WILMINGTON — Another lengthy discussion on the proposed North Lincoln Street housing development took center stage at Thursday’s Wilmington City Council meeting.
The council performed a second reading of an ordinance approving the preliminary plan for a planned unit development (PUD) over what was previously the drive-in theater owned by Chakeres.
The 28.6 acres would go from being zoned as a suburban neighborhood to a traditional neighborhood. At a May city council meeting, there were talks of making it a 92-unit single-family dwelling neighborhood. Then at a planning commissions meeting in November, there was talk of increasing the density, resulting in 113 residential units.
Kurt Ritter, of DDC Management, the group behind the PUD, spoke to the council and took questions from the audience. He also addressed concerns that residents brought up at the previous council meeting.
One of those concerns was over-drainage in the southwest portion of the area.
“We’ve gone back and looked at that and decided to implement a forage under-drain that would be in the location of the swale along the backs of lots,” said Ritter.
When addressing concerns about a connection to Kentucky Avenue, he said they were making a sidewalk for it.
For concerns that the buildings would be too close to one another, he advised there would be a 10-foot distance between the buildings. He advised this makes the buildings comply with the zoning and fire safety code in the city.
Several locals expressed concerns they still had about the development, including some who questioned a need for it and still felt the number of houses was a concern.
David Ruck, a local resident, again felt parking on the street would not work based on the size of the street and felt like traffic studies weren’t thorough enough.
“I feel like this is going to be a transient neighborhood,” Ruck said. “People aren’t going to live there for 20 years. They’re going to live there until they get enough to move out.”
Jamie Knowles, another local, said he felt it could bring property values down to other properties in the city because of what he felt were issues that result in repairs needed in the neighborhood.
The third and final reading is scheduled for the next meeting on April 7.
Reach John Hamilton at 937-382-2574
