Developer proposes 259‑lot Everett Keith subdivision with 10‑acre park; staff flags small‑area plan and connectivity issues

A developer team led by NVR presented a conditional rezoning request (R24‑07 Everett Keith Residential) for about 106 acres east of Hambright Road to build a 259‑lot subdivision that would include attached townhomes, detached cottages and single‑family homes, and to dedicate roughly 10 acres (a pond and surrounding land) for a public park.

Planning staff told the board the project proposes four housing types across the site and includes roughly 23 acres of dedicated urban open space and a proposed publicly dedicated 10‑acre park around an existing pond. "The applicants are proposing to dedicate that land as a public park," staff said, and the town's park and recreation committee was scheduled to consider the dedication in May.

The developer said the project would accommodate 76 attached townhomes north of a Hambright Road extension, 75 alley‑loaded cottage units and 108 detached single‑family lots. The developer also offered eight for‑sale affordable units, intended as flats/two‑unit condominiums that look like conventional townhomes. The developer representatives said they had discussed phasing and civil design with staff and that they planned substantial internal pedestrian connections and about 2.35 miles of internal pedestrian paths.

Staff outlined concerns and conditions to be resolved, including: consistency with the Eastfield Road small area plan (which recommends lower density on the eastern portion adjacent to Dogwood Estates), internal connectivity (some alleys and walkways do not yet interconnect), the need for a phasing plan to sequence access and infrastructure, front‑setback and build‑to requirements on some Hambright and Everkeith fronting lots, and confirmation of utility connections. Staff asked the applicant to extend larger lot sizes adjacent to the Dogwood Estates neighborhood and to disperse affordable units rather than cluster them in one location.

NVR representatives said they were prepared to identify the area east of the second stream crossing as a second phase and that the project will likely be built in near‑continuous development rather than many small phases because earthwork balancing and topography require cohesive grading. On utilities, the developers said they are coordinating with Charlotte Water and that the preferred sewer alignment follows the stream corridor but alternatives exist if needed.

Neighbors voiced concerns about increased traffic on Dogwood Lane and asked whether the town could preserve the street's dead‑end character; staff replied that required stub‑street connections to adjacent neighborhoods are standard and that private gating of a public street would be inconsistent with ordinance requirements. The board did not vote on the rezoning; staff and applicant will continue to refine phasing, street design, greenway easements and affordable‑unit location for future consideration.