[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6275599,"mediaKeyId","2769837-fd891a7825cae6c022036b7fcff69d5c","parentId",2769837,"title","Residents urge Huntersville to slow apartment approvals, cite traffic, schools and safety concerns","audioSeconds",337,"startMs",144000,"endMs",481000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2769837-fd891a7825cae6c022036b7fcff69d5c&start=144&end=481","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2769837-fd891a7825cae6c022036b7fcff69d5c/thumbnail_144000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6275599/Huntersville/Mecklenburg-County/North-Carolina/Residents-urge-Huntersville-to-slow-apartment-approvals-cite-traffic-schools-and-safety-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6275599-b0a0878b6040ee5b63e7715a99f9f11d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771135526&Signature=JbRmUnx56wGMEusGSObcl72MbL1~wX~hyY9aWwCVusHyLilx0OIfu8oKQS55vrkDtNXf-WIggP-1oqysV~8bTkIqrfD2DT6k65F8VFiVBh9-hkKOrvLhg4wGk3iL-65HorzpV0Ux57JrcqmjUXO59y5hFMo7l3FFS6hKXueSn3tN~N~erS2alwj~C8oQEY9NlL9bOiKZo1hKcFI-GvQjLKc1VR6dOCzEAB3ZOsEBcgxK3cTxnh-kNjFYRCh-V2BNdIo9hYQpBYozZMemQLaWrmyya5NvRKPQlypjGVrB2FLon6sJAX50~vY4OB6l3tZBw2bs~j42iD8JcJm7wQ3zRA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Huntersville, NC","date","2025-03-26T05:26:32.92Z","article","Two Huntersville residents used the public‑comment period to urge the Planning Board to slow the pace of apartment approvals and to examine infrastructure capacity before permitting additional multifamily projects.

Bob Baer, who identified himself as a long‑term resident, said he and other longtime residents feel the town’s character and livability are threatened by “totally unbridled development” that places apartment buildings on open acres. He criticized the argument that increased tax revenue from development reduces resident tax burdens and said rapid approvals at the board level have not produced lower taxes. Baer also voiced concerns about traffic and school capacity near Stumptown and Statesville: “So between the two, what are we looking at? Another 1,500, 2,000 cars trying to use 1 15?” he asked.

Patty Gentile, a two‑year resident, told the board she has counted many rental units in town and said, based on the research she has done, “the data shows that 75% of these units have children.” She asked whether Huntersville has the police and fire staffing to support more residential growth and said the town should “pump the brakes” until services and infrastructure are in place.

Several staff and applicant presenters subsequently addressed service and infrastructure questions during rezoning items on the agenda. Planning staff said the North Carolina Department of Transportation has funds programmed and that Statesville Road improvements are in advanced design and could be let in about a year if right‑of‑way parcels are secured. Staff also said Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) has purchased land in the broader area for a middle and elementary school and that a middle‑school project is in the district’s capital improvement plan, although project timing may be six to twelve months behind schedule.

Neither public commenter presented formal data or studies on school projections or public‑safety staffing during the meeting; staff and applicants said they would continue coordination with CMS, NCDOT and town departments as rezoning applications move through technical review. Planning Board members asked staff and applicants follow‑up questions about police and fire staffing and school capacity during the agenda items that followed public comment.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Planning Board Meeting 3-25-25","oneSentenceSummary","Two residents used the public‑comment period to warn that rapid multifamily approvals are outpacing infrastructure; staff and applicants later addressed school siting and DOT road projects during related rezoning discussions.","taxTitle","Huntersville, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina","taxId",4128,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6275604,"Planning board narrowly recommends approval of Station South rezoning for 348‑unit transit‑oriented project",2258,4571000,6829000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2769837-fd891a7825cae6c022036b7fcff69d5c&start=4571&end=6829","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2769837-fd891a7825cae6c022036b7fcff69d5c/thumbnail_4571000.jpg","/articles/6275604/Huntersville/Mecklenburg-County/North-Carolina/Planning-board-narrowly-recommends-approval-of-Station-South-rezoning-for-348unit-transitoriented-project","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6275604-976b7eb7d6e4e92a03c483f8a2b8eb04/orig.mp4?Expires=1771135526&Signature=Ce1QhduKk-VQW99UKgElieu-GUask~BwQd8ebikUfzarMxYauSugq9AELH4DfRCkQgwJtOOVqmUrREXE2IkwdV15dOevQnxwSCRof~SEXQumg7gLhzkydtRyZoE9~sthtsFYM5bU-fKm5yuG1bEXtKn5qVfyuMHOly1-si3dTe6ByL~4XS0PHDRrKUguH5PLs8j9YTHmWn~g0duicmnO-gd~rubIEWutQPJPKt3sXdwb29UxH6fdZYOcX8GSB7YpKClORcr361P72k4rzCZKgcQM4PMGOLnLF4PT49XEuR1-CQEHNpYf5abDHnTWaYquq9E-ZS~dgXWo9b3vvZjAcw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Huntersville Planning Board recommended approval, by a 4–3 vote, of rezoning petition R‑24‑15, Station South LLC’s proposal to rezone about 21 acres adjacent to Old Statesville Road to a transit‑oriented residential conditional district for mixed‑use development.

