Matthews public hearing on 74-unit John Street townhome plan draws months-long continuance after neighbors raise buffer, traffic and design concerns

A rezoning request for 74 townhomes at 1720–1724 East John Street prompted detailed review by staff, sustained public comment from the adjacent Brightmoor neighborhood and substantive questions from commissioners before the board agreed to continue the hearing to March 10.

Town planning staff said the site is about 9.4 acres and would change from R12 to RVS (residential varied styles). The developer, RK Investments, proposes 74 rear‑loaded townhome units (about 7.9 units per acre), a publicly accessible ten‑foot multiuse path along East John Street, amenity spaces and a tree‑save area around an existing pond at the frontage.

The planning presentation and applicant’s designers and attorneys described design changes from earlier sketches — notably a reduced density from a prior 10.2 units per acre concept, reoriented buildings so porches and walkways face internal gathering spaces, a voluntary 25‑foot rear buffer and a six‑foot privacy fence adjacent to Brightmoor, and a commitment to plant larger‑caliper trees in the buffer. RK Investments’ representative said they had held several community meetings and were willing to continue discussions with Brightmoor residents.

Neighbors said the buffer, currently proposed at 25 feet plus a six‑foot fence, is inadequate to screen noise, lights and traffic. Speakers raised concerns that the stub connections shown to the south could bring headlights and cut‑through traffic near Brightmoor properties and asked for an easement commitment for cross‑connectivity with adjacent parcels to avoid creating an islanded subdivision. Several speakers, including longtime Brightmoor residents, asked for a larger buffer, more evergreen screening, restrictions on rentals and clarity about school impacts and traffic. One resident said existing traffic on East John is already heavy and cited a prior collision as reason for caution.

Commissioners pressed staff and the applicant for technical follow‑ups. Planning staff flagged outstanding items including a transportation technical memorandum (TTM) that showed the proposal would generate about 552 new daily trips (above one UDO threshold) but fewer than the UDO peak‑hour threshold, questions about interim improvements if the NCDOT East John widening project (U‑4714) lags, the need for minimum lot dimensions for RVS lots, and County Fire review of access and emergency requirements. Commissioner questions focused on the adequacy of the 25‑foot buffer, whether units would be for sale or rental, porch depths, the character and materials of elevations, tree‑save percentages (staff noted RVS minimum tree save is 8%), and how the project would connect with nearby proposed developments (Crossland, Gateway Matthews, Epic Hospitality).

Applicant representatives said the design changes responded to prior commissioner and neighbor feedback, that the pond would be restored and used as an amenity, that the design uses a mix of two‑ and three‑story units (three stories fronting East John), and that they would coordinate with NCDOT on a write‑in/write‑out frontage and were willing to pursue further connectivity or revise the gated entrance depending on neighbors’ wishes.

After roughly two hours of presentation and public comment, commissioners voted to continue the public hearing to March 10, 2025, to give the developer time to address staff comments, meet with the Brightmoor neighborhood (developers offered to attend the Brightmoor HOA meeting), supply outstanding technical memoranda including the TTM and CMS/school capacity report, and refine architectural and buffering commitments.

The continuation was unanimous after an amended motion to move the hearing to March 10.

Looking ahead, staff expects follow‑up materials to include a revised site plan with minimum lot sizes for RVS, a clarified tree‑save plan and buffer planting/species, written commitments addressing porches and architecture, a completed transportation technical memorandum and NCDOT coordination on the East John frontage, and County Fire sign‑off on access. The applicant said it will continue outreach with Brightmoor and agrees to return with refined drawings on the March 10 public hearing date.