Say Bye,Bye to one of the last few Big Tracks of Land in Huntersville, NC

N.C. 73 retail approved Huntersville board approves much-debated center set for N.C. 73 and Beatties Ford Road, despite road concern.

Joe Marusak Posted: Sunday, Jul. 26, 2009

The Huntersville Board of Commissioners is expected to decide tonight on two major planned developments: A 456-unit apartment complex on Rich Hatchet Road and a shopping center at N.C. 73 and Beatties Ford Road.

The Huntersville Planning Board recommended in late April that the commissioners reject the 24-acre Holly Crest complex proposed by Charlotte developer Bunker Land Group. Planning board members said they were concerned in part about the development's impact on Rich Hatchet and other roads. The developer wants to build two-, three- and four-story Class A apartment buildings on Rich Hatchet Road, about 900 feet south of N.C. 73. The commissioners are scheduled to decide tonight on both a rezoning and a subdivision sketch plan for the project.

A divided Huntersville Board of Commissioners approved a crucial subdivision sketch plan last week for the proposed Shops at Crossroads Village at N.C. 73 and Beatties Ford Road. The project's developers had sought the town's approval for three years. A longstanding hurdle had been uncertainty over the alignment of the planned Northwest Huntersville Thoroughfare near the project. But after 21/2 hours of discussion last week, commissioners Brian Sisson, Ken Lucas and Charles Jeter voted to approve the sketch plan despite the uncertainty about the thoroughfare's alignment.

Commissioners Ron Julian and Sarah McAulay voted against the sketch plan. Julian said developer JDH Capital's planned shopping center shouldn't be approved without knowing the road alignment. He said he speculated that the N.C. 73-Beatties Ford Road intersection is the second-most congested in town. "All growth is not good growth,"

Julian said. "We have to look at the roads and sometimes say ‘no.'" McAulay questioned the development's potentially adverse effect on Lake Norman, which is across N.C. 73 from the project. She questioned its effect on nearby neighborhoods and on the Gilead Volunteer Fire Department across Beatties Ford Road. Sisson said he couldn't see how the board could avoid approving the sketch plan, since, he said, it complies with the town's approved land-use plans for the area. "I can't see where we could successfully deny this," he said. "I don't see where they're not following any approved plans as of today." Lucas agreed, adding that the owner had already received the general rezoning, "thus a by-right ability to build. It is just a sad day when a property owner's rights are trampled on by a government entity."

Lucas said the town faced legal action if it denied the request, and "... we were in jeopardy of not being able to adequately defend our position to reject." "I was not ready to abdicate my elected responsibilities and duties to roll the dice on some court to determine the outcome," Lucas said of his vote. "I was elected to do that, and I did."

The 24-acre project will be on land owned by residents Danny and Madeline Phillips. The 120,000-square-foot center will include 14 buildings, including one for a grocery store. Architectural elements will give the project a downtown feel, rather than that of a strip shopping center, project representatives told commissioners.

They also said an N.C. Department of Transportation engineer agreed with the development's proposed road network.

Learn about I-77/N.C. 73 interchange study

The town of Huntersville will present findings to date of its "I-77/N.C. 73 Interchange Modification Study" from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the town hall, 101 Huntersville-Concord Road. The study, by consultant PB Americas Inc., focuses on long-term improvements to the interchange needed to meet future traffic demands.

Quite Honestly...I think it's terrible...if anyone that lived here spoke up and just said, "Really...we still can't fill most of our Commercial Buildings as it is and we have enough Drug Stores & Supermarkets for 3 cities combined"...I wonder where those horses and cows will be moved to...not all Urban prawl is good! Melissa Polce www.MyRelocation2Charlotte.com mjpolce@kw.com