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Commission approves amendment to 226 East Front Street COA after floodplain-driven redesign; neighbor voices preference for earlier scheme
Summary
Faced with a raised first‑floor elevation required by floodplain rules, the commission approved an amended COA for 226 East Front St. allowing parking garages beneath the elevated first floor, while adding conditions for landscaping, door and lighting designs; a nearby owner said she preferred the earlier scheme without garages.
The Historic Preservation Commission approved an amendment to an existing certificate of appropriateness for 226 East Front Street that adjusts the approved infill design to meet updated floodplain requirements and adds covered parking under the elevated first floor.
Staff explained the amendment includes extending stairways, raising the foundation about two feet, and adding seven ground‑level parking garages and an elevator lobby in a now‑lowered ground level. Architect Chris Walker told the commission the project must be raised to meet the floodplain (Lemois) vertical datum and base‑flood elevation requirements; that change, he said, created usable space beneath the elevated floor that can accommodate garages. "We had to pull up the building because of the flood elevation... it's 10 feet to the bottom of our structure... then we have 2 feet of floor structure," Walker said, describing why the design was adjusted.
During public comment, neighbor and property owner Dottie Corning of 229 East Front Street said she welcomed the building but preferred the earlier design without parking underneath because of consistency concerns with past denials of similar parking‑under‑building proposals. Commissioners asked the applicant for further design details — masonry detailing, flood vents and door cut sheets — and emphasized that landscaping plans should be submitted to reduce the visual impact of tall foundation walls. Staff and commissioners also asked that door designs, lighting plans and landscaping be submitted to the administrator and that zoning/permit review confirm the tower and overall height comply with city rules.
After deliberation the commission voted to find the amendment not incongruous with New Bern’s ordinances and the district design standards and approved the amendment with conditions requiring the additional submittals and zoning clarity before construction begins.
