May 7, 2023 - Fifth Avenue Project

Around our Town with Gene Merritt

Fifth Avenue Project
May 7, 2023

If you have not already heard in the local news, the Cape Fear Public Utilities Authority, in cooperation with the City of Wilmington, is going to remove virtually all the trees on the historic Fifth Avenue median to accommodate the installation of new underground water and sewer lines. Duke Energy will continue to “trim” trees on the sidewalk areas to accommodate their power lines. The current utility infrastructure is very old, in bad shape, and in need of replacement.

On the positive side, they are going to convert Fifth Avenue to one lane on each side of the median and create a bike path and a parking lane. This will slow down traffic and will likely get most big trucks off the street.

While realizing and accepting the need for the new utility replacement, I am greatly concerned about what the streetscape will look like when this project is finished. With large mature trees removed, all you will see is some small plantings overwhelmed by the existing large and extremely unattractive power poles and lines.

To get an idea of what this will look like, go to Fifth and Market Streets and look North and South past the Kenan Memorial Fountain. Imagine all those beautiful trees gone with the remaining median dwarfed by tall and ugly power lines. While already affected by ugly power poles and lines, the existing beauty and charm of this historic street will be gone forever.

I call on the entities involved in this project to immediately start working with Duke Energy to place the utility lines underground. This work would be done in conjunction with the other utility replacement.

The result would be to maintain and enhance the beauty of this historic street. Otherwise, the ambiance of this neighborhood will be damaged forever.

Fifth Avenue was, for many years, the first avenue in the City of Wilmington, making it a special place and attracting high quality housing development. It has been one of the premiere neighborhoods in Wilmington’s National Register Historic District.

Let’s not lose this opportunity. Now is the time to protect and enhance our historic district for future generations instead of taking a step backwards.

Act now to save Fifth Avenue. Do the right thing.

Around Our Town with Gene Merritt

Blog number 5

May 7, 2023