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Blowing Rock council tables conditional rezoning for Shops on the Parkway after heated public comment
Summary
After a public hearing that drew many residents concerned about scale, architecture and short-term rentals, the Blowing Rock Town Council voted 3–2 to table a conditional rezoning application for the Shops on the Parkway to allow the applicant and staff time to provide a fuller master plan and details on phasing, architecture and potential workforce housing.
The Blowing Rock Town Council on March 11, 2025 tabled a decision on a conditional rezoning application for the Shops on the Parkway, a phased redevelopment proposal that would add residential units above retail at the town’s northern entrance.
Kevin Rothrock, a town planning staffer, said the application (CZ 2024-05) requests conditional rezoning from General Business to conditional General Business for a phased mixed-use project. Phase 1A would add 34 dwelling units in a three- to four-story building, require increased setbacks for portions of the building above 35 feet, reconfigure on-site stormwater (reducing impervious area by about 28,000 square feet) and alter parking standards; staff calculated the project’s minimum parking requirement at about 76 spaces and said the applicant proposes 77 for the immediate phase.
Developers Chris Barefoot and Andrew Hiltz of Oak Hill Management described a phased approach and emphasized local consultants and investors. Architect Bill Dixon said design revisions reduced stucco, added stone and timber elements and lowered the visibility of long exterior walkways. ‘‘We’ve tried to listen and make it not look like a hotel,’’ Dixon said of the project’s recent iterations.
Residents voiced strong objections during the public comment period, focusing on massing, visual character, and the prospect of 100% short-term rental units. John Wingley said the proposal "doesn't look like Blowing Rock," and others warned the project could set a precedent for larger, more generic developments at the town entrance. Several speakers urged the council to require stronger enforceable commitments—such as performance bonds or explicit workforce housing obligations—if the council were to approve phased development.
Council members expressed similar concerns during discussion. Several said they were unwilling to act on phase 1A without a clearer picture of subsequent phases and architectural standards to ensure compatibility with the town’s character. One council member said breaking the long building mass into smaller segments and specifying use percentages (retail, restaurants, offices and residential) would make the plan easier to evaluate.
A motion to table the rezoning until the applicant provides more specific phasing, representative architectural elevations and possible commitments on workforce housing passed on a 3–2 vote. The council directed the applicant to consult further with the planning department and return at a future date; no specific return date was set.
The council and staff also noted planning-board recommendations and potential conditions if the project proceeds in limited form, including requirements to upgrade the existing retail facade within 36 months of a certificate of occupancy for phase 1 if no further phases are built, plus screening for dumpsters and landscaping buffers to mitigate impacts.
The action leaves the application pending additional materials and planning-board review. The applicant said it remains open to collaboration and may provide representative architecture and percentage-of-use targets when it returns to the council.