The applicant described a two‑track proposal that the staff and developers presented as “option A / option B.” Option A anticipates the proposed red‑line commuter rail stop and includes a parking deck conceived to serve commuters and the adjacent commercial core; Option B presumes the rail funding package is not approved and replaces the deck with surface parking and more conventional horizontal mixed‑use frontage. The plan presented to the board proposes up to 348 total residential units (transcript: 278 apartments and 64 townhomes) and six mixed‑use buildings; the applicant offered five obtainable units for 15 years (two at about 80% AMI, developer to confirm the remaining tiers).

Staff framed the project as a planned transit‑oriented node consistent with the Huntersville 2040 plan and noted several requested modifications—reduction from two rows of street trees to one along tighter TOD streets, limited side‑yard parking with enhanced screening, and relief or adjustments to floor area‑ratio rules on constrained parcels near the rail alignment. Brian Richards said staff supports the modifications for this project and recommended approval with conditions and architectural refinements.

Applicant representatives said the design follows the town’s TODR guidance and that the development team is local. Michael Cox (applicant) said the team prioritized walkability, greenway connections and a public central plaza; attorney Robert Urban noted a planned central public plaza of about 25,000 square feet and described the project’s role in “activating” the mixed‑use center identified in the 2040 plan.

Opponents on the board and some public commenters focused on uncertainty about funding and timing for the commuter rail. A motion to deny the rezoning—made by a member who cited lack of assurance that the commuter rail funding would materialize—failed. Dissenting board members argued the proposal is too dense if the rail platform and associated parking never materialize. Supporters countered that the parcel sits in a Mixed‑Use Center identified in the town plan and that coordinated infrastructure and private development have made the site more viable.

The board adopted a motion recommending approval with conditions that included approval of the requested block‑length and side‑yard parking modifications with additional screening, reconsideration of tree‑grate/urban tree planting along Segal Street, possible FAR relief for parcels constrained by the rail alignment, and required architectural and streetscape refinements. The motion recorded several 2040‑plan policy references to justify the recommendation and asked staff to negotiate the final design and technical items before Town Board action.

Board discussion focused heavily on parking and timing: members asked whether the proposed parking supply would serve later commuter demand if the red‑line schedule is delayed, and whether a surface‑lot interim could later be converted to a deck. Staff and applicant said that the deck would likely be a public‑private arrangement with Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) and that option A would be pursued if regional funding for the red line is approved; if not, the project would deliver a pedestrian‑oriented mixed‑use plan without a deck. The board’s approval is a recommendation and does not authorize construction; the item will proceed to the Town Board for final action and continued technical review.

","The board recommended approval, 4–3, of R‑24‑15 (Station South), a rezoning for roughly 21 acres that would allow up to 348 units and an option for a parking deck if regional transit funding is secured; members split over whether the proposal is too intensive without confirmed rail funding.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6275608,"Huntersville planning board approves Mission Stumptown rezoning for 247‑unit mixed‑use development",3986,490000,4476000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2769837-fd891a7825cae6c022036b7fcff69d5c&start=490&end=4476","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2769837-fd891a7825cae6c022036b7fcff69d5c/thumbnail_490000.jpg","/articles/6275608/Huntersville/Mecklenburg-County/North-Carolina/Huntersville-planning-board-approves-Mission-Stumptown-rezoning-for-247unit-mixeduse-development","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6275608-4f83a72e22754395903990d22de40859/orig.mp4?Expires=1771135526&Signature=UDs9stwhDZuxA3I6UQ33RhHS4C9sXxbOyL6keZe4v8UjwWcPyyDM7RBGuQUqr3erRMiuJNG16A73n8lE~V0Rz7jkAeYUwTAPicu3fveochYNhtdoBp1JS72nEWxCmwbqwj7ync4pVLUp1cRmEmQEPC4nidi~aiP3UojR2ipXubE69XGfkWAnHwzGXG~cK0DouVZ2xenxAvff1S5gbQ0jT0Ei3WCLVReI8ZAN0c1Nr6utAyyI6l-b-kcFTQulHFVv73ddoYVJluVFuBuEWnyroEc0oVYuDr7vWATuc7LC9SaAq8~-Zn~c18hTZzH2qpmNNZDi03VEDCvxdzOjSGvHgg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Huntersville Planning Board voted to recommend approval of rezoning petition R‑24‑13, a request from Mission Properties LLC to rezone roughly 19 acres at the southwest corner of Stumptown Road and Statesville Road for a mixed‑use development that would include 247 residential units and commercial space.

