Michelle Battle, representing Parkland, presented a variance request at the Aug. 14 Stonecrest Community Planning Information Meeting for a parcel addressed as 3810 Evans Mill Road. The applicant is not seeking rezoning but asks the city to reduce the number of required access points for the proposed residential development of 47 homes built to R‑100 lot standards.

Battle said the parcel has frontage on Reynard Trail, Fox Den Trail and Foxcroft Court and that Parkland proposes two access points (one on Fox Den Trail and one on Foxcroft Court) to serve the new subdivision. She explained that Hunters Hill originally was developed with a single entry despite having about 193 homes and that Stonecrest’s current land development ordinance treats adjacent subdivisions’ lots as part of a combined total when measuring required access points. Under the current interpretation, projects pushing a combined subdivision over certain thresholds may require three or four points of entry to collector streets.

The Hunters Hill Homeowners Association and other nearby residents strongly opposed the request at the CPIM. Rachel Ziegler, president of the Hunters Hill HOA, said the association is united against the variance: “Hunter’s Community stand united. You see us in our red, that means stop.” She and other speakers cited crash history at Salem Road, visibility problems, heavy cut‑through traffic from nearby corridors and a high proportion of older residents. Ziegler said the variance request will “reduce the quality of life for our current residents.”

Battle said the developer met with the fire chief and that the fire chief supports an approach that would provide emergency access and satisfy remote‑access requirements under the fire code; she also said Parkland provided a traffic study concluding the project would not “majorly” increase peak traffic impacts on Salem Road. As a possible compromise, Battle said the developer would consider an emergency‑only access (with a Knox key box and gated control) rather than an unrestricted public entrance, pending further review by the fire chief and dialogue with Hunters Hill and Bramble Vine.

Battle said the parcel is developable, contains streams and some constrained areas, and that Parkland is willing to meet with neighborhood leaders. She proposed scheduling a community meeting for Sept. 4 to continue discussion. The Hunters Hill HOA requested broader notice to the community and pledged to participate in any follow‑up meetings.

No action was taken at the CPIM. The variance application is scheduled for the Zoning Board of Appeals on Sept. 16 for formal consideration.