Planning board backs conditional rezoning for 31.5-acre Indian Trail Corporate Park

The Indian Trail Planning & Zoning Board voted unanimously to recommend approval of a conditional rezoning (case CZ20240127) that would allow construction of a six-building light-industrial corporate park on about 31.5 acres off Indian Trail Fairview Road.

Town senior planner Tyler Hayoski said the request seeks to conditionally rezone an assemblage of parcels now zoned a mix of single-family low-density (SF-1) and general business (GBD) to conditional zoning light industrial (CZLI). The proposal anticipates six multitenant light-industrial buildings totaling up to 270,000 square feet of gross floor area, with uses limited to those allowed in the light-industrial district and by the conditions in the development standards packet.

Hayoski said the property is largely wooded, includes six tax parcels (legally four properties), and contains one single-family house in the rear that would be demolished if the project proceeds. He identified adjacent uses as including First Baptist Church of Indian Trail and Metrolina Christian Academy across Indian Trail Fairview Road, and a mix of commercial and light-industrial properties to the southwest and northeast.

The development team, represented by attorney John Floyd of Moore & Van Allen and by Elena Kiewit of St. John Properties, described the applicant as a vertically integrated developer that intends to hold and operate the buildings rather than sell speculative product. "They typically hold their assets and manage them themselves. These aren't spec buildings that they're looking to sell," Floyd said.

Project plans show two access points: a primary entrance on Indian Trail Fairview Road and a second connection to Union Beltway Road (currently a cul‑de‑sac). The developer would construct a 31-foot private right-of-way internal to the site; Hayoski said the town will not accept the private road for maintenance. Stormwater best-management practices (BMPs), tree‑save areas and landscape buffers are shown on the concept plan, and staff described additional tree preservation and supplemental buffering between the site and adjacent uses.

The applicant requested a modification to the town's heritage-tree standards: raising the size threshold that counts as a heritage tree (staff said the town currently defines most deciduous heritage trees at 14 inches diameter breast height and some evergreens at 18 inches). Hayoski said the increase to a 20-inch threshold was proposed because the site could not reasonably accommodate the large number of replacement plantings that the stricter threshold would trigger.

Staff noted that childcare and adult‑daycare uses are allowed in some light-industrial districts but are not typical in multitenant buildings; the applicant proposed limiting where play areas would be located and provided real‑world examples of safety measures (concrete bollards and six‑foot fencing) for play areas adjacent to truck courts. Hayoski said staff had reviewed those examples and had "no heartburn" about locating potential childcare use in end-cap units with the proposed protections.

Traffic improvements recommended in the developer's traffic impact analysis (TIA) were reviewed by NCDOT and include turn lanes and extended storage lanes at nearby intersections; the development standards require that recommended traffic improvements be in place prior to issuance of certificates of occupancy for the first buildings unless already constructed as part of state, federal or locally funded projects.

Hayoski said two required community meetings were held on Feb. 10; no members of the public attended either meeting, though the applicant met separately with leaders of First Baptist Church of Indian Trail and Metrolina Christian Academy to address concerns including traffic and alcohol sales near the church. Floyd said the developer agreed to prohibit alcohol sales in the building closest to the church.

After questions from board members about sidewalks, landscaping sizes, tree mitigation, potential cut-through traffic on the private road, phasing and elevations, board member Jennifer Marr moved to recommend approval of the conditional rezoning as presented. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

If approved by town council following the Planning & Zoning recommendation, the project would move into site-plan review where final engineering, stormwater permitting, heritage-tree survey results, and detailed landscaping will be completed.

Votes at a glance: The Planning & Zoning Board voted to recommend approval of CZ20240127 (Indian Trail Corporate Park).