WhERE CAN I SEE more details about THE proposal?
Here's a copy of the developer's Community Meeting presentation from February 3rd. This gives some idea of what the new four story development is intended to look like as well as site plan changes.
cm_ppt_goldberg_-_legacy_arboretum_2021-213.pdf
Here's a copy of the proposed site plan, with a second page highlighting some of the areas we think create concerns.
2021_213_siteplan_-_marked.pdf
The city page tracking the status of the petition, which is 2021-213, is here:
charlottenc.gov/planning/Rezoning/RezoningPetitions/2021Petitions/Pages/2021-213.aspx
cm_ppt_goldberg_-_legacy_arboretum_2021-213.pdf
Here's a copy of the proposed site plan, with a second page highlighting some of the areas we think create concerns.
2021_213_siteplan_-_marked.pdf
The city page tracking the status of the petition, which is 2021-213, is here:
charlottenc.gov/planning/Rezoning/RezoningPetitions/2021Petitions/Pages/2021-213.aspx
is there any history on the original zoning for the apartments?
When the complex was originally granted multifamily zoning in 1994 the local neighborhoods at the time, including Huntington, successfully pushed to avoid getting the complex connected to Hugh Forest, and to maintain a 200' buffer on the west edge of the complex, along Hugh Forest. The original developer agreed to those terms as part of the zoning. Some of the people involved at that time still live here and were involved in getting those restrictions in place. We think those were wise requirements then, and are still wise requirements that should not be changed.
is there any point to opposing this? Don't developers always get what they want?
No they don't! There are currently a number of examples where local residents have been pushing back successfully to get proposals changed in response to their concerns. For example, here are a couple of recent news stories from Ballantyne, which shares the same City Council member as our neighborhood, Ed Driggs.
charlotte.axios.com/287283/ballantyne-rezoning-reignites-debate-at-the-center-of-charlottes-housing-crisis/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axioslocal_charlotte&stream=top
and also
www.wsoctv.com/news/local/city-leaders-residents-skeptical-new-school-housing-project-near-ardrey-kell-high/WIMNJUQIUBE4ZJ2VIFEOAQQZY4/
charlotte.axios.com/287283/ballantyne-rezoning-reignites-debate-at-the-center-of-charlottes-housing-crisis/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axioslocal_charlotte&stream=top
and also
www.wsoctv.com/news/local/city-leaders-residents-skeptical-new-school-housing-project-near-ardrey-kell-high/WIMNJUQIUBE4ZJ2VIFEOAQQZY4/
How do i learn more about how the charlotte zoning process works?
The City Council has a pretty cleanly laid out website, with an 'Information for Neighbors' section. This presentation shows the flow of the process. Ultimately decisions on rezoning are made by a vote of the City Council, with input from their staff and the Zoning Committee.
Why so much concern about potential traffic - didn't they study that?
At the Community Meeting the developer presented some findings from a traffic study that they had commissioned, which they felt indicated that connecting 500 apartments to Hugh Forest would not impact the intersection more than just a few cars an hour. The community members present found this hard to believe, especially as measurements of traffic volume were conducted during a pandemic work-from-home period.
Most significantly in our mind, this development and intersection is right next to Providence High School, which therefore generates very unusual and specific traffic patterns that generic traffic modeling may not capture. For example, the time slots the developer's study reported did not include the Providence High School drop-off time, which those of us who drive up and down the road daily know to be a peak time of congestion. There is also the potential for the apartment complex itself to become a cut-through for people turning right on 51 out of Hugh Forest, or for high schoolers trying to dodge the 51 traffic by turning into Hugh Forest, driving through the apartments and then crossing straight over 51 into school. Finally, the significant number of U-turns at 51/Hugh Forest also add to the general confusion and congestion in a way that is not normally present at an intersection.
Most significantly in our mind, this development and intersection is right next to Providence High School, which therefore generates very unusual and specific traffic patterns that generic traffic modeling may not capture. For example, the time slots the developer's study reported did not include the Providence High School drop-off time, which those of us who drive up and down the road daily know to be a peak time of congestion. There is also the potential for the apartment complex itself to become a cut-through for people turning right on 51 out of Hugh Forest, or for high schoolers trying to dodge the 51 traffic by turning into Hugh Forest, driving through the apartments and then crossing straight over 51 into school. Finally, the significant number of U-turns at 51/Hugh Forest also add to the general confusion and congestion in a way that is not normally present at an intersection.
ISn't this just a bunch of 'not in my backyard' opposition to much-needed housing?
Our objective is to persuade the City Council to reject the petition as it stands. We are not opposed to the developer finding other smarter ways to enhance the value of their investment, provide needed high quality accommodation for people, and also respect the local traffic, school crowding and neighborhood character concerns that we see. In fact we'd love to be able to support a proposal that made more sense, and have even registered www.sayyestolegacy.com so we can vocally support it with the Council when they make that revised proposal!
