Council adopts comments and signs on as concurring party for Cape Fear Memorial Bridge agreement; staff urges broader study

City staff presented recommended comments on a draft programmatic agreement governing Section 106 historic‑resources review for the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge replacement project; council unanimously adopted the comments and authorized the city manager to sign the agreement as a concurring party.

Planning Director Linda Painter outlined two build alternatives under study: alternative A, a movable span that would generally maintain current ramp locations at 3rd Street and preserve downtown access patterns; and alternative B, a fixed higher span whose longer profile would shift on/off ramps to 5th Avenue and could materially change downtown traffic circulation and impacts to historic properties. Painter said the federal and state agencies had prepared an environmental assessment that staff has not yet received and that staff is recommending several substantive changes to the programmatic agreement.

Key staff recommendations adopted by council included asking FHWA and NCDOT to expand the programmatic agreement’s study area beyond the immediate blocks adjacent to the bridge so it would consider more fully the effects on the Wilmington National Historic District; request that vibration monitoring and building condition assessments be required for nearby contributing structures; provide copies of mitigation documentation to the city and New Hanover County Library for historic records; and consider extending grant timelines to allow preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) rather than relying solely on an environmental assessment (EA).

Historic Preservation Manager Ben Bridal described the interagency roles: Federal Highway leads Section 106 consultations, the State Historic Preservation Office acts as the state reviewer, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation serves as a federal backstop. Councilmembers expressed frustration with the lengthy, multi‑agency process and urged robust local involvement during subsequent reviews. Painter and Bridal said signing as a concurring party would preserve the city's opportunity to participate in mitigation planning and provide formal input during later stages.

Council voted unanimously to adopt the comment package and authorize the city manager to sign the programmatic agreement as a concurring party; staff said they will return with additional comment letters after reviewing the environmental assessment when it becomes available.