On the agenda for Tuesday’s City Council meeting is a resolution which would “earmark and reserve $1,000,000 from the general fund for use toward the acquisition of property for park and recreational use.”
The resolution would also authorize the city’s new manager, Becky Hawke, to enter into purchase agreements for an "initial, no-obligation inspection period,” though final purchase approval would require an additional vote by council.
The resolution addresses one of the general goals of the city’s Comprehensive Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Master Plan, which is to “acquire 120 acres of additional land to support the current and future recreational needs of the community,” according to documents provided by the city.
But there’s also a specific property the city has in mind.
“A potentially viable property has been identified in an area that currently lacks notable park amenities; however, its anticipated cost exceeds what the City can independently afford at this time. Time is also of the essence, as the current owner is considering selling it for development purposes. The City must now explore funding opportunities to support the feasibility of acquiring this identified property,” according to documents provided alongside the text of the resolution.
The city has not explicitly identified which property it is considering acquiring.
The resolution notes the city will seek an equal financial partnership with New Hanover County, which surprised some commissioners after they were notified on Thursday morning in an email from County Manager Chris Coudriet.
Coudriet wrote that the city was going to approach The Endowment for a grant dedicated to preserving green space and that it would “direct staff to engage with the county as an equal partner, financially contributing up to $1 million. If the council adopts the resolution and the county commission does not object, county staff will begin meeting with the city and endowment to discuss the project details for green space preservation.”
Coudriet added in his email that “you know what I know. I've sent this ahead of the city's agenda publishing so that you are aware, as I am sure you will have questions. As I learn more, I'll share what I know.”
Reactions from the county
Given the limited information, and the significant potential ask, some commissioners had questions.
“So I'm just curious, this thing that we got this morning about the city wanting to buy some green space,” Republican Chairman Bill Rivenbark said on Thursday afternoon, during the county’s agenda review meeting. “Are they gonna call us and tell us we need to just write them a check for a million dollars?”
Coudriet told commissioners he had spoken with senior city staff. He noted that after the county agreed to foot the entire $3.8 million bill for preserving the 60-acre Flossie Bryan tract on Independence Boulevard that the city publicly and privately said they wanted to “partner in the development of the Bryan tract.”
Coudriet said he reminded Wilmington city staff of that, saying he told them “we hope this doesn't become a substitute for another commitment that's already been made.” He added that he believed the city and the county could “do two things at once.”
Democratic Commissioner Rob Zapple expressed some frustration.
“The way I read the information [that] came across, is that the city was going to let us know how we should spend our money. And so I hope there'll be some more information to kind of backfill for that,” Zapple said. “Interesting idea. I just wish there had been more communication prior to them dropping that into the public square.”
He also asked Coudriet if there was a specific piece of property the city had in mind, Coudriet said he believed there was.
Rivenbark chimed in, adding, “There's one that Luke has identified. I mean, it'll be the end of the world.”
Waddell’s proposed green space deal
Rivenbark appeared to be referencing a social media post from Republican City Councilman Luke Waddell in early September, which included a map of the location for the planned “Mayfaire West” development, adjacent to the existing Mayfaire Town Center. BrodyCo, the developer, reportedly plans to pursue a rezoning from the current moderate-density residential level to allow for approximately 500 apartment, townhome, and carriage house units on the roughly 40-acre site.
“We don’t have to build on every square inch of Wilmington. I’ve written about this before, our opportunities to preserve green space in our community are fleeting. In my opinion, this tract of land in the middle of Mayfaire should not become more apartments for rent,” Waddell’s wrote in the post, which received nearly 1,000 positive reactions, and hundreds of comments and shares.
“Like many of you, I’m tired of clear-cutting and cramming buildings onto every acre. I will not stand by while our city is sacrificed at the altar of ‘affordable housing.’ I believe we have the tools and funds to protect and conserve this property. If the City of Wilmington, New Hanover County, The Endowment and surrounding property owners work together — this can be the type of ‘transformational change’ that is a win/win for us all,” he wrote.
Asked if Rivenbark was referring to this property, or if the city’s resolution was inspired by his Facebook post (both use some similar language and make similar points), Waddell did not directly confirm or deny that the Mayfaire West property was the one being eyed by the city.
He did signal he would likely support the resolution, writing in an email, “As you know, I’ve made my position clear on this. Our community needs more green space, and meaningful undeveloped tracts of land are becoming increasingly rare. I will support any common-sense effort that advances this goal; especially initiatives that create public recreational space in areas currently underserved in that regard.”
Waddell also clarified that the “altar of affordable housing” was a general comment and “not specific to that project at all.”
It’s unclear if the property owners have any interest in selling, since they are also the developers; BrodyCo CEO Hyman Brody is also the registered agent of Mayfaire II, LLC, which owns the property. Brody has said he bought the land about a decade ago for the purposes of developing it.
It’s also unclear if the city and county have deep enough pockets to purchase the property — even with help from The Endowment. The land, which is currently undeveloped, is valued at nearly $15 million, according to county records.
More information, conversation to come
While the city suggested a potential sale to another developer was the reason for urgency, Rivenbark also suggested another ticking clock.
“And it needs to happen before the election, too,” he said. Waddell is up for reelection in November, and has made preserving what little green space the city has left part of his campaign platform.
“I don’t know about that,“ responded Republican Commissioner Scalise, who added he didn’t take the city’s proposal as a “directive.”
“I don't read it as a directive. I read it as an invitation to collaborate. And if we decide that we're not going to do that, then I don't suppose that we have to do that,” Scalise said, to Zapple’s critique. “We should at least have a conversation about whether or not we can help make more green space in this community.”
Coudriet echoed Scalise’s interpretation, saying the city wasn’t issuing orders to the county, but would approach them as a “partner.”
Both Scalise and Republican Vice-Chair LeAnn Pierce said the county had been leading on green space preservation, with Pierce adding, “I certainly hope the city does get on board with preserving open space, because they sure have built all over the city.”
Coudriet suggested that the city would provide information about the resolution, either at Monday morning’s agenda meeting or the Tuesday evening general meeting.
Endowment involvement
In addition to the $1 million set aside from the city’s general fund balance and the potential for county investment, the resolution would also direct city staff to apply to The Endowment and other potential grantmakers to help fund the land acquisition.
In July, The Endowment put out a request for proposals for firms that could conduct a comprehensive assessment for “recreational opportunities” in New Hanover County, the first in a promised series of RFPs for research and consulting contracts to help The Endowment identify significant grantmaking opportunities.
Yesterday, The Endowment announced it had selected the South Carolina-based Weston & Sampson to conduct the assessment. According to The Endowment, the firm has worked on other area projects, including the city’s master parks and recreation plan. According to The Endowment, Weston & Sampson will “host focus groups, interviews, and consultative sessions with residents, local organizations, and public leaders.” The firm’s assessment will “comprehensively evaluate the recreational landscape, map assets, identify service and facility gaps, and intentionally engage community voices to inform strategic investment areas and guide the pursuit of facilities, greenspace preservation, and community-informed amenities.”
According to Tyler Newman, The Endowment’s vice president of external affairs, “we anticipate Weston & Sampson’s study will take approximately six to nine months to complete. However, we look forward to receiving information along the way that may help inform potential interim measures.”
Disclosure notice: Rob Zapple is a member of the WHQR Board of Directors, which has no role in editorial decisions.
