Belmont council pauses rezoning for 23.5-acre site after sewer-capacity concerns

Belmont planning staff told the council on May 5 that a proposal to conditionally rezone a 23.5-acre parcel near I-85 Exit 27 to a highway-commercial conditional district requires more analysis of sewer capacity before the council can act.

The applicant seeks to build a 107-suite Residence Inn on a 4.1-acre outparcel and to rezone the full 23.5 acres for potential future mixed-use development. Planning staff reported the project's estimated sewer demand is approximately 19,000 gallons per day, and noted that while the local lines can accommodate the flow in dry weather, gravity mains between the site and the wastewater treatment plant exhibit capacity distress during two- and five-year wet-weather events.

Staff said Withers Ravenel's recent capacity modeling found those constrained segments were already stressed in wet weather and that the project would add to the flow through those segments. Planning staff estimated the project's system-development fees at roughly $54,000 under current review assumptions but emphasized that fee calculations would be finalized at construction-permit stage and could change.

The developer's representative provided operational comparisons from a nearby extended-stay property and actual usage data, telling the council the six-month sample produced an average daily use of about 8,676 gallons and a peak of roughly 10,735 gallons per day at a similar 107-room facility. The applicant said it would be open to partnering on mitigation funding if needed.

Council members said they were supportive of the project concept but expressed concern about precedent: members noted the city had previously told other projects in the same sewer "red" area to pause for additional information, and they wanted comparable treatment. After extended discussion about options for modeling, smoke testing, engineering study time and potential cost estimates, the council voted to continue the public hearing and the rezoning consideration to the August meeting to allow staff and the applicant time to refine sewer modeling and cost estimates.

What happens next: Staff expects to use the city's Lucid model and further field work (smoke testing and targeted modeling) to quantify upgrades and costs; the applicant and city staff will return with updated traffic and sewer analyses and potential mitigation proposals before the resumed hearing in August.