Mecklenburg Times: News for Mecklenburg, Union and Iredell counties Real Estate, Development, Construction, and Community News in the Charlotte area and throughout Mecklenburg, Union and Iredell counties
CHARLOTTE – A 200-unit apartment project proposed for off Endhaven Lane in Ballantyne that has caused controversy in the neighborhood is one vote away from approval.
After passing the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Zoning Committee on Feb. 4, the rezoning request which would allow the apartments to be built will go in front of the Charlotte City Council on Feb. 17 for final approval.
Trotter Builders, a Charlotte-based developer, in September 2013 filed the petition asking to change the zoning on the 11-acre parcel from an R-3 zoning classification to an urban-residential classification, which would allow denser development. The public hearing for the petition was held on Jan. 21.
If City Council approves the rezoning, Trotter Builders will be free to start construction on the apartments, although the company doesn’t plan to start work until the extension of North Community House Road is complete. The apartments would be a mix of one- and two-bedroom units that will rent monthly for between $900 and $1,400.
The Zoning Committee approval mirrored the prehearing staff approval, which found in its analysis that “the petition is consistent with the residential use recommended in the South District Plan,” which applies to Ballantyne. The analysis went on to say: “However, the General Development Policies recommend a lesser density (eight units per acre) than what is being proposed. The increase above the recommended density is appropriate because the site is adjacent to the existing Toringdon development and is located on the future extension of North Community House Road, which will tie the site directly to the Ballantyne mixed-use center.”
Some nearby residents have voiced concerns over the development, mainly about traffic and how the apartments would fit into the adjacent single-family neighborhoods, since the apartments would be a maximum of five stories high, according to the city’s zoning website.
In recent decisions City Council has taken into consideration neighborhood concerns, but often the council will go with the Zoning Committee recommendation, as long as it’s consistent with land-use plans. The City Council zoning meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Feb. 17 at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center, at 600 E. Fourth St.