Board members and staff framed the project as a compact mixed‑use node next to existing and planned improvements along U.S. 21. Brian Richards, planning staff, told the board that the developer is offering 16 “obtainable” units at two AMI tiers (some at about 80% AMI and others in the 80–100% AMI range) that would remain available for 15 years through project financing, and that staff is generally supportive of the plan pending final architectural and plan‑set clarifications.

The rezoning application asks for several modifications, including allowance for a higher percent‑attached residential product than the base zoning requires, permission to encroach and replant a buffer adjacent to I‑77 to accommodate grading and stormwater, side‑yard parking between two buildings, and a block‑length modification up to roughly 740 feet to accommodate the road curvature and on‑street parking. Staff told the board it will continue to work with the applicant to lock in building heights (staff and the applicant discussed 42 feet for most four‑story sections and up to 48 feet where ground‑floor commercial requires extra first‑floor height).

Public comment at the meeting prefaced the item and included residents who urged the board to “pump the brakes” on apartment approvals. “We are literally begging you folks, pump the brakes on the apartment complex,” said Bob Baer, a long‑term resident, who voiced worries about traffic, school capacity and public safety. Patty Gentile, a newer resident, told the board she is concerned about services and asked, “Do we have police and fire to accommodate all these people and all these units that are planned and or built?”

Developers and the applicant team responded to service and traffic concerns. Jason McArthur of Mission (the principal on the project) said the plan has been iterated with staff to provide pedestrian connections, urban open space and elevated architecture, and that improvements in the corridor (including a North Carolina Department of Transportation project on Statesville Road) are expected to increase capacity. McArthur also said the project would include building features intended to increase on‑site security and stated the developer’s intent to encourage public‑safety presence at the site: “There’ll be at least two police officers who will live on campus paying 50% rent. We want police officers living here,” he said.

Board discussion acknowledged staff support while emphasizing data gaps and infrastructure questions. Members asked staff and the applicant about the timeline for the Statesville Road improvements (staff said DOT is wrapping up final design and right‑of‑way acquisition, and that letting could be roughly a year away) and about coordination with Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Schools; planning staff said CMS has purchased a site in the broader area for a middle and elementary school and that school construction is in the capital plan but may be six months to a year behind schedule.

Planning Board member Jody moved a long set of conditions and plan revisions that would make the rezoning consistent with the town’s 2040 plan implementation policies and to require that outstanding staff comments be resolved before final approval. The motion—calling for architectural revisions, confirmation of heights, commitment to the 16 obtainable units for 15 years, and several approved modifications—carried on a voice vote. The board did not record a roll‑call tally in the minutes.

The board’s approval is a recommendation; final action will rest with the Town Board. If approved by the Town Board, the applicant will still be required to finalize construction drawings, resolve outstanding staff comments, and satisfy building code and stormwater requirements before permits are issued.

The meeting also captured wider community concerns about the cumulative effect of multifamily development in Huntersville. Staff and the applicant said they will continue working with DOT, CMS and town departments to address traffic, school and public‑safety impacts as the project moves toward permitting and construction.

The board’s action on R‑24‑13 does not itself authorize construction; the rezoning must be adopted by the Town Board and the applicant must meet remaining staff conditions and technical reviews.

","The Planning Board voted to recommend rezoning for a 247‑unit mixed‑use project at Stumptown and Statesville, accepting multiple site modifications and a developer commitment to 16 income‑restricted units for 15 years while members voiced concerns about traffic and school capacity.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Residents urge Huntersville to slow apartment approvals, cite traffic, schools and safety concerns

Planning board narrowly recommends approval of Station South rezoning for 348‑unit transit‑oriented project

Huntersville planning board approves Mission Stumptown rezoning for 247‑unit mixed‑use development