Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in New Bern, NC public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
50 issues
Inner Court parking lot reconstruction
The Inner Court parking lot will be rebuilt in three to four phases starting around early 2027, with monthly leaseholders temporarily moved to the Craven Street lot. Bid advertisement goes out this month.
Trent Court redevelopment adjacent to MSD
The Housing Authority approved a contractor to demolish Trent Court (13 buildings), the first step in an eight-year, roughly $100 million rebuild of 440 affordable housing units nearby, with green space and phased construction starting with fencing in December.
Pedestrian safety at downtown crossings
Members raised concerns about unclear pedestrian signals at Pollock/Middle and near Union Point. Staff are working on push-button signals with verbal commands near the courthouse and asked for feedback on new street signs on signal arms.
Municipal Service District projects
TDA reported $188 million in visitor spending, 1,300+ jobs, and growth outpacing the state average. Downtown is the anchor of the county's tourism economy, and the TDA offered to partner on future MSD projects.
Downtown policing and event security
Police logged nearly 2,000 MSD calls, mostly security checks and traffic stops; only 3% tie to the major bars. Members flagged thin police presence at the Halloween street event and the drone-mitigation/TFR success at Mumfest.
Epiphany School special-use permit (TK facility)
A private school wants to run a transitional kindergarten facility on a small residentially-zoned lot at 2211 Henderson Avenue. The special use permit decision affects what can operate in that R-6 neighborhood and how nearby residents are protected by conditions.
Rezoning of 1100 Pinetree Drive
A nonprofit that trains service dogs for veterans wanted C-3 commercial zoning on 3.87 acres, but the Planning Board and land use plan said no. The Board denied it as filed but unanimously ordered a text amendment so a C-5 version can come back in two to four months.
Paws of War Eastern NC dog training permit
The city wants clear rules on where dog training and boarding businesses can operate. The amendment would define indoor and outdoor dog training, replace the kennel definition with boarding, and allow indoor boarding as a special use in C-5, C-4, and C-6 commercial districts.
Children's Museum of New Bern entrance renovation
The Children's Museum is converting the old firehouse side entrance into a glass-and-aluminum storefront, aiming for a December opening. The city owns the building; the museum leases it.
Certificates of Appropriateness for Three Historic Properties
Property owners in the historic districts need a certificate of appropriateness before changing building exteriors. This batch covers porches, decks, sunscreens, an outdoor bar, and two demolition-and-rebuild infill houses.
Updates to Historic District Design Principles and Standards
The commission has finished collecting design-review comments and will start revising the standards that guide what property owners in New Bern's historic districts can build. The revised standards will go to the Planning and Zoning board next.
Election Updates
Early voting for the Statewide General Election is happening now through October 31. Heads up that there are new traffic patterns at the Board of Elections office, so plan accordingly and don't forget your photo ID!
Board rules and procedures update
The board modernized its rulebook for state statute compliance, removed outdated subdivision language, and — after member debate — kept the chairman's remarks that help the public follow meetings. The chair can now vote on all matters, and the vice chair must be a city resident.
Data Centers
Staff is drafting definitions and permissible-use rules for data centers and crypto mining facilities, aiming to bring clarity before any proposal arrives. The uses would be directed to industrial-type districts, not residential neighborhoods.
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
The board is exploring whether to allow ADUs — small second dwellings like garage apartments or mother-in-law suites — on single-family lots. Residents ask about them a couple times a month, mostly to house elderly parents or adult children, but members worry about rentals, short-term rentals, enforcement, and historic district compatibility. Staff will draft language and the board will flag its top concerns.
Yellow Creek Enterprise Property Requests and Upset Bids
The board was scheduled to consider selling five city-owned lots: 1407 Lincoln Street, 1503 Garden Street, 703 W B Street, 1103 Biddle Street and 1131 H Street, plus a deed with Habitat for Humanity for 2208 Hartford Avenue.
Clarifying and Revising Purchasing Conditions for Salable Lots
The Property Sales and Marketing workgroups were to discuss revising purchasing conditions and adding signage to lots the city wants to sell.
Communication with redevelopment-area residents
Commissioners were asked to lead community conversations so residents understand what's happening with redevelopment and don't fear being pushed out. A face-to-face session, possibly tied to the January retreat, is being considered.
Housing Authority / Habitat for Humanity Partnership
Habitat wants to buy nine commission properties at a reduced price and build three houses at a time. The commission put eight lots on the sellable list, effectively setting aside its own earlier development plans for those streets.
Avenues Project
The Housing Authority bought 721 and 703 First Avenue for $63,000 to build four townhomes and two single-family rentals with a park. The commission extended the affordability covenant from five to fifteen years so the homes stay income-restricted long term.
Duffyfield Stormwater Street Closures
The stormwater project covering 59 acres won Stormwater Project of the Year from the NC chapter of the American Public Works Association. Commissioners still flagged safety concerns near the daycare center.
Trash and recycling service in the redevelopment area
Commissioners say one trash can and one monthly recycle pickup isn't enough for multigenerational households, and wind-blown trash is a persistent problem. They plan to raise it with city department heads.
Disposition of Redevelopment Parcels (First Avenue, Mechanic Street, Bloomfield Street, Sampson Street)
Agape Adams and Yellow Creek both plan homes in a 100-year floodplain, raising homes 8.5 feet with tiered grading. Commissioners flagged runoff concerns for neighbors and tabled the Mechanic Street bid until drawings arrive.
Adding 722 Third Ave to Sellable Lots List
Marvin Berry asked the commission to put the vacant lot next door at 722 Third Avenue on its sellable lots list. That would open it up for purchase by private buyers. No decision is confirmed.
Properties Sold After Upset Bid Process
An upset bid came in on the Mechanic Street property at the request of Agape Adams. The commission was to accept or reject the bid resolution — no outcome is known.
