Welcome to the Development Services, Planning Division. We’re preparing for Wilmington’s quality future growth with land use and transportation plans, protection of historic resources, the natural environment, and other initiatives. We review development projects, including rezoning proposals, subdivision requests, and site plans. The Planning Division provides recommendations and technical information to City Boards, the Planning Commission, and City Council. It is our philosophy that we value the customer and we are service oriented. We balance the needs of our diverse community, take pride in our work and are dedicated to improving the quality of life in Wilmington.
The Planning Division comprises the following functions:
Zoning
Development Review
Historic Preservation
Long Range Planning
Environmental Planning
Transportation Planning
Cape Fear Breeze Program
South Side Small-Area Plan (Including the Dry Pond, Bottom, and Lake Forest neighborhoods)
What is a small-area plan?
A small-area plan is a proactive approach to neighborhood needs. Neighborhood planning is a participatory process that helps local residents come together to develop their own interests and projects that augment the services and capital improvements provided by the city. Small-area plans consider all resident needs and look at the “big picture.” The planning process will identify the area’s current and future needs and develop programs that will engage residents and enable greater choices for all residents. The planning process will address issues from all angles, including environmental, social, and physical. Community input is a vital part of the planning process and residents are encouraged to participate. The City of Wilmington is preparing a small-area plan for the south side, including the Dry Pond, Bottom, and Lake Forest neighborhoods. The plan area is bounded by the river to the west, 17th Street to the east, Market Street to the north, and Greenfield Lake to the south.
Information from the first community meeting:
The first public input meeting was held on October 14th at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center, with more than 40 stakeholders in attendance. At this meeting, city staff presented an overview of small-area planning and the intended outcomes of the process. Participants then broke into small groups and engaged in exercises to help define the plan boundaries and identify important issues in the area (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, or SWOT). Finally, participants completed a survey ranking growth and redevelopment factors. The results of the SWOT exercise and the survey are provided below, as well as a list of themes generated from participant feedback and a map reflecting the determined plan boundaries.
Information from the Second Community Meeting
The second community meeting was held on November 20th with more than 20 stakeholders in attendance. At this meeting, staff presented the themes derived from the SWOT exercise conducted at the first meeting. Participants broke into small groups to complete a visioning activity to help formulate the vision statement for the plan. The next community meeting will be early next year. Please check back for a date and time.
Focus Groups
Over the next few weeks, a series of focus group meetings will be held to review each theme, identify needs, and develop strategies. The first round of focus groups will be held in December at the Martin Luther King Center.
Click here for the meeting schedule.
Click here for a breakdown of issues covered by each focus group.
North Carolina Floodplain Mapping
Click here to go to the North Carolina Floodplain Mapping Program. There, you can view and download the latest floodplain maps.