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Matthews Help Center wins unanimous support to advance 9,000‑sq‑ft expansion to planning board
Summary
Commissioners closed the public hearing and referred a conditional zoning amendment for a 9,000‑square‑foot expansion of the Matthews Help Center to the planning board after staff and the applicant resolved multiple minor technical comments; the nonprofit said the addition would improve donation handling and program revenue.
The Town of Matthews Board of Commissioners on Feb. 10 closed the public hearing and voted unanimously to send a requested change of zoning conditions for the Matthews Help Center (119 North Ames Street) to the Planning Board for further review.
Why it matters: The Matthews Help Center seeks to replace a small accessory structure and add a 9,000‑square‑foot building to expand donation processing, add a covered donation drop‑off, and increase retail floor area to generate revenue for client services. Matthews Cultural Diversity Committee chair Sandra Rose and Help Center executive director Sandra Rose (same name) addressed the board; the applicant said the expansion would increase retail capacity and allow safer, covered donor drop‑off operations.
What the application proposes: The site is currently B‑1 CD; the applicant proposed non‑material changes to the conditional zoning to allow the additional building, a new donation canopy and more parking (about 54 spaces). The proposed plan preserves significant tree canopy on site, with the project expected to pay in lieu for the remainder of required tree save because of tight site constraints.
Staff comments and adjustments: Planning staff identified a handful of technical items—easement alignment with an adjacent parcel, bicycle parking racks, a TIA‑not‑required statement, impervious‑area figures for stormwater calculations and removal of an unused curb cut. Applicant representatives said they will resolve those minor items before Planning Board review and asked that a short retaining wall along North Ames remain in place because removing it would disturb utilities.
Applicant’s case: Executive director Sandra Rose told commissioners the center served 6,553 children and adults last fiscal year and that additional retail space could generate roughly $300,000 in revenue that could be used for direct client aid. She described the covered donation drive‑through as a safety measure for volunteers and donors.
Vote and next steps: Commissioner Leon Threet moved to close the public hearing and forward the application to the Planning Board; Commissioner Ken McCool seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Staff and the applicant will resolve the technical comments and return the item for planning review ahead of a future commission hearing.
Speakers included town planning staff (Rob, Jay Camp), Matthews Help Center representatives Sandra Rose and Nolan Gross (Urban Design Partners) and architecture consultant Jeff Sheer.
