New Bern historic commission reviews rooftop-deck exception, Triumph Palace lighting and city pier parking

The New Bern Historic Preservation Commission used a May 2026 work session to review three design applications and provide guidance to applicants ahead of formal hearings.

Tessa Reagan, the designer for owners Joseph and Elena Smith, presented the application for 221 Craven Street, which proposes a rooftop garden with a 14-foot pavilion, a pergola and a small fire-pit area. Reagan said the rooftop has an east-west exposure and "gets a ton of afternoon sun," so the design emphasizes shade and usable outdoor space. The applicants requested an exception to use composite decking material rather than material original to the building's period because of weight and durability considerations.

Contractor Alexis Cardelli told commissioners the previous composite deck had been removed during roof repairs and that structural load is a primary concern: the presentation compared materials by weight (noting about 3.2 versus 5.26 pounds per unit in the applicant's examples) and described the difference as "a bit over a ton" of differential load. Commissioners told the applicant to obtain an engineer's assessment of any structural changes and flagged that visibility is limited because the deck is set back roughly 16 feet, but agreed the exception would require formal consideration at a regular meeting rather than being resolved at this work session.

At 613 Pollock Street, Chris Bach, authorized on behalf of Triumph Palace, presented revised bid-set drawings that add detail on fence and wall heights, embedded pedestrian "wash" lighting and electrical routing. Staff and commissioners discussed the site-specific fencing guidance (noting continuity of streetscape and avoidance of chain-link) and asked staff to include the newly provided elevation and lighting details in the formal packet; applicants will return to the regular meeting for final action.

The commission also reviewed a city application for 400 East Front Street. Carrie Horn and Gary Warren, director of Parks and Recreation, described a small parking area to serve the recently installed fishing pier and a three-sided pavilion that would screen restroom facilities. Warren said the design accommodates an emergency vehicle turning radius and that the plan includes 10 parking spaces to fit within existing rights-of-way; foundation work was described as concrete pads beneath columns rather than full slabs. Commissioners discussed materials (standing-seam metal roof and the acceptability of Hardy board), minimal lighting (white bulbs), and landscaping, and asked applicants to finalize details for the regular meeting packet.

None of the three items were decided at the work session; staff and commissioners agreed applicants should return to the regular meeting (in two weeks) where any exception requests or approvals would be considered with the full packet and staff recommendations.