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Vision Statement

​The neighborhoods in ROW’s membership area (8th Street to the Cape Fear River and Red Cross Street to Queen Street, hereinafter the ROW “Neighborhoods”) provide much of the historic character and charm that define the City of Wilmington, North Carolina.

 

They contain historically and architecturally important residences. They are living neighborhoods, but they are also authentic, beautiful, cultural districts that serve to educate residents and visitors alike. ROW’s Neighborhoods are an indisputable asset to the local economy, particularly tourism and the film industry. The membership of ROW seeks to maintain both the historical and residential character of the Neighborhoods. They should be safe, livable communities for all ages – young professionals, families with children, active retirees, and the elderly. Particular areas of ongoing concern to the membership are public safety, beautification, and the impacts of new development. ROW’s vision for its Neighborhoods is compatible with and supports the City’s Vision 2020 Plans for downtown (1997, 2004)*, which include proposals for implementation of many of the recommendations that follow.

A. Existing buildings

In keeping with the historic character of ROW’s Neighborhoods, all buildings, whether owner-occupied or rental, should be properly restored and maintained. Buildings that were originally built as single-family residences should be maintained that way, or returned to single-family use.  Continued preservation through rehabilitation and restoration of historic homes in the neighborhoods is essential and should be done pursuant to the Wilmington Design Guidelines for Historic Districts and Landmarks (hereinafter the “Guidelines”).*

B. Infill and Other New Development

Existing homes should be preserved and not torn down for new development. Any infill development on unimproved lots should:

  1. Comply with all Guidelines*, and zoning codes, ordinances and regulations*; and

  2. Be done in a manner consistent with the predominately single-family character of the Neighborhoods. Any new development or redevelopment must fit into the context of the historic Neighborhoods and should not crowd, overwhelm or detract from existing buildings. Consistent with the character of the Neighborhoods and to any extent possible, developers and redevelopers should include off-street parking in their plans.

C. Aesthetics

Buildings, yards, unimproved lots, streetscapes and sidewalks within the Neighborhoods should be well maintained, and beautification should be encouraged.  Ordinances and regulations* relating to upkeep of property should be strictly and consistently enforced by the City of Wilmington. Streetscapes should be improved with attractive landscaping, especially plazas (between sidewalk and street), medians and at street corners. Landscaping should be well maintained. In particular, the medians on South Third Street and on North and South Fifth Avenue should be upgraded with attractive, well maintained landscaping.  Overhead lines for power and communications should be consolidated or buried whenever possible.

​​​​​​D. Streets

Generally, streets and sidewalks in the ROW Neighborhoods should be safe, well lighted, in good repair, attractive, and regulated in a manner consistent with the residential, pedestrian friendly character of the Neighborhoods.

 

Specifically, streets and alleys paved with brick and other historic paving materials (collectively “brick streets”), as well as curbs made of granite and other historic curbing materials, should be maintained and preserved. Brick streets covered with asphalt, or patched with asphalt or cement, should be restored to brick.Traffic patterns, traffic volumes and speed limits should be compatible with the residential character of the Neighborhoods.

 

Traffic calming devices, including historic paving materials, should be used to discourage speeding and excess traffic in the Neighborhoods. Effective pedestrian crosswalk signals and signs should be installed at strategic locations at the busier intersections.

 

Future development in and around downtown should be planned and executed in ways that do not route traffic through the Neighborhoods. State Highway NC Business 17 should be re-routed out of downtown. South Third Street and South Fifth Avenue should be restored to two lanes. No route for the proposed new bridge across the Cape Fear River should be selected that will route traffic through, create excess traffic in, or otherwise adversely effect the downtown historic districts, including the ROW Neighborhoods.

 

The City should encourage visitors and local business employees to use municipal parking meters, decks and lots, rather than parking in the Neighborhoods. The City’s residential parking permit program* should be expanded when requested by residents. The City should maintain the alleys within ROW’s Neighborhoods and undertake a study of the feasibility of reopening alleys that are blocked or disused, to provide additional off-street parking.

E. Residential Zoning Restrictions on Uses

Zoning regulations* prohibiting business uses in residential districts should be vigorously and consistently enforced. Regulations governing rentals in residential districts should be consistent with and support the residential character and zoning of the Neighborhoods and should be clear, enforceable and enforced.  

 

All rentals should be primarily residential in nature. Guest lodging, for instance B&Bs, should be limited in number and should be the “principal residence” of an on-site owner or manager so as to be primarily residential in use.  There should be strict and consistent enforcement of regulations governing:

  • the number of unrelated individuals permitted to reside in a single residence;

  • the number of residential units permitted on a single lot;

  • residential lot size, street frontage and density;

  • and off street parking requirements for new and redeveloped properties.

F. Parks and Playgrounds

The ROW membership strongly supports the addition and expansion of parks and playgrounds in the Neighborhoods, consistent with previous statements. Parks and playgrounds should be well-lighted and open to promote safety.

 

Regulations against vagrancy, loitering, panhandling, littering, and noise must be strictly and consistently enforced in and around parks and playgrounds. Existing parks should be improved, upgraded and made more attractive.

G. The Central Business District

ROW supports and encourages more full-time residents living in the CBD in

  1. preserved and redeveloped existing commercial buildings, and

  2. new infill buildings appropriate in location, scale and character so as to fit sensitively into the historic CBD.

 

ROW also supports and encourages a diverse business community downtown, including addition of a full service grocery store, and more quality retail shops, professional offices, banks, service businesses, hotels, galleries, museums, theaters, etc.  ROW supports continued monitoring and regulation of bars and nightclubs, with a goal of diminishing the density of these establishments over time. The City’s noise ordinance* must be strictly and consistently enforced.

*SUPPORTING INFORMATION

 

ROW’s membership area is from 8th Street to the Cape Fear River and from Red Cross to Queen Streets.

This entire area is covered by the National Register of Historic Places, and includes residential neighborhoods, mixed use neighborhoods, two primarily non-residential historic districts around Thalian Hall and the City and County offices and courts (HD and HD-MU), and the Central Business District (CBD). 

 

Most of residential areas within ROW District are designated Historic District-Residential (HD-R) and are subject to the Wilmington Design Guidelines for Historic Districts and Landmarks and architectural review by the Historic Preservation Commission.

 

The following  documents, which may be found on the City of Wilmington website www.wilmingtonnc.gov, are useful references for understanding ROW’s Vision Statement:

  • Vision 2020 Plan

  • Historic Districts, Map, Design Guidelines

  • Land Use Development Code

  • Residential Parking Permit Program

  • Noise Ordinance

 

Adopted by the ROW Board, January 25, 2017, and by the Members, February 8, 2017.

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