Street Closure

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There are two types of street closures: temporary (for construction, events, etc.) and permanent. Temporary street closures can be approved administratively through the issuance of a right-of-way permit, whereas a permanent street closure requires action of the Planning Commission and City Council. All applications for street closure are reviewed for consistency with the Create Wilmington Comprehensive Plan, including but not limited to the following policies: 

  • Policy 2.2.5. When considering closure of public streets, alleys, and other rights of way, affected city departments and utility providers should consider the integrity of the city’s street network, pedestrian and vehicular safety, emergency access, the ability to provide utility services, impacts on health and safety, and the welfare of the community.
  • Policy 8.1.3. An interconnected network of rights-of-way that provides infrastructure services throughout the city should be encouraged. Surrender of rights-of-way should be minimized and rights-of-way should not be closed or abandoned unless there is no existing or future need for them, the established street patterns would not be significantly interrupted, the function and purpose of nearby streets would be maintained, non-vehicular connections would not be interrupted, and public view sheds would not be compromised.

Permanent Street Closure Process

Process

Step 1.Pre-Application Meeting

A pre-application meeting is required prior to submission of an application for street closure. The purpose of the pre-application meeting is to provide an overview of the application process and general guidance on the proposed street closure and development concept, if applicable. Pre-application meetings may be scheduled by emailing the Development Review team or calling 910.254.0900.

Step 2.Public Comment

Public comment on pending applications is accepted in advance of both the Planning Commission and City Council public hearings through on-line portals. Members of the public may also contact the Development Review team with any questions they may have on pending applications.

Step 3.Planning Commission Public Hearing

The Planning Commission will hold a legislative hearing on the proposed street closure at a regularly scheduled meeting. Prior to the hearing, planning staff will publish a case summary providing an overview of the request and recommended action. The case summary will be available on the Planning Commission webpage as part of the agenda packet for the meeting. 

Step 4.Notice of Intent to Close

After the Planning Commission makes a recommendation on the requested street closure, staff will initiate the street closure process through the City Council. The first step in this process is Council consideration of a Resolution of Intent to Close a public right-of-way. If the resolution is approved, a public hearing will be scheduled as directed in the resolution and the public hearing will be advertised once a week for four successive weeks prior to the scheduled hearing.

If the City Council does not approve the Resolution of Intent to Close, the process ends and the right-of-way will remain public.

Step 5.City Council Public Hearing

If the Planning Commission recommends approval of the street closure application and the Council approves a Resolution of Intent to Close, a legislative hearing will be scheduled before the City Council.

Apply

Step 1.Electronic Submissions

All applications must be submitted electronically by emailing the Development Review team.

Step 2.Application Components

  • All application components (e.g. application, survey, narrative, etc.) must be submitted individually and named accordingly.
  • The metes and bounds description of the portion of the street to be closed must be approved by the City Engineer prior to submission of the application.

Step 3.Large Files

Please contact the Development Review team to make arrangements for files that exceed email limits.

Step 4.Professional Seals

Professional seals (engineers, land surveyors, architects, etc) on digital plans must be redacted from digital copies submitted to the city for review. Please be sure to mark, strike through, or otherwise conceal any professional seal located on your digital (re)submittals (e.g., PDF).

Fees

Step 1.Fee Amount

$250* plus advertising fees associated with the City Council hearing

Regardless of whether the application is approved or denied by the City Council, the responsibility for all fees associated with the hearing process(PDF, 107KB), including advertising fees for the City Council public hearing, lies with the applicant(s) or their designated representative. Signing the petition for street closure indicates the applicant (or their designated representative) accepts this financial responsibility.

*A mailed notice fee of $0.85/notice shall apply to all applications received on or after July 1, 2024. This fee will be determined during the review process and a separate invoice issued. The supplemental fee must be paid prior to a hearing on the application.

Step 2.Payment Options

If you plan to pay in advance, planning staff must first notify the collections department to enable acceptance of payments.

Payment by Phone (910. 343.4745)

  • 8 am to 5 pm (Monday through Friday except for holidays)
  • Limited to VISA and MasterCard payments.

Payment in Person

  • 8 am to 5 pm (Monday through Friday except for holidays)
  • Billing & Collections Office
    Skyline Center
    929 North Front Street, 1st Floor

Payment by Mail

  • Please include invoice number or account number
  • Regular Mail
    City of Wilmington Collections
    PO Box 1810
    Wilmington, NC 28402
  • Express Mail
    City of Wilmington Collections

    929 North Front Street, 1st Floor
    Wilmington, NC 28401

Deadlines

Step 1.Applications Accepted Monthly

Street closure applications are accepted on a monthly basis according to the Planning Commission schedule.(PDF, 114KB)

Step 2.Late Applications

Applications received after the established deadline will be included with the following month's review cycle submissions.