Commission approves conditional rezoning, annexation for 171 West Waterland Road early learning center

The Mooresville Board of Commissioners on March 17 approved a conditional rezoning and concurrent voluntary annexation for a 9.375-acre site at 171 West Waterland Road to permit an early learning center and several compatible, low-intensity uses.

Erica Martin, planning staff, told the board the applicant, Red Apple at Mooresville LLC, requested rezoning from Residential Low Intensity (RLI) to Conditional Corridor Mixed Use (CCM) and submitted a concept plan that limits the primary use to an early learning/daycare facility. The proposal includes a single-story building of roughly 12,000 square feet, a parent drop-off/stacking area and an internal connection to the adjacent Waterstone Apartments; the applicant also committed to constructing a turn lane and sidewalks on West Waterland Road as required by a completed traffic-impact analysis.

Todd Lucas of Lucas Development, the applicant’s representative, said the operator will be the Prodigy Learning Center brand and that the facility’s capacity is up to 200 students. He said the project team worked with the town and NCDOT on traffic mitigation; staff noted the mitigation agreement provides approximately 50 feet of storage in the turn lane (about five cars). Martin told the board that a neighborhood meeting was held and no members of the public attended, and that staff and the planning board recommended approval.

Commissioner Tommy DeWeese moved to approve the rezoning (CZ-2024-15) with the agreed conditions; Commissioner Dingler seconded and the motion passed. The board then considered the concurrent voluntary annexation and utility-extension request (AX-2024-10). Commissioner Dingler moved approval; Commissioner DeWeese seconded. The annexation and utility-extension motion passed, with Commissioner West recorded as opposed.

Planning staff said the rezoning conditions limit building height to one story and preserve at least 10% of the site as open space; the site will remain under the watershed-impervious-area cap and will be served by town water and sewer if annexed. Martin noted the conditional rezoning allows other compatible institutional or community uses on the site in the future, but any different use would be reviewed administratively to confirm parking and circulation requirements are met.

The vote authorizes the town to accept the property into town limits (if the annexation ordinance is adopted) and allows the applicant to proceed with the conditional corridor mixed-use plan as presented. The board closed the public hearing on the items before voting.