What Is the Truth About the New Historic Ordiance?

There was a very confusing zoning ordinance passed by Council the other day, and I have to admit I was confused (and still am to an extent.) It has to do with 'historic' buildings downtown. Here's an article on it.

I was having some trouble understanding exactly what the impact will be, but this helped make it more clear.

Wilmington Watcher (quoting Wilmington Planning Commission minutes):

Mr. Todd Toconis stated he is a homeowner. He focused on two properties that he owns or owned. The first is 108 Walnut, a bar called Drifters. It was a gas station built in the 1940s or 50s. It is listed as a contributing structure. The last little gas station like this downtown was torn down by the City and is now a park. This proposal will make it very difficult for him to do anything with that property because it sits so far back from the street. If the building was torn down, nothing could be built there. Another property on the list is 110 Grace Street which used to be the entrance to Bob Warwick’s office. He tore that building down ten years ago. It was on this list as a 1935 commercial building. It was a one-story building and he didn’t think there was anything significant about it. That is where the new 8-story Marriott Hotel will be built. If that old one-story building was still there, the 8-story building could not be built there. Only a 1-1/2 story building could be put there. He wants his rights protected, but he saw this as taking his rights.

As a note, this passed the council 5-2 (with Rivenbark and Sparks voting against it), even though the planning commission recommended against it passing.