Neighbors press safety fixes as council considers Mount Holly Road rezoning; petitioner agrees to study deceleration lane and design changes

A rezoning petition for an 8.74-acre site on Mount Holly Road drew extended public comment at the Charlotte City Council zoning meeting on May 19, with residents urging traffic safety improvements, a deceleration lane and public-street access rather than private alleys.

The petition (2025015) by Wilkes Asset Management proposed up to 2040? (staff summary provided schematic for townhome-style units and site commitments) townhome-style units (the transcript identifies a 45-dwelling-unit scheme in Council discussion) and included commitments summarized by staff: a 12-foot multiuse path and an 8-foot planting strip along Mount Holly Road, an internal 8-foot planting strip and 8-foot sidewalks, pedestrian connections and a northbound left-turn lane on Mount Holly Road. Staff recommended approval conditioned on resolution of outstanding site-design issues.

Mountain Island Lake Community Alliance representatives and residents said the Mount Holly Road corridor already carries heavy traffic and cited multiple recent serious accidents. Erin Oliverio, representing the Mountain Island Lake Community Alliance, told the council the area has seen large new developments and described Mount Holly Road as a state-maintained corridor where coordination with NCDOT is essential. Resident MoMA Merritt asked the council to require a reduced-conflict intersection (RCI) at the community entrance and told council that NCDOT studies show RCIs reduce total crash rates by 50% and frontal-impact crashes by 80%.

"RCIs cut total crash rates by 50%. They reduce frontal impact crashes by 80%," MoMA Merritt said during public comment, citing state research as the basis for her request that the council seek RCI treatments to reduce left-turn conflicts.

Petition representatives said they had engaged with NCDOT and staff. Bridget Grant, the land-use consultant for the petitioner, told council that NCDOT gave preliminary support for adding a deceleration lane (a right-turn lane) into the site but did not believe an RCI met the state criteria at this location based on preliminary review. Grant also explained that the petitioners design approach used alleys to meet frontage-orientation requirements in the UDO while preserving pedestrian corridors along public streets; she said private alleys would be built to city pavement standards and would be reviewed by fire for turning radiuses.

Council member Malcolm Graham and staff acknowledged the intensity of neighborhood concerns and said staff would continue coordination with NCDOT and the petitioner on traffic measures and design changes. Council directed additional follow-up and indicated the petition would return with revisions. CDOT noted Mount Holly widening projects are ranked in the STIP but currently unfunded.

Why this matters: The petition underscores the tension between adding housing and protecting neighborhood safety and access on state-maintained corridors. Residents asked the council to take a proactive role in securing traffic-calming or turn-movement restrictions and to insist on public-street connections and additional trees and sidewalks to improve long-term livability.

What the transcript records: - Residents stressed traffic safety, emergency access and cumulative impact; many described long delays and safety incidents on Mount Holly Road. - The petitioner committed to investigating and preliminarily securing a deceleration (right-turn) lane from NCDOT and to continue discussions about access management. - Staff recommended approval but noted outstanding issues related to unit counts per building, open space, and site design.

Next steps: The petitioner and staff agreed to continue working with neighborhood representatives and NCDOT; council members requested revised plans and additional information before a final council decision.