The May Picnic was held at the historic Burgwin-Wright House on Saturday, May 12. Nearly 80 members enjoyed the delicious food, pleasant weather and the good company of fellow members.

 

ROW volunteers participated in Work on Wilmington on April 28 at DREAMS, a non-profit organization that promotes the arts for young people at risk, located at 901 Fanning Street. Volunteers cleared flower beds and painted picnic benches.

 

ROW members spread throughout downtown streets on Saturday, April 7, to pick up trash and clean up the area in preparation for the upcoming Azalea Festival. Thanks to all of the volunteers!

Residents in the Historic District will be impacted by decisions that will be made by the City, County and State in the coming weeks, months and years that will affect the quality of life downtown. These issues are monitored closely by ROW and are explained below.

I.  Short Term Rentals in Wilmington are houses or condos tht are rented for short periods of time, often a few days or a weekend. These rentals are often marketed and booked through Internet websites such as VRBO or AirBnB. Two types of Short Term Rentals have been defined by the City:

The conflict over STRs centers on whether Whole House Short Term Rentals should be allowed in Residential Districts.  Currently, Wilmington's Zoning Code does not permit any businesses to operate in neighborhoods zoned single family residential. The City estimates that approximately 540 STRs (both Whole House and Home Stays) are operating within Wilmington. Investors who own Whole House STRs in residential neighborhoods want the code to be changed to allow their businesses in Residential Districts. 

ROW favors Home Stays in Residential Districts and all types of STRs in the Central Business District which is zoned commercial. ROW opposes Whole House STRs in residential neighborhoods. For more details about STRs in Wilmington, click the Read More button below.

 

The City Council soon will be voting on STR proposals. If you want to voice your concerns about protecting the Residential Districts, email the City Council at:  Council@wilmington.gov

 

II. The Grace Street Project concerns the development of the downtown block containing the public library. New Hanover County owns the block and County Commissioners are considering proposals for a public-private redevelopment of the block that now includes the library, the recently-built Story Book Park, a parking garage, the Register of Deeds building and an empty parcel bordering Grace Street. Moving the Cape Fear Museum to the site is a possibility. Two public hearings revealed a strong opposition to the re-development, which could include adding apartments, condos and a hotel. The County Commissioners will vote on the proposals in the summer of 2018.

 

III. The Cape Fear Crossing Project concerns a new bridge between Brunswick and New Hanover Counties. Twelve proposal were initially introduced, but the two routes that would impact the Downtown Historic District have been eliminated. ROW favors the southernmost routes nearer the port area. The final decision rests with the State Transportation Department, and public hearings will be held before the proposed 2019 decision and proposed 2020 building date.

 

IV. Many of Wilmington's historic brick streets have been covered with asphalt or are in disrepair. The City reviewed the brick street policy, held pubic meetings, and determined steps for improving the existing streets. The City Council has allocated funds for "Brick Street Rehabilitation" in the 2017-18 Budget Capital Improvement Program. We hope to see improvements in the coming year.