Residents urge Huntersville to slow apartment approvals, cite traffic, schools and safety concerns

Two Huntersville residents used the public‑comment period to urge the Planning Board to slow the pace of apartment approvals and to examine infrastructure capacity before permitting additional multifamily projects.

Bob Baer, who identified himself as a long‑term resident, said he and other longtime residents feel the town’s character and livability are threatened by “totally unbridled development” that places apartment buildings on open acres. He criticized the argument that increased tax revenue from development reduces resident tax burdens and said rapid approvals at the board level have not produced lower taxes. Baer also voiced concerns about traffic and school capacity near Stumptown and Statesville: “So between the two, what are we looking at? Another 1,500, 2,000 cars trying to use 1 15?” he asked.

Patty Gentile, a two‑year resident, told the board she has counted many rental units in town and said, based on the research she has done, “the data shows that 75% of these units have children.” She asked whether Huntersville has the police and fire staffing to support more residential growth and said the town should “pump the brakes” until services and infrastructure are in place.

Several staff and applicant presenters subsequently addressed service and infrastructure questions during rezoning items on the agenda. Planning staff said the North Carolina Department of Transportation has funds programmed and that Statesville Road improvements are in advanced design and could be let in about a year if right‑of‑way parcels are secured. Staff also said Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) has purchased land in the broader area for a middle and elementary school and that a middle‑school project is in the district’s capital improvement plan, although project timing may be six to twelve months behind schedule.

Neither public commenter presented formal data or studies on school projections or public‑safety staffing during the meeting; staff and applicants said they would continue coordination with CMS, NCDOT and town departments as rezoning applications move through technical review. Planning Board members asked staff and applicants follow‑up questions about police and fire staffing and school capacity during the agenda items that followed public comment.