Wilmington preservation commission presses for broader review, urges lift-bridge preference in Cape Fear Memorial Bridge replacement

The Wilmington Historic Preservation Commission met July 7 to review a draft programmatic agreement (PA) tied to the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge replacement and to plan formal comments to City Council before federal agencies finalize a preferred design.

Acting Chair Joan Kestin opened the meeting and staff planning director Linda Painter described two alternatives under consideration: a movable (lift) span with 135 feet of vertical clearance when raised and a minimum of 65 feet otherwise, and a fixed 135-foot clearance span. Painter said both options would be built south of the existing bridge, would include six 12-foot travel lanes and a north-side multiuse path, and that several ramp locations would shift under the fixed-span option, likely moving major on/off ramps from 3rd Street toward 5th Avenue.

The commission focused on three immediate concerns: the PA's scope, the commission's legal status under the draft agreement, and the project’s traffic and visual impacts. Painter told commissioners the PA as circulated used inconsistent terminology: notices referred to the HPC as a "consulting party," while the draft PA text identified the HPC as a "concurring party," a distinction staff said needs clarification from Federal Highway and NCDOT. Painter added, "You do not have the authority to speak on behalf of the city of Wilmington," explaining that staff routinely asks that the city itself (not the commission) be listed as a party so the city receives formal notice and can participate in the process.

On impacts, staff and commissioners cited traffic estimates in the document (about 69,000 current daily trips, rising toward roughly 95,000 in planning materials) and warned that shifting ramps to 5th Avenue would concentrate traffic on that corridor, changing its character and raising noise and evacuation concerns. Painter recommended the PA explicitly acknowledge that the fixed-span alternative would have "greater impact" than the movable span, expand the geographic scope of the study beyond a narrow Dawson/Wooster corridor to include areas likely affected by ramp relocations, and require mitigation that preserves or echoes the bridge’s historic and aesthetic character rather than defaulting to a standard DOT concrete span.

Commissioners also pressed the project team to require consistent mitigation measures across alternatives (including vibration monitoring), and to define the conditions under which the PA could shorten review periods (staff noted the PA allows emergency or post-discovery reductions from a 30-day comment window to as short as seven days and said the term "emergency" needs definition).

Public commenters and local residents urged the commission to press the city and the Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization (WMPO) to support the lift (movable) option. One preservation foundation speaker argued the lift and fixed alternatives cost about the same, preserve the same navigation clearance, and that "if you've got two alternatives that are functionally equivalent and cost about the same, why not pick the one that preserves the historic districts and the wetlands?" The speaker warned a fixed 135-foot span would put intersections and ramps 60 feet above 3rd Street, with major visual impacts and altered traffic and evacuation routes.

The commission also discussed tolling and funding uncertainty. Staff flagged a schedule milestone noting that enabling toll legislation may be required "if needed," and commissioners asked whether tolling (private or public) and potential per-trip tolls (one participant cited roughly $2.55) would be modeled in the environmental assessment because tolling changes travel behavior and could shift traffic to alternate bridges.

No formal vote was taken. City attorney Gina Essey advised the commission it does not yet have authorization to sign or speak for the city and recommended the commission generate a public recommendation to forward to City Council. Staff said it will prepare a resolution focused on comments to the PA for the council meeting cycle (staff plans to present the resolution to council on Aug. 4; council meetings occur July 21 and Aug. 4) so the city can submit timely comments before the PA-related deadlines.

Commissioners agreed to develop draft language (Acting Chair Joan Kestin volunteered to produce a first draft) and to consider a short special meeting to finalize the HPC’s recommendation before the council presentation. The commission also planned to encourage individual commissioners and residents to sign up and speak at the City Council meeting or with the WMPO and merger team.

The commission closed without taking a formal vote; staff will submit the city's PA-focused comments to Federal Highway/NCDOT and will present a resolution to City Council during the August meeting cycle.