UPDATE: City council approves ‘cottage housing’ resolution

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Wilmington City Council approved a new land development plan for ‘cottage houses’.

Councilman Neil Anderson’s proposed cottage houses, or small single family homes with similar square footage as a duplex or townhome, to be built on vacant land in neighborhoods.

“This is a choice for the developer,” Anderson said. “Is this the right thing, the wrong thing for that piece of property? Is there a market for it? Because they’re going to have to get more money for it. It’s a lot cheaper to build duplexes and triplexes with shared walls then it is single family.”

Anderson says that each location would be evaluated and zoned accordingly and the city would make sure that the cottage homes would fit in with the existing homes in the area.

Wilmington Real Estate broker Ashley Garner said that he thinks this change could be a good thing for Wilmington.

“Wilmington is a growing place. We have relatively little undeveloped land remaining to do these developments on but we still have people that need a place to live,” said Garner.

Garner said this could also increase the value of certain properties that would otherwise be homes with shared walls.

“Most people who are setting out to follow the American Dream and buy their own house are looking for a stand alone structure,” said Garner.