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Small commercial garages on Stallings Road spur debate over land-per-acre assumptions
Summary
Owners of three older commercial buildings on Stallings Road disputed county land-rate assumptions and resulting assessments. Appraisers for the owners argued the county's per-acre land rates were too high and suggested higher depreciation for aging structures; county staff said their land rates are supported by recent sales and site ratings.
Three small commercial properties on Stallings Road were the subject of a grouped appeal at Wednesday's Board of Equalization and Review, with the owner's representative arguing that county land-per-acre assumptions produced inflated assessments when applied to aging metal-framed service garages and small commercial units.
Why it matters: Small commercial properties often depend on local traffic patterns and zoning; changes in zoning language and 'town-center' planning can alter permissible uses and therefore affect both the land and building values.
The owner's agent argued that the county's dollar-per-acre land rate essentially allocated the same premium to every parcel in the strip, producing inconsistent building valuations per square foot across adjacent lots. He presented alternative appraisals and a spreadsheet showing percentage increases from 2024 to 2025 for the three Stallings Road parcels and said his appraiser's values came in lower on two of the three properties. The appellant's representative also noted the town of Indian Trail's land-use decisions and signage changes around the 'town center' that make automotive uses less desirable and harder to re-lease.
County staff said the parcels are valued using the county's commercial land schedule for high-traffic sites (town-center frontage), supported by nearby land sales and a consistent site-rating approach. The county's cost approach incorporates Marshall & Swift building costs and age-based depreciation; differences in assessed per-square-foot building values across the strip come from varying building size and effective age, county staff said.
Board action and outcome: The board considered the appellant's evidence and the county's sales and cost approaches. During deliberations the board adopted the county's recommended values for the Stallings Road parcels (parcel keys 07126264 and 07126269 among others noted in the appeal packet). The record shows the board approved the county appraisals and retained the county's assessed values for those parcels.
Ending: The dispute illustrates two recurring appraisal tensions: (1) whether a single land-rate can fairly be applied across a small, variably sized strip of commercial parcels; and (2) how to balance local zoning or master-plan shifts against recent sales when older commercial buildings face limited re-use options.
