Design Adjustments

Step 1.Pre-TRC Consultation 

Applicants will be notified of any design adjustments needed for their proposed site plan or preliminary plan through the Pre-TRC Consultation Process

Step 2.Administrative Adjustments

Administrative adjustments can be considered for minor deviations from numeric or dimensional standards established in the City's Technical Standards and Specifications Manual. The deviation cannot exceed 10% or 10 feet, whichever is greater. Determination on whether to approve the requested deviation will be made by the City Engineer pursuant to Section 18-604 of the Land Development Code. Appeals of administrative determinations may be made through the Board of Adjustment.

Step 3.Design Adjustment Committee

All other design adjustments must be approved by the Design Adjustment Committee. Applications for design adjustments must be submitted at the time of application for a preliminary subdivision plan or formal site plan review.

Step 4.Evidentiary Hearing

As Design Adjustment Committee decisions are quasi-judicial in nature, the DAC holds evidentiary hearings on design adjustment requests. Evidentiary hearings differ from other public hearings in the following ways:

• Ex parte communications between an applicant or an affected party and members of the DAC are prohibited. If such communications occur, they must be disclosed at the beginning of the hearing.
• Committee members cannot participate in the hearing or vote on the application in a manner that would violate affected persons' constitutional rights to an impartial decision maker.
• All persons presenting evidence must do so under oath.
• All persons shall offer only competent, material and substantial evidence in their presentation. Competence shall be determined by the committee in its decision.
• All persons with standing (as determined by the committee) shall have the opportunity to cross-examine witnesses and inspect any evidence presented.
• All parties or persons with standing shall have the opportunity to offer competent evidence in explanation or rebuttal to objecting participants.

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, design adjustment narrative, etc.) must be submitted individually and named accordingly.

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).

Step 1.Payment Timing

Application Fees must be paid in full prior to review of a design adjustment application.

Step 2.Fee Amount

• Design Adjustment Committee: $500*
• Engineering Administrative Adjustment: No fee

*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 3.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