Huntersville planning staff urged caution as the town considered a conditional rezoning request to allow a six‑story, 70‑foot Home2 by Hilton hotel and related site work at the Highway 21 and Dallas Street intersection.

Planning staff said the applicant, PM Patel, seeks to rezone 2.688 acres from a residential and corporate-business mix to highway commercial with a conditional district to permit a 70‑foot, six‑story hotel of about 117 rooms and roughly 119 parking spaces. The applicant proposes a 4,000‑square‑foot urban open space (a green with benches, a gazebo and a fire pit) at the corner of 21 and Dallas; staff asked for NCDOT confirmation because part of that green would sit inside an NCDOT stormwater easement.

Why it matters: Staff noted the project sits at the edge of mixed‑use and employment center character areas in the Huntersville 2040 plan; while the plan supports higher‑intensity uses on major thoroughfares, staff said the proposed increase in height and a requested reduced separation between the hotel and nearby residential properties raise compatibility concerns. Staff recommended that the developer reduce building height or adjust grading/retaining-wall plans to avoid negating the benefits of a planted buffer.

Staff concerns and requested clarifications
Staff said the proposed hotel would require several zoning modifications, including increasing allowable hotel height to about 70 feet and reducing the usual 210‑foot separation to 100 feet from the nearest residential property; staff said they do not support the height/spacing modifications without design changes. Staff flagged a proposed retaining wall at the back of the buffer that could be up to 20 feet tall and said the wall, combined with the proposed grading, could undermine the effectiveness of the vegetated buffer. Staff also requested full elevations of the preferred hotel design and better grading detail so the town could evaluate visual and buffering impacts.

Applicant presentation and community response
Attorney Susan Irvin and PM Patel described the project as a family‑owned investment that would bring a higher‑tier hotel product to Huntersville, create jobs and support nearby businesses and medical centers. The applicant said the Home2 would include hybrid suites with kitchenettes, sustainability measures (LED lighting, anticipated reductions in single‑use plastics) and eight EV charging stations; Patel estimated average room rates in the $175–$240 range depending on taxes and discounts for local groups. The applicant also said the development would fund substantial transportation improvements (the applicant cited multi‑hundred‑thousand to near‑million‑dollar TIA improvements in presentations) and would upgrade an adjacent Best Western once the Home2 opens.

Public commenters—many of whom identified themselves as longtime local business owners or neighbors—offered broad support for the proposal. The board accepted dozens of written letters of support and about 30 supporters attended the hearing to speak in favor.

Next steps
Staff recommended that approval should require any combination of: lowering or regrading the retaining wall so the buffer is not compromised; reducing building height; increasing separation from residences; or providing a wider, more effective vegetated buffer. The applicant said they continue to work with staff on grading and elevation details and that they could pursue design changes if necessary. The board took no final vote on the rezoning during the hearing.