The Wrightsville Beach Planning Board tonight will consider whether to recommend a special commercial zoning district for the lot next to Johnnie Mercer’s Pier to allow for a taller building height to accommodate a proposed mixed use development project.
By approving the use of a “mixed use overlay district” for the vacant lot zoned C-2 commercial, developers would be able to move forward with the proposed Island Center, a project that would bring restaurants, retail shops and a handful of residential units to the 1.1 acre lot. However, at 50 feet in height, the Island Center exceeds the town’s 40 foot building height limit. If approved, the issue will go before the town’s Board of Aldermen.
Developers have said that by using the overlay district, the town can allow for the extended height of the Island Center while continuing to restrict building height to 40 feet over the rest of the town. They have argued that changes in the way building height is measured, along with new federal regulations on floor height, make the 40-foot limit incompatible with the original goal of the height restrictions, which was to limit buildings to four stories.
However, the Wrightsville Beach Board of Aldermen in 2015 received strident opposition from residents when it held a public hearing to consider allowing for buildings taller than 40 feet.
The planning board meeting is scheduled for tonight at 6 p.m. at the Town Hall council chambers.