear Development Partners(Cape Fear Development Partners, SCS Ventures)

At the site of the Carolinian Inn, Orange Capital Advisors brought a proposal for 112 apartments and 36 townhomes on 8.84 acres of land. The property sits near several single family homes and some townhomes in lower density zoning, and the proposal’s higher density brought several people to speak against the project at the planning commission’s meeting. The commissioners voted 4-2 to not recommend the project.

A denied housing development proposal on the site of the Carolinian Inn(Paramounte Engineering, Orange Capital Advisors, RIGI Inc)

The main entrance for the complex would be at Market Street with gated entrances at Wayne Drive and S 29th Street, but this wasn’t enough to ease the concerns of the nearby residents. The Create Wilmington Comprehensive Plan would seem to support the proposal: the site is identified as area of opportunity for higher intensity, pedestrian-oriented development right beside a mixed use center.

Efforts at higher density are still restricted by parking requirements: the city zoning code requires a minimum of 1.5 parking spaces per one-bedroom unit and 2.25 spaces for a 3+ bedroom unit outside of the 1945 corporate limits, which only contains areas not far from downtown Wilmington.