Residents voice concerns about changes to land development ordinance during Wilmington City Council meeting

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Several residents spoke out against a proposed ordinance change during Tuesday’s Wilmington City Council meeting.

The change would allow high-density complexes to be built in place of single-family homes.

Residents were also concerned about a proposed subsection removal relating to developments built on wetlands.

Wilmington resident Matt Childs said the city needs to remember that flooding is always a concern here.

“You know, the flooding, just the overall environment here in Wilmington, you know we have challenges with floodwater,” Childs said. “So we’re urging the city to do an impact study to understand if they’re going to change the variance of the code, that they understand the ramifications and what that means for surrounding neighborhoods.”

While he’s not in favor of allowing a development to be built on wetlands, retired urban planner Tim Holder said a lot needs to be considered before any development can be built.

“So those retention ponds are very important, drainage is a very important issue,” Holder said. “And that has to be taken into consideration, whether its single-family or multi-family.”

The proposed land development change was not voted on and the council will discuss whether to develop on wetlands at a later meeting.

Earlier in the meeting, Wilmington police officers were honored for their service.

7 officers received Life-Saving Awards, 4 received a Certificate of Merit and 2 the Medal of Valor.

The City Council also thanked members of their security team for the work they’ve done in keeping council members and the chambers safe for the past 10 years.