2021-08-19 Agenda Review
NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35
AGENDA REVIEW MEETING, AUGUST 19, 2021 PAGE 181
ASSEMBLY
The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners met for Agenda Review on Thursday, August 19, 2021
at 4:00 p.m. in the Harrell Conference Room at the New Hanover County Government Center, 230 Government
Center Drive, Wilmington, North Carolina.
Members present: Chair Julia Olson-Boseman; Vice-Chair Deb Hays; Commissioner Jonathan Barfield, Jr.;
Commissioner Bill Rivenbark; and Commissioner Rob Zapple.
Staff present: County Manager Chris Coudriet; County Attorney Wanda M. Copley; and Clerk to the Board
Kymberleigh G. Crowell.
Chair Olson-Boseman called the Agenda Review meeting to order and announced that the purpose of the
meeting is to review and discuss the agenda items for the August 23, 2021 Regular Meeting with discussions as
noted:
Consent Item 5. Approval of Changes to Museum’s Collections Policy. In response to Board questions, Kate
Baillon, Manager of Collections and Exhibits stated that the new Collections Policy will take effect once the Board
approves the new policy. The policy change brings it in line with like policies at other museums.
Consent Item 7. Approval of Two Items for Deaccession from the Museum’s Permanent Collection. In
response to Board questions, Ms. Baillon stated that the two items should have deaccessioned a long time ago. They
have been out in the park and the change will bring the items back in line with the Museum’s policy.
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Regular Item 8. 50 Anniversary Plaque Presentation. County Manager Coudriet stated that Tim Holloman,
Executive Director for the Lower Cape Fear Water and Sewer Authority will present the plaque to the Board.
Regular Item 11. Presentation on River Road Speed Limit. In response to Board questions, Planning and
Land Use Director Rebekah Roth explained that the presentation is to inform the Board of the change and give the
opportunity for questions. Chair Olson-Boseman stated that she was against the speed limit reduction as it will slow
traffic down going to and from Carolina Beach.
STAFF UPDATE
Project Grace Discovery Phase Update. County Manager Coudriet introduced Chris Boney with LS3P to
present the update on the Project Grace Discovery Phase. Mr. Boney provided the update as follows:
Summary of Meetings:
In response to Board questions, Chief Strategy Officer Jennifer Rigby explained that the library core team is
Paige Owens, Jimi Rider, Yvette Mays, and Susan DeMarco. Mr. Boney continued the update with the visioning for
the project:
“This project will be successful if it…”:
Is welcoming, engaging, and meaningful
Is community centered and visitor oriented
Is diverse and relevant (museum exhibits, library collection)
Is adaptable and flexible
Is unique yet unified
Has moments of discovery
Is easy to maintain
Is forward thinking yet contextual
Is sustainable in design and experience
Has convenient and safe access from parking (car and bus)
In review of the precedent imagery information, Mr. Boney explained that the core groups looked at many
images of other facilities for things they liked, which included some designs from the architectural team. The groups
resonated with designs that are modern in form that include a lot of glass for the natural lighting and a lot of open
space for ease of movement. The group discussed the lobby space, having some grand civic space when the public
NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35
AGENDA REVIEW MEETING, AUGUST 19, 2021 PAGE 182
enters the building that would be inspirational that leads them both to the museum and the library. Discussion was
also held about stairs and ways of transitioning the grade because there is some grade on the site, but also the
various floors are going to introduce opportunities for spaces that are accessed by stairs.
In review of the program summaries and site analysis, Mr. Boney noted that the museum is 38,500 square
feet on three levels with the library being very close to the same. The shared space is roughly 8,000 square feet, for
approximate total of 86,000 square feet of gross floor space. The planetarium is included in the square footage of
the museum and is about 1,000 (net) square feet with a seating capacity of about 55 people.
Program Summaries:
Library:
Museum:
Shared:
Overall:
Project site analysis:
South Side Opportunities:
Civic and arts corridor/connection to Thalian Hall
Loading could be accommodated withing the parking deck
Relatively consistent grade along Chestnut Street
South Side Constraints:
Temporary Location for Library – disruption of service and availability of suitable space
downtown
South light is more difficult to control
School bus stacking/staging extends onto Third Street
North Side Opportunities:
North light is more consistent throughout the day and less harsh (easier to control and lower
solar heat gain)
School bus stacking/staging to Second and Grace Streets
Grade change from Third Street to Second Street could provide opportunity for increase floor-
to-floor height or partial level accessible from Second Street
High visibility to visitors entering from I-40
North Side Constraints:
Loading cannot be accommodated within the parking deck – needs to be incorporated into
new building footprint
Access from parking deck to new building is more indirect
Borst Building – work around or demolish it
NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35
AGENDA REVIEW MEETING, AUGUST 19, 2021 PAGE 183
Mr. Boney also provided an overview of the adjacency diagrams and explained how the different
component pieces fit into the project noting the following:
The southern side of the parking deck has been reserved for private development.
