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Catawba County approves scaled-back Terrell Town Center plan, removes 400 multifamily units
Summary
The Catawba County Board of Commissioners unanimously rezoned 15.6 acres at the NC 150/Sherrills Ford Road intersection to PD-CD RZ2025-04, eliminating a previously authorized 400 multifamily units, capping commercial space at up to 95,000 sq ft, and approving a development agreement with conditions including traffic mitigation and sidewalk commitments.
The Catawba County Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 on Dec. 15 to approve a rezoning and development agreement for about 15.6 acres in Terrell Town Center Area 1, amending the 2020 Planned Development–Conditional District for the site.
Planning Director Chris Timberlake and Assistant Planning Director Laurie LoCicero told the board the revised plan removes the 400 multifamily units previously approved, reduces the project’s maximum commercial square footage from 141,000 to a maximum of 95,000 square feet, and incorporates roughly 1.3 acres of open-space land from the adjacent Villas at Sherrills Ford in a conservation easement to meet the 50% built-upon-area allowance under the high-density option.
Staff said the developer agreed to a list of additional restrictions and commitments in a development agreement, including a prohibited-use list, sign height and placement limits, limits on drive-throughs, provision of off-site sidewalk extension, a financial contribution to support future county services, and a conservation easement on common open space. The approved conditions also preserve architectural and landscaping standards from the 2020 PD-CD approval.
The project sits inside the Mixed-Use Corridor and Watershed Protection overlays (WS‑IV Critical Area). County staff said the high-density option permits up to 50% built-upon area where engineered stormwater controls are included; the easement from the Villas at Sherrills Ford helps the developer meet that standard. Utilities presentations noted public water and sewer exist nearby, but the developer must extend lines; sewer capacity and a seven-year reservation window for capacity are addressed in the development agreement.
Several residents who spoke during the public hearing raised concerns about traffic, ingress and egress, and the mix of businesses; Commissioners discussed turn-lane requirements and sewer capacity before voting. Planning staff noted the request was consistent with the county’s 2024 Comprehensive Plan land-use designation for mixed-use/commercial/multifamily in the Sherrills Ford Small Area and that the Planning Board had recommended approval.
The board enacted Ordinance No. 2025-07 to rezone the four parcels (Parcel IDs 4617-0925-1219, 4617-0925-2376, 4617-0925-3797 and 4617-0915-9631) to PD-CD RZ2025-04 and approved the associated development agreement. The motion specified that the developer will maintain the signage. The ordinance and the board’s consistency and reasonableness statement find the rezoning consistent with the county plan and reasonable under N.C. law.
