Jamestown seeks major Birkdale Village redevelopment; residents warn of parking, traffic and safety strains

Jamestown and its representatives told the Huntersville Board of Commissioners on Feb. 4 they are seeking a conditional rezoning of Birkdale Village to add 150 multifamily units, about 122,300 square feet of Class A office space, 26,715 square feet of commercial space and a 125‑room hotel, along with two reconstructed parking decks and other site changes.

The proposal drew support from town planning staff, which recommended the rezoning as consistent with higher‑intensity areas in the town’s 2040 community plan, and intense opposition from residents and business owners who said current parking, sidewalks and traffic cannot absorb the added uses.

Town planner Brian Richards summarized the request and the project history, noting a prior application by earlier owners was denied in 2022 and that the current submission reduces several elements from that earlier proposal. Susan Irvin, attorney for the applicant, and Jamestown developers described design goals and community benefits while acknowledging neighbors’ concerns. Jamestown representatives said they have reduced an earlier office height request and will drop the tallest element to 100 feet in the next submittal.

Why it matters: Birkdale Village is a long‑established mixed‑use center and the town’s largest single taxpayer. The project would change the village’s scale, add new residents and workers, and require major construction and traffic management near state and town roads that residents say are already at or near capacity.

Town staff and the applicant emphasized economic benefits and park/street improvements. The applicant estimated direct construction spending in the hundreds of millions of dollars and said the project would generate new property and sales tax revenue for Huntersville. The presentation included renderings of a Class A office building, a mid‑rise multifamily building with ground‑floor amenities and an approximately five‑story hotel; the applicant also described plans for EV charging and carbon‑reduction measures.

Parking, however, remained a focal point of the hearing. Planning staff’s written materials noted existing on‑site parking and modeled changes; the applicant and staff offered different snapshots while saying parking counts remained under active negotiation. Jamestown said two existing two‑story decks would be removed and replaced, with 24/7 public access to most deck levels and some levels reserved for residents. The applicant told the board it would prioritize construction of the taller new parking deck early in phasing to minimize disruption.

Residents and business owners gave extended public comment. Pete Romanello, a local business owner, criticized the developer’s previous handling of parking and the condition of existing structures: “If they’re saying that they’re not going to do anything and the parking is one of the major issues … I don’t know how we can trust them with anything else,” he said. Several Birkdale merchants and employees said customer access has already declined and that lost or reconfigured surface parking has driven customers away.

Public‑safety data were discussed at the hearing. Chief Graham of the Huntersville Police Department said the five‑year average for reported crimes in the immediate Birkdale area is about 106 per year and that last year’s count was 41, with property crimes accounting for a majority; he noted overall recent declines in recorded incidents in the area but reviewed the yearly totals when asked about safety and staffing.

Jamestown and its representatives answered repeated questions about when parking decks and new amenities would be built, how construction staging would be managed, and whether the hotel brand would include food service or banquet spaces. The applicant said it has not finalized a specific hotel operator but expects a boutique, full‑service flag of the type marketed as an “Autograph Collection” style product, and reiterated that tenant mix and final architecture will evolve with market demand.

Board action and next steps: The Feb. 4 meeting was a public hearing and the board did not vote on R24‑11 that night. Commissioners asked staff and the applicant multiple technical questions about traffic impact assumptions, phasing, ADA parking and stormwater; staff said some traffic review was deferred to NCDOT because major intersections fall on state roads and are tied to a regional TIP project. The record shows staff is continuing negotiations with the applicant and that updated plans and information will return to the town’s review process.

Residents and business owners asked the board to withhold approval until parking, access during construction, and the timing of state road widening are fully resolved; Jamestown said it is prepared to work with the town on mitigation and phasing.