The areas in blue are the museum components.
The areas in pink are the library components.
The areas in yellow are the shared spaces in between.
Level One:
Mr. Boney explained that the museum team determined it would prefer a front door along Third Street for
visitor visibility purposes with the entrance from the north coming off the parkway and from I-40 where visitors
come into downtown. The museum is dependent on visitor revenue, which makes the Third Street placement ideal.
On the first level, the urban plaza would open into the large public lobby space that would serve both the museum
and the library in one shared area and opens directly up to an auditorium. The lobby will lead into the library with
the children and teen areas are on the ground floor. Trucks would enter on the Second Street side of the block,
adjacent to the parking deck with back in house service quarters to serve the entire facility via the loading docks.
Efforts are being made to not mix uses and the residential component will be entirely on the south side.
Level Two:
The second floor is primarily library space that includes the North Carolina rooms which includes space
opening to the first floor, adult stacks, and a reading terrace on the corner. The reading terrace with the upper level
being for adults and the lower level being for children, became an important point of the design. The view down
Grace Street occupies prominent space on a corner, but also provides the library the desired access to outdoor areas
and will serve a great purpose for it. The library team felt Story Park has not been able to serve patrons well due to
location and exposure. The reading terraces will be protected, with access through the library and controlled by
staff. Where the elevator and stairs are located, it is being proposed that it be moved over to where the yellow
circulation piece area is to accomplish several things that will make it easier to access for service.
Level Three:
NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35
AGENDA REVIEW MEETING, AUGUST 19, 2021 PAGE 184
Level three is all museum space with outdoor galleries and outdoor programming being a big part of the
museum. It will also be the primary changing gallery and house some of the offices. There is an outdoor rooftop
terrace that will be along Third Street, which may potentially wrap around the building down along Second Street.
The dashed area is all potential rooftop, a portion of which will be used for mechanical spaces. It can be utilized as a
very nice multipurpose space for museum events and programming. It will be controlled by the museum staff.
Mr. Boney concluded the update by providing an overview project schedule as follows:
In response to Board questions, Mr. Boney stated the team is exploring the transition from the parking deck
into the building. Currently, patrons would walk outside of the parking deck to access the library and/or museum.
The urban plaza would be covered and has been envisioned as taking on many uses. There is a roof that would go
over the whole thing which is a major design element. It is going to be where schoolchildren assemble before
entering the museum and the plaza has a range of potential uses such as a gathering place or functioning as an
outdoor classroom. There are also some great opportunities for museum exhibits and library signage in the space.
In response to Board questions, County Manager Coudriet explained that with this model the County does
retain ownership of the north side. The business model for development team on the private sector side does not
assume or contemplate being a project manager. That was able to be worked out with the Government Center, but
this is all predicated on and spelled out in the memorandum of agreement (MOA) that the development team would
issue the debt, build the building, and the County would lease it. However, the Local Government Commission (LGC)
has final say on that and that is clearly why there is an exit for the Board if the LGC says no to the model. If the
County does not proceed with the lease to own model, it would have no certainty or control of development on the
south side and therefore, no certainty or predictability of the incoming revenue. The County cannot put limitations
on the deed transfer of property to determine what can and cannot happen. As contemplated, the lease to own
model is the better route if the County believes that there should be predictable development on the south side and
revenue incoming with it.
