Belmont approves conditional rezoning for 99‑unit senior living project at Park Street United Methodist Church

Belmont City Council voted unanimously Nov. 3 to approve a conditional rezoning request that will allow a 99‑unit independent living facility to be built on property owned by Park Street United Methodist Church.

The project, called Arbor Mill at Park Street by applicant Ridge Care, will occupy roughly 4.9 acres at the Park/Kataba/Church Street intersection. Pastor David Hut of Park Street United Methodist Church said the development is intended to keep long‑time Belmont residents in the community and provide local independent living options for older adults.

The applicant presented a stepped three‑story building with a partial fourth story and a total of 123 bedrooms. Staff said the site topography, the retention of two existing church buildings and constrained parcel depths prompted requests for multiple areas of relief: height (partial fourth floor), a reduced on‑site parking count (124 provided vs. ~184 required under a straight code tally), a larger maximum building footprint, sidewalk alignment flexibility along Church Street with a payment‑in‑lieu for off‑site improvements, and limited tree‑save flexibility to account for on‑site existing canopy.

The developer and staff committed to several conditions that the council required before approval. Those commitments recorded for the conditional zoning include: a shared‑parking agreement between Ridge Care and Park Street UMC with specified non‑overlapping hours to be supplied before construction permits; dedication of right‑of‑way for future roadway improvements identified by the city’s engineering plans; $10,000 of any payment‑in‑lieu for open space reserved for public art in coordination with the Main Street Advisory Board; installation of on‑site pedestrian improvements including ADA curb ramps and an 8‑foot sidewalk in most locations; two on‑site Flock camera units with cloud recording paid and maintained by the petitioner; explicit coordination with NCDOT on right‑in/right‑out driveway details and required encroachment permits; and a shuttle amenity (a 14‑passenger van) provided as a resident service with on‑site parking reserved for the shuttle.

Planning Director Tiffany Pharaoh told council a shared‑parking arrangement could reduce the amount of parking relief needed, but staff had not yet received the hours of operation for the shared agreement and asked council to require that detail. Applicants and the church said typical Ridge Care operations generate much lower vehicle demand than standard multifamily codes assume, citing observed utilization at Ridge Care properties and an estimated resident vehicle ownership rate substantially below one per unit.

Council members pressed the applicant on several operational details — including peak staff hours, shuttle frequency, where shuttles and deliveries will stage, and how shared parking will function during church events and holiday services — and negotiated the development‑standard language in open session. Pastor Hut confirmed the church currently has about 66 spaces in its main lot and average Sunday service attendance that typically does not use the full code requirement for church parking.

After the negotiated conditions were read into the development standards on the record, Councilmember Alex made the motion to approve; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously. Council also made the statutory finding that, with the agreed conditions, the request was reasonable and consistent with the city’s land‑use goals.

What happens next: the applicant must include the agreed development standards in the conditional district ordinance, finalize technical engineering and NCDOT driveway permits, and supply the shared‑parking agreement hours and other documentation during construction‑plan review. The project team estimated 12–16 months for permitting work and an 18‑month construction window as a practical timeline, but the council also granted a vesting request tied to applicable state statute that may extend site‑specific vesting (the applicant requested a five‑year vesting period under N.C. Gen. Stat. 160D‑108.1).

Speakers quoted in this report include Tiffany Pharaoh, Belmont Planning Director; David Hut, Pastor at Park Street United Methodist Church; Nolan Gross, Urban Design Partners (applicant); and Ridge Care representatives. Additional technical testimony was provided by traffic consultants from Kimley‑Horn and city staff.