Schedule of Fees and Charges Amendment
An ordinance amending the city's schedule of fees and charges was scheduled — could change what residents pay for various city services.
Government Transparency
Local media is calling out New Bern's Board of Aldermen for being sketchy about how they communicate and make decisions. This matters because you deserve to know how your city government is actually running things behind closed doors.
Street Light Maintenance and Ordinances
Alderman Outlaw wants a citywide system to report burned-out street lights, noting several dark lights on the bridge and Broad Street; Alderman White asked staff to review stormwater ditch ordinances.
HPC Member Terms Expiring
County Commission Chairman Denny Bucher told the board the unelected HPC is 'out of control,' citing $342,000 in extra costs on the Sedan parking lot project, and urged guardrails or outright abolition.
Additional Street Lights on Pasteur, Cypress, and North Cool Streets
A resolution was scheduled to add street lights on three streets — a safety and visibility improvement for those neighborhoods.
Johnson Street streetlights
A resolution would authorize adding streetlights on Johnson Street, improving visibility and safety on that corridor.
Carolina Colours Aston Cluster Subdivision – Phase I Streets
The city was scheduled to take over ownership and maintenance of streets in the new Aston Cluster subdivision, plus add stop intersections and speed limits there. The city shoulders maintenance; residents gain enforceable traffic rules.
City Strategic Plan
The city's draft strategic plan includes 33 initiatives across five focus areas, headed for public surveys and community input sessions before a final plan.
C-3 Commercial Rezoning of Two Agricultural Parcels
The board was scheduled to hold a public hearing and possibly adopt a rezoning of Tax Parcel IDs 8-210-044 and 8-210-23001 from agricultural to commercial use. What gets built there could shape traffic and neighborhood character.
Feral Cat Management
New Bern is weighing how to address feral cat colonies that nuisance neighborhoods, with consultants recommending a community-wide census before spending on remedies like TNR and spay-neuter clinics. Ordinance changes may clarify that TNR volunteers aren't cited for releasing sterilized cats.
Initial zoning of US 70 parcels as Commercial 3
Two newly annexed parcels totaling 5.86 acres along East US 70 would be zoned Commercial 3 (C-3), opening the door to commercial development on the highway corridor. What gets built there depends on this designation and later approvals.
Revenue Bond Financing
The city is laying groundwork for a big electric infrastructure push — new Southeast substation, Glenburnie transformer replacements — financed by revenue bonds up to $31 million. Engineering had to start before financing, so tonight's votes keep the plan moving.
Water and Sewer Infrastructure Replacement
Aging water and sewer lines in the DeGraffenried Hart neighborhood will be replaced by a local contractor for $659,665.
$24 Million General Obligation Bond Projects
The first of the voter-approved bond paving projects starts this week with S.T. Wooten at $870,165.75.
Electric Rate Ordinance Amendment
The city is looking at about $150 million in revenue bonds over five years for water, sewer and electric projects, backed by annual rate increases — roughly $2.91 more a month on electric and about $1.74-$1.92 on water and sewer bills, before power-cost adjustments.
Choice Neighborhood Initiative (CNI) Grant
New Bern's Housing Authority won a $25 million Choice Neighborhoods Implementation grant — reportedly the smallest city ever to do so. Aldermen credited years of citizen input, staff work, the board's financial commitment, and earlier lobbyist efforts. The 922 Pollock Street rezone ties into this project.
Weyerhaeuser Rezoning and Development Agreement
Three massive rezonings totaling roughly 1,245 acres would open Weyerhaeuser land west of Greenbrier to commercial (C-3) and dense residential (R-6) development, tied to an annexation and development agreement with the city. This is the biggest growth decision New Bern has faced in years, and the aldermen make the final call — possibly November 10.
Demolition by neglect at 221 E. Front St.
A downtown building has been in demolition-by-neglect status since the 1990s. Slow but steady repairs continue — windows, roof covering, and a rebuilt two-story porch — with a repointing application expected soon.
Long-running demolition by neglect at 221 E. Front St.
One of the city's longest-running demolition-by-neglect cases, dating back to the 1990s or earlier. The update notes real progress: windows repaired and reinstalled, temporary roof covering along the parapet, and a two-story wood porch being rebuilt with exact replacement — plus a repointing COA application coming soon.
Formal violation at 215 Pollock St.
A modern metal roof installed without a certificate of appropriateness, with a stop work order violated back in 2019. The city attorney is currently pausing the lawsuit to let the owner pursue the contractor.
Demolition by neglect and enforcement cases
Commissioners voiced frustration that demolition-by-neglect cases can drag on for years — one East Front Street case has run 30 years. They discussed ways to speed things up, including coordinating with the city's nuisance abatement and minimum housing programs and reviewing the enforcement flowchart.
2027 Meeting Schedule and Turnaround Times
City administration wants projects cleared at design review to wait until the next month's regular meeting instead of two weeks, citing staff workload. Commissioners pushed back, worried about delays applicants already complain about.
Historic preservation awards program
Nominations are open for the city's historic preservation awards and close September 30. The chair urged anyone considering a nomination to submit one soon.
Large-scale rezonings along US 70 / NC 43 corridors
The Craven County MPO outlined the NC 43 Connector's history — started in 1993, construction began 2025, completion estimated 2028 — and its purpose: economic development, freight routing off Glenburnie Road, and a new US 17 to US 70 link with an interchange at US 70.
Greenbrier stormwater drainage capacity
Residents testified the Greenbrier drainage system already strains: two pumps that fail during storms discharge onto the highway roadside with no drains, and clearing 700+ acres of forest sponge would send vastly more runoff toward ditches, the Trent River, and flooding-prone homes.