In response to further Board questions, County Manager Coudriet explained that the Government Center
MOA specifies and gives the County the opportunity to weigh in on what happens on the existing site. The difference
with that agreement is that the developer was willing for the County to be the holder of the debt, so they changed
the MOA and the business model. As it pertains to this matter, Zimmer Development’s position is that it wants to be
the holder of the debt, so it is controlled through the MOA. The direction had been to look at private investment. A
private-public partnership where the County controls the development on the parcel with it and can also more or
less condition and predict how much tax revenue will come in to apply towards either the lease or the debt, is the
best model. That is because the Board chose a partner that wanted to hold a lease versus doing a development or
construction/project management fee. He further explained that in the case of the Government Center project, the
development team originally proposed a similar arrangement. However, they were willing to renegotiate with the
County and change the process and become a fee developer and then have control of where the existing
Government Center sits. The bid process for Project Grace is still many months down the road. The LGC has been
very clear that it wants to see a design that can be bid and what the project cost in order to consider whether it
would approve the lease agreement. That is why it was written into the MOA that if the LGC says no, the County
walks away with no exposure and then can reexamine what it wants to do, if anything, on that block. Mr. Boney
confirmed it would be March or April of 2022 before information on project cost estimates would be known.
Chair Olson-Boseman thanked Mr. Boney for the presentation.
ADDITIONAL AGENDA ITEMS OF BUSINESS
Request of Planning and Land Use Staff
Vice-Chair Hays asked that Planning and Land Use staff investigate optional pathways to address cell towers,
including design specs for both commercial and residential districts. Staff was also asked to ensure that cell tower
applicants who are proposing structures in residential districts have proven the inability to locate in non-residential
districts. In response to Board questions, Ms. Roth explained that the County cannot necessarily request things not
allowed by state law. After the recent special use permit public hearing, discussions were held with Deputy County
Attorney Sharon Huffman about what options are potentially available. There is information that is currently not
being asked for in the applications such as some requirements regarding co-location, if there are opportunities
available, with the onus being on the applicant to provide that is not possible as part of their application. There may
also be some design standards that the Board, if it so desires, can put into place in certain districts to address
adjacent residential neighborhood concerns about aesthetics and the preference for towers to locate in non-
residential areas when possible.
NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 35
AGENDA REVIEW MEETING, AUGUST 19, 2021 PAGE 185
Mask Mandate Discussion
A brief discussion was held regarding the mask mandate in New Hanover County. County Manager Coudriet
explained that when the Board made the decision about two and half years ago to consolidate Health and DSS, there
were options on how to consolidate. The Board at the time very clearly stated that it wanted to have a Health and
Human Services Board (HHSB) that was independent so that it could exercise these kinds of authorities without it
being the five county commissioners weighing in. It could have chosen to sit as the Health and Human Services Board
but chose not to. It was a conscious choice to appoint an independent body that does, by legislative direction, have
very discreet rulemaking authority for things that relate to health. When a board implements those rules, they are
affective by jurisdiction or across a community, irrespective of jurisdictional boundary because they are health issues
as opposed to legislative issues. The HHSB is well within its authority to do what it is doing and is a vote that would
be independent of the county commission. As to the vaping decision that came before the Commissioners, County
Manager Coudriet explained that matter had to come before the Commissioners due to the regulation of tobacco in
this state. It is the only matter where an elected body weighs in on a matter of health policy or rule. The HHSB is
largely made up of professionals in health and human services who have concluded that based on the data in this
community, this is the right thing to do. HHSB members are appointed by the County Commissioners because of
their professional experiences and the ones who are making a decision as authorized by state statute.
Commissioner Barfield stated that the decision to have this form of HHSB was a very deliberative decision.
He provided a brief overview of when the Commissioners deliberated on accepting money for IUDs on behalf of the
Health Department noting that it was a very political conversation and based on a national conversation on a
woman’s right to choose. When the Board chose to have a separate HHSB, its formation was to take the politics out
so that regardless of political party, a decision will not be swayed by the national agenda. There is a pharmacist, a
physician, a dentist, etc. that is versed in health consequences. He believes that the Board of Commissioners has
appointed competent people that understand the fullness this matter. The vote by the HHSB was a unanimous vote.
Chair Olson-Boseman stated that those appointed to the HHSB do not care about politics. She added that
people cannot rely on politicians to make healthcare decisions when they are not healthcare providers.
In response to Board questions, Health Director David Howard stated that the masks that everyone is
wearing are not as effective as the N95, which is what a nurse would wear in a healthcare setting, but it helps. A
cloth mask gives somewhere around 30% protection versus 80% to 90% of the N95 and it is not reasonable to expect
everyone to be able to obtain an N95 mask. It is accurate that while masks are effective to a degree, but they are
not as good as a respirator or an N95. They are most effective when everyone wears one indoors in areas of high
transmission.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, Chair Olson-Boseman adjourned the meeting at 4:49 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Kymberleigh G. Crowell
Clerk to the Board
Please note that the above minutes are not a verbatim of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners meeting.