Toll Brothers proposes 43‑home Morris development; neighbors press on erosion, access and tree protection

Toll Brothers representatives told the Weddington Town Council on Aug. 11 that the Morris property on Weddington‑Matthews Road is proposed as a 94‑acre, residential‑conditional (RCD) neighborhood with 43 lots averaging about 1.03 acres each and individual septic systems sized to support up to five bedrooms.

"We've taken resident feedback seriously," said Margaret Pucket, vice president of acquisition for Toll Brothers, describing a redesign intended to salvage five heritage trees, expand architectural options and add 100‑foot road‑frontage buffers. She said the company plans two stormwater basins (BMPs), a pre/post development stormwater exhibit and individual‑lot septic evaluations, and that many design changes were made after community meetings.

The project team presented traffic findings from a Kimley‑Horn traffic impact study showing added turn lanes and a center lane on the development frontage; Tom, the Kimley‑Horn traffic consultant, said a second access point is commonly required for larger subdivisions and that emergency‑access options could be explored.

Residents pressed several operational and design concerns during a lengthy public exchange. Kurt Bores, president of the Arbor Oaks HOA, asked the developer to avoid connecting the new neighborhood to the Bonner Drive cul‑de‑sac, arguing the connector would turn a private, child‑centered street into a cut‑through route. "Find an alternative to connecting to Bonner Drive," he said, asking whether a fire‑code or emergency‑only access could replace a full connection.

Other residents reported construction problems at nearby Toll projects. Clayton Jones read comments from a neighbor alleging that a steel barricade and silt fencing were improperly removed at the Bramley site and that heavy equipment caused nearby homes to shake. "The silt fencing was down during heavy rains, pouring red clay onto our streets," Clayton said on behalf of the resident.

Margaret Pucket said Toll Brothers has used third‑party inspectors and works with town inspectors and contractors to remedy problems promptly. "When we were told there was a concern, we responded that same day," she said, adding the company uses third‑party erosion‑control inspections and will repair and clean up off‑site impacts where they occur.

On the pond at the site, Toll representatives said the existing farm pond is roughly three acres and is not regulated as a dam; they said engineers would ensure the pond's integrity and that development would place stormwater into BMPs and controlled outfalls. The developer said the pond could remain as an aesthetic common area or be altered depending on engineering and community preference.

Toll also said it has reduced the lot count during iterative planning (from earlier higher counts down to 43) and intentionally changed some lot patterns to preserve trees and conform to updated block‑length standards the town is adopting.

Next steps: Toll Brothers will return materials to the town for formal submission under the Unified Development Ordinance; the project must satisfy the newly adopted Appendix 2B submittal requirements (including verified septic delineation) before final approvals are considered by the planning board and council.