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Neighbors push back as commissioners send proposed Matthews Mint Hill Road office building to planning board
Summary
A proposed 7,691‑sq‑ft office building with a dental tenant near the Matthews‑Mint Hill roundabout was sent to the Planning Board after residents voiced traffic, buffer and neighborhood‑character concerns; the applicant said it will protect a hedgerow and limit uses.
The Board of Commissioners on Feb. 10 referred a rezoning application for a 7,691‑square‑foot office building at 3412 Matthews Mint Hill Road to the Planning Board for further review after residents raised concerns about traffic, buffers and neighborhood character.
Why it matters: The site sits at a gateway where Matthews meets Mint Hill and has a future land‑use designation of neighborhood activity center. Residents of the adjacent cul‑de‑sac said they oppose commercial use at the mouth of their neighborhood and worry about added traffic and loss of quiet.
Proposal and applicant response: The applicant, members of the Gorgon family, proposed an owner‑occupied dental practice plus three tenant suites, 40 parking spaces, tree‑save features and a multi‑use path along Matthews Mint Hill Road. The applicant said it will preserve an existing hedgerow along the rear property line, has limited the number of parking spaces to preserve the buffer and will work to avoid staging construction traffic on Blacksmith Court.
Public comment and staff concerns: Multiple neighbors said the corner is part of their neighborhood identity and cautioned that additional commercial frontage could extend commercialization down Matthews Mint Hill Road. One neighbor told the board: “This is still Matthews where I live, and I’m proud to be in Matthews. Please don’t forsake us or forget us.” Staff asked the applicant to increase the buffer width along the residential lot line and to provide curb, gutter and sidewalks along Blacksmith Court and Matthews Mint Hill Road.
Next steps: Commissioners took the application under consideration and agreed to send it to the Planning Board. The applicant said it will return with a revised plan addressing staff recommendations; staff noted that plan review comments addressed stormwater and sidewalk/connectivity items.
Speakers included the applicant team (John Ross, engineering and land‑use counsel Wes Henson), planning staff and multiple residents of Blacksmith Court and Timberwood Court who opposed the rezoning.
