Stroll on Mayes property shows concern for development
 After the tour, Terry Mayes (L) chatted with (from L) town planners Kris Krider and Lauren Blackburn, and planning board member Christy Shi. (Bill Giduz photo) |
By BILL GIDUZ
DavidsonNews.net
About 40 people answered the planning staff’s invitation to tour land to be developed in east Davidson Thursday night, and most were more eager to ask questions than walk the property. Gathered on the shoulder of June Washam Road, surrounded by 80 acres of corn fields and forest owned by the Mayes family, several citizens expressed concerns about road connections from the next phase of the River Run development, and about affordable housing, which Davidson developments are required to include.
Town planners Lauren Blackburn and Kris Krider patiently responded for a while, until Krider noted, “This isn’t a public hearing, it’s a walking tour.”
He assured the crowd, “Nothing’s going to happen fast and everyone will have plenty of opportunity for input. Stay tuned! This will be a very public process and will result in an outstanding development for the community.”
MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT LIKELY
Mr. Krider did say, however, that the property will most likely be approved for a mix of uses, with retail, commercial, and residential components.
A broad area of east Davidson is under a moratorium on new projects, approved last July by the Town Board. The moratorium was designed to give the town – along with Cornelius and Huntersville – time to develop a plan that would guide growth in the N.C. 73/Davidson-Concord Road area. The town wants to rezone key areas to allow for something other than residential development. Rezoning hearings and votes are expected to proceed in several steps over this summer and fall.
The moratorium expires on July 10, and the Mayes family is expected to propose a mixed-use project soon. Town officials say it could come up for approval this summer.
Representing eight relatives who share ownership of the tracts involved, Terry Mayes explained that the land has been in the family 200 years and family members are concerned about how it is developed. “We’re not looking to turn a dollar and get out,” he said. “We want to create a sense of place that’ll be an asset to the community.”
Mr. Mayes noted that the family cooperated with planners four years ago on the Highway 73 corridor plan, and intends now to cooperate with Davidson planners and citizens. He said the family interviewed several developers to help prepare a concept for use of the property, and has now settled on one, though he would not reveal the name.
’WE WANT TO DO IT RIGHT’
Mr. Mayes also said the family is not certain exactly when it will file a development application with the town, a move that would set in motion the town’s multi-step planning process, which includes public workshops and reviews. Mr. Mayes said, “With a process like this you take one step forward and two back. It requires a lot of patience. We only have one chance and we want to do it right.”
After taking a half-hour of sometimes pointed questions, Mr. Krider and Ms. Blackburn led members of the group on a path through forested woods around the edge of the property. Ms. Blackburn noted, “We’re here to understand the land so we all get a better idea of how it should be planned.”
The Mayes property is just one parcel of about 1,000 acres of east Davidson land the town planners have addressed on a preliminary basis. Ms. Blackburn showed maps of current land disposition, conceptual ideas for village center nodes, and road connections, which could change radically depending on the eventual extension by Huntersville of Prosperity Church Road to N.C. 73.
A portion of the planning ordinance amendments that would help implement the area plan will be considered at the Planning Board meeting on Monday, June 23. See agenda on the town website. The Town Board will discuss some of the amendments at a special work session June 30 at 6 p.m. at Town Hall, and then vote on whether to adopt them at the regular monthly meeting on July 8. Town officials say the goal is to have new zoning in place for the Mayes property before the July 10 end of the development moratorium.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE
June 13, 2008, “On-site meeting to look at Mayes project”
June 11, 2008, coverage of town board hearing on the area plan.
June 6, 2008, “Planning board backs N.C. 73 plan, but stops short on new zoning’
May 23, 2008, “Workshops Tuesday on N.C. 73 plan, IB school project”
Jan. 30, 2008, “Towns to show draft of N.C. 73 plan”
Oct. 27, 2007, “Planning begins for N.C. 73 area”
July 10, 2007, “Board OKs east side building moratorium”
Filed under: Davidson town board, Environment, Living with Growth, Planning & Development
