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Town Board approves Alex Yards mixed‑use development with solar, sidewalk funding and attainable housing
Summary
Alexandria Partners’ Alex Yards project won Town Board approval with conditions requiring 20 kW of clubhouse solar, $125,000 toward a future sidewalk, a public art contribution and eight attainable units deed‑restricted for 15 years.
The Town Board approved the Alex Yards conditional rezoning (R25‑01) on July 15, allowing a multifamily‑focused development at the intersection of Mount Holly‑Huntersville Road and Alexandria Road with conditions negotiated between the developer and the board.
Planning staff presented the proposal and stated they did not support the project as submitted because it did not meet some Transit‑Oriented Development (TOD) expectations, but staff also acknowledged the site is within the half‑mile catchment of the future CATS rapid transit station. The developer, Alexandria Partners, responded to feedback and offered a number of community benefits that the board accepted.
Ben Geisler, speaking for the developer, said the applicant would contribute $125,000 toward a future sidewalk connection from the site north to Hambright Road (with a sunset if not used within five years of construction start), install a prominent gateway art feature at the site at a value up to $25,000, add 20 kW of active photovoltaic panels on the clubhouse and make the residential buildings “solar‑ready” (conduit and roof structure provisioned for future panels). He also said the developer added eight attainable units: four at or below 80 percent of area median income (AMI) and four at or below 100 percent AMI, deed‑restricted for 15 years.
The board’s approval approved conditions that reflected those commitments and required the installer timeline for active solar and art installation (art to be installed not later than two years after issuance of the first building certificate of occupancy or at final CO, whichever occurs first). The developer also agreed to reduce parking visibility at the main intersection, extend urban open space around the clubhouse, and place certain architectural and site‑layout elements in the record.
Supporters on the board said the county’s adjacent purchase of land for a future North Lake Park shifted the long‑term character of the area and that housing buffered by a park is preferable to the warehouse uses previously envisioned. Commissioners cited the added attainable units, transit access and streetscape investments as reasons to approve. Commissioner Dimas and others praised the developer for adding “skin in the game” via sidewalk funding, solar and art commitments.
Why it matters: The project converts a site previously envisioned for industrial uses into a mixed‑use residential gateway with transit access and includes developer‑funded community improvements, attainable housing, and early solar commitments.
What’s next: The developer will proceed to plan and permitting review under the conditions set by the board; staff will track the timelines for sidewalk contributions, solar installation and art placement.
