The public is invited to attend a forum of candidates for Wilmington Mayor and City Council on Thursday, September 21 at the Hannah Block USO Community Center, 120 S. Second St. The forum is sponsored by ROW and will begin with a "meet and greet" at 6:30 p.m. The program that follows will allow candidates to respond to questions from moderator, Jon Evans, WECT news anchor and then from the public. The forum will conclude by 9 p.m.

 

ROW has asked each candidate to respond in advance to questions about current and prior civic involvement and about specific policy issues that impact budget decisions and the vibrancy of Wilmington's downtown. Results will be presented at the forum.

 

The two Mayoral candidates are:  incumbent Bill Saffo and Todd Zola.

 

The nine candidates vying for three city council seats are:  Kevin O'Grady (incumbent), Charlie Rivenbark (incumbent), Clifford Barnett, Hollis Briggs, Jr., Phillip White, Caylan J. McKay, James A Ray and Perry Fisher.

 

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.

 

I.  The City Council approved the replacement of the Water Street Parking Deck with a mixed-use structure, but a new cost estimate has been proposed by East-West Partners, the company contracted to do the work. The City has announced that a projected 7.6 million dollars will be added to the total cost of the project with the intention of splitting that amount between the City and the development company. The Council will hold a public session on August 15 to discuss the matter.

 

II.  Short Term Rental businesses in Wilmington buy houses or condos for the purpose of renting them for very short periods of time, often a couple of days or a weekend. These rentals are marketed and booked through Internet websites such as VRBO or AirBnB. Two types of Short Term Rentals have been defined by the City:

The Wilmington City Council soon will be reviewing resolutions and changes that have been formulated and defined by the City Planning Staff.

The conflict over STRs centers mainly 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 to exist everywhere, including 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 the reasons listed below:

 

III. The Cape Fear Crossing Project is being proposed by the State Department of Transportation that will determine where a new bridge will be built between Brunswick and New Hanover Counties. Representatives from both counties met in April to discuss the possible six routes being proposed. Mike Kozlosky, Executive Director of Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, has announced that the two preferred routes are south of the current bridge which would not harm the downtown historic area. ROW favors the southernmost routes that would not impact the Historic District.

The final decision, however, rests with the State Transportation Department and public hearings will be held before the proposed 2020 building date. Downtown residents need to remain vigilant and voice their opinions to protect the Historic areas.

 

IV. New Hanover County is currently reviewing a proposal, the Grace Street Redevelopment Project, to reconfigure the block where the main branch of the New Hanover Public Library is located. Land in that block is available for development, and the County's comprehensive plan proposes a new configuration for the entire block, including a new library. The County will study four options, including one that proposes a 15-story hotel and condo development. This issue affects all residents who use the library, and the public must attend public hearings and voice their opinions.

 

To read more about the proliferation of Short Term Rentals in Wilmington, click on Read More.

 

 

A ROW grant of $2000 was awarded to the Bellamy Mansion to be used for six story-board exhibits in the slave quarters. The mansion is currently enlarging the information displays about slave life. Row is proud to support the educational efforts of the museum, which serves 25,000 visitors annually and sponsors additional events and lectures.

 

ROW also awarded a $2500 grant to the Salvation Army to make preparations to sell the church facility on Third Street in anticipation of a new Salvation Army campus to be built near the airport.

 

 

 

Each year ROW hosts the Law Enforcement Appreciation (LEAP) Dinner in February. The Wilmington Police Department and the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office are invited to share a meal with ROW members. Generous portions of food are donated by the members, and the leftovers are taken back to the respective law enforcement offices.

In the picture on the left, Police Chief Ralph Evangelous on the left shares a moment with Sheriff Edward McMahon. 

ROW extends a heartfelt thank you to all of the local law enforcement personnel who continually monitor our community to keep us safe.

 

 

Wilmington's historic brick streets are important cultural and economic assets of the city. They help define our historic districts and promote tourism. Unfortunately, many have been covered with asphalt or are in disrepair, and in 2016, the city began reviewing the brick street policy that was defined in 1987. The city studied traffic data and cost factors. Citizens expressed their preference for saving the brick streets at public meetings and through an online survey.

 

 

 Click on "Read More" to learn about the input from former ROW Mayor, Sylvia Kochler and George Edwards, Executive Director of the Historic Wilmington Foundation, who formed a study group to develop a list of recommendations for maintaining and removing asphalt from brick streets.