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Planning board backs Knox Crossing rezoning with conditions, seeks stronger greenway design and tree mitigation
Summary
The Planning Board recommended approval of R25‑16 (Knox Crossing), a 44‑acre mixed‑use rezoning near the planned commuter rail stop, while directing the applicant to work with staff to finalize seam‑trail design, tree‑save mitigation and urban‑design details before the Town Board hearing.
The Huntersville Planning Board on Feb. 24 recommended approval of petition R25‑16, a rezoning request for approximately 44 acres at the northeast corner of Sanford Road and Old Statesville Road, subject to staff conditions and a set of modifications to be worked out with the applicant.
Staff presentation: Planning staff said the site is uniquely positioned adjacent to a proposed commuter rail station and the Carolina Seam Trail, and outlined recent plan changes made by the applicant — including converting one townhome building to live/work, boosting attainable housing from 5% to 7.5% (roughly 31–37 units depending on final unit count), and adding public realm elements. Staff described significant site constraints (an 80‑ft topography change across the site, stream and wetland areas, NCDOT’s Superstreet design for Highway 73 and a concrete rail structure on the west) and said they supported intensification in this location but remain concerned about urban design details, seam‑trail width and permanence, and tree‑save mitigation.
Applicant response and design approach: The applicant’s team (Irvin Law Group, Metricology and the developer) showed multiple iterations of the plan and said they had worked to reduce stream impacts, increase tree canopy saved to 28% on a separate project example, and design a linear park that integrates the Seam Trail with plazas, pocket parks and a roundabout town center. The applicant emphasized market realities for commercial anchors and said they had engaged brokers and market participants in sizing commercial space and would deliver ground‑floor retail as warm vanilla shells to expedite tenancy.
Board concerns and conditions: Board members questioned the engineering risk posed by steep topography and asked the applicant to provide more detailed phasing and grading studies. Several commissioners pushed for clearer, enforceable commitments on how the Seam Trail will be accommodated (including the recommendation from the Seam Trail Advisory Committee for a wider, more natural alignment), stronger screening of retention features, and a plan for tree‑save mitigation where the site cannot meet the ordinance thresholds. Staff and the applicant agreed these issues could be addressed through conditions, mitigation and final design work prior to the Town Board hearing.
Action and next steps: The Planning Board moved to recommend approval with direction that outstanding staff comments and modification requests be resolved in coordination with staff. The board emphasized that many design and mitigation details must be finalized before Town Board consideration. The item will advance to the Town Board with staff recommendations and the applicant’s commitments noted in the record.
Context: The petition proposes up to 82,000 square feet of commercial and up to 486 residential units across mixed TOD and highway commercial zoning; the project team highlighted opportunities to use the site’s proximity to planned transit and regional trails to create a walkable node, while staff flagged the long lead time for some infrastructure (DOT highway work and rail bridge) and the need for enforceable design commitments.
Next step: Planning staff will continue working with the applicant to document final mitigation and design conditions; the Town Board will consider the rezoning application at an upcoming hearing.
