What are we going to do about development?
We live in such a wonderful place that more people are moving here than we can handle. But putting a moratorium on building would create more problems than it solves, most notably a severe increase in housing costs.
The three concerns I heard the most while serving on the Wilmington Planning Commission were development’s impact on traffic, housing affordability, and the environment. And this is why I’m running for City Council – so I can use my decades of service, creative problem-solving skills, and commonsense leadership to develop real strategies to address your top concerns.
It’s not going to be easy. But my decades of nonprofit leadership have taught me to be resourceful and build relationships that lead to meaningful outcomes.
Here are my Top 10 strategies to responsibly manage our growth:
A BALANCED APPROACH
1. Use policies, public input, and other resources to mitigate negative impacts of overpopulation.
While I served on the Wilmington Planning Commission, we rewrote the Land Development Codes which hadn’t been done since the 80s! We strengthened workforce housing incentives, reduced barriers to missing middle products such as duplexes and townhomes, incentivized redevelopment of enormous parking lots, and improved tree protections - all in the same document! All of the policy and land use changes are based on Wilmington’s Comprehensive Plan written nearly 10 years ago. We’re a different City since the pandemic and we will update the Plan next year. I want to be there to make sure all your concerns are heard. Every City resource should be evaluated based on its true benefit to current Wilmingtonians. That means contracting with local businesses, listening to subject-matter experts such as nonprofit leaders, and ensuring every resident has the opportunity to prosper in our thriving City.
TRAFFIC
2. Advocate for improvements to major roads owned by NCDOT.
The most congested roads are owned by NCDOT (eg, College, Oleander, Shipyard, Market, anything with a route number), so the City has limited control. We can use our influence and relationships to advocate for more landscaped medians, turn lanes, and widenings where they will make the most impact. I have a strong track record of working with people from all levels of government and all political backgrounds to address the most urgent needs in our community.
3. Complete 2014 Transportation Bond projects. (Yes, 2014!)
The City is responsible for our neighborhood streets, sidewalks, and trail systems. Even 11 years ago, Wilmingtonians knew we needed these improvements and voted to fund them. Bond projects include improvements to Wrightsville Ave, Greenville Loop, Dawson/Wooster, Masonboro Loop, Kerr Ave, and Eastwood.
4. House people near services.
This reduces how long people are on the road, mitigating traffic. Also, it’s easier (and safer!) to walk or ride your bike. Mixed-use developments are a responsible use of real estate, as parking can be shared and more homes and services can be provided in a smaller building footprint.
ENVIRONMENT
5. Aggressively protect our tree canopy.
Our tree canopy has decreased by 6% since Hurricane Florence. We need to take steps to reverse that by fully funding our Urban Forest Master Plan and properly stewarding our street trees. When we rewrote the Land Development Codes, we made clear-cutting illegal and made it harder for developers to remove significant trees, resulting in a tree mitigation fund that is now being used to replace trees.
6. Maintain existing parks and buy more park land.
The City owns over 700 acres of parks and green spaces. Many facilities are aging and need upgrades. We are running out of opportunities to buy land as the City grows. Land is expensive, but Wilmingtonians have made it clear that preserving green space is important. We should budget to protect green space, especially in flood-prone low-lying areas, so it can be used for storm resilience and paid for by federal disaster mitigation grants.
7. Encourage redevelopment of existing impervious area.
While I was on the Planning Commission, we improved stormwater regulations to make it easier to redevelop large parking lots and rundown commercial centers. We need even more creative incentives to make redevelopment more appealing than building on vacant land. In my current position at Wesley Community Development, we repurpose closed churches to build housing that is affordable to seniors and working families.
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY
8. Train current residents for jobs of the future.
We have a strong economy thanks to many great economic development organizations. Unfortunately, 2 out of 3 new jobs are filled by people moving here. Let’s increase our efforts to train our current residents for jobs in sectors that are growing here, like finance, technology, and healthcare, so they are more competitive for new jobs. This is really the only legal way to keep more people from moving here - fill the jobs with people who already live here! The rising tide of prosperity in our thriving City should lift all boats, especially those who already call Wilmington home.
9. Reduce/eliminate barriers to duplexes and townhouses.
57% of the City’s land is taken up by single-family homes on their own lot. We don’t have to build only large apartment buildings to meet the housing demand. We can go to the “missing middle” – duplexes, triplexes, etc. When we rewrote the Land Development Code (which hadn’t been done since the 80s!), we reduced barriers to building the missing middle and it is working to add housing units without creating density where it doesn’t belong. I’m not done yet! I recently submitted a code revision (as a private citizen) to make it easier to create duplexes in certain parts of downtown. It was unanimously recommended by the Planning Commission!
10. Strengthen existing City programs and create a Housing Trust Fund to enable families to secure and stay in their homes.
The City has some great programs, such as homeownership counseling, downpayment assistance, and affordable rental rehab. Cutting a little red tape and better managing the City’s limited resources can make them even more successful. Homeownership is the most common way families escape poverty and with downpayment assistance, they can thrive. During my 15 years as WARM’s CEO, we made free repairs for over 2,000 seniors, veterans, single parents, and others who could not afford costly repairs. Since 2018, I’ve served on the NC Housing Trust Fund board, helping allocate millions of public dollars all over the state, leveraging private investment to make the most impact for seniors, adults with disabilities, veterans, and others the market has left behind. More than 9,000 subsidized housing units in our community will reach the end of their affordability period in the next 10 years. We need to help keep them affordable. Include a land bank to purchase property in historically Black neighborhoods, preserving the open space, tradition, and history for future generations.