Craig Lewis of The Lawrence Group (right) and developer Ray Killian Jr. talk about plans for a luxury housing development off Pine Road Wednesday.
A Charlotte developer outlined plans Wednesday for a development of luxury homes costing $600,000 to $1 million each on a 17-acre parcel off Pine Road owned by the Lawrence Kimbrough family.
Representatives of developer Killian Simonini LLC and the Davidson office of planning firm The Lawrence Group told citizens at a Town Hall planning workshop they have not decided how many homes they will build. The number will be determined at least in part based on feedback from residents during the two-day workshop, which continues today (Thursday).
But developer Ray A. Killian Jr. told Davidson News & Notes local development rules would allow up to 37 homes. He said during the meeting that the homes, to be built by Simonini Builders of Charlotte, would likely be between 2,200 and 3,800 square feet and would sell for $600,000 to $1 million.
About 20 people attended the presentation. Pine Road residents asked a variety of questions, such as how the development might affect traffic, whether there would be buffers between the new development and existing properties, and how the development would connect to existing streets.
AIMED AT EMPTY NESTERS
Residential development is the most likely use for the property, which falls within in the Village Infill Planning Area.
Mr. Killian said the homes would be designed for and marketed to “active adults and empty nesters” – older adults whose children have already left home.
The homes likely would have master bedrooms on the first floor, in anticipation of residents’ reduced mobility in the future. They would be high-quality luxury homes, some of stone, with carefully-planned landscaping and possibly a central “green” or open space, he said.
Craig Lewis of The Lawrence Group said the plan likely would include three access points by road – two to Pine Road and one a “stub out” which eventually could be connected to the neighboring property, which is known as the Potts Plantation. That property is considered an important and historic open space.
“The Potts Plantation is a huge amenity for this property,” Mr. Lewis said.
Both Mr. Lewis and Mr. Killian compared their plans to other Simonini infill developments in South Charlotte in recent years, including The Conservatory and Heydon Hall. These developments tend to have houses clustered on smaller lots, often around a central green space, with high-quality architecture and “elegant” landscaping, Mr. Lewis said.
While the developers did not say how many lots they would like to develop, the properties they cited as comparisons tend to be dense. The Conservatory, for example, has about 30 homes on 11 acres. A similar density would be allowed on the Pine Road property under Davidson ordinances.
NO AFFORDABLE HOUSING
One surprising fact that emerged Wednesday night was that the 17.125-acre parcel would be exempt from town affordable housing requirements.
Planner Lauren Blackburn, who will be shepherding the Kimbrough property through the design and approval process, explained at the meeting’s outset that the owner has obtained an exemption.
“Normally that would be a requirement, but an agreement has existed between the owner and the town for a number of years that would exempt him from the requirement,” Ms. Blackburn said.
(updated Thursday) She explained Thursday morning that the exemption stems from an agreement to trade land at the end of South Street to the town for use o the town’s new Greenway. She said the land-for-exemption agreement would be made final when the master plan is approved. (End of update)
The property is owned by Lawrence Kimbrough and family. Mr. Kimbrough lives nearby in a 6,000-square-foot home on a cul-de-sac called Ardrey Circle. He is a Davidson College graduate, a longtime Davidson resident and the retired chairman and chief executive of Charlotte-based First Charter Bank.
WORKSHOP CONTINUES TODAY
The planning workshop is the first stage of a process in which the developers are hoping to obtain approval for a master site plan.
The workshop will continue today (Thursday) from 2-5 p.m., when citizens will have a chance to offer input on the site plan. From 5-7 p.m., Mr. Killian and The Lawrence Group representatives will sketch potential designs for the site.
Then from 7-9 p.m., they’ll make a closing presentation, with potential development scenarios.
I am curious about the “exemption” to the town’s affordable housing requirement for developments. I think Ms. Blackburn or Mr. Kimbrough or the mayor Mr. Kincaid should elaborate on that point.
Why?
1. No disclosure of the exemption looks bad, smells bad, hints necessarily are something corrupt and underhanded, whether that be the case or not. People will think: “not fair!” even if the “exemption” is something fair and legal.
2. Citizens will wonder necessarily if there is something that Mr. Kimbrough and the developer are putting on the table for the citizens of the Town of Davidson in exchange for the exemption from affordable housing. Possibilities could include green space, land donation to the town, public park, greenway, higher tax rates for these homes (a kind of “affordable housing surcharge”), building affordable housing elsewhere in town, or something else creative, just, and in keeping with the stated goals of the town’s planning documents.
3. Government should be transparent. What might be called “the Kimbrough exemption agreement” should be a matter of the public record and needs to be published and explained by the town board and the town planning department.
Scott Denham, Davidson
Scott,
I believe the exemption is part of a transfer of property that occured within the past few years. There is an explanation and it was transparent. It was written up in the Lake Norman Times.
As far as what can the owner/developer “put on the table” for the citizens of Davidson.
Pay Attention to density. During the inital land planning years ago, our population was estimated at 4,000 after River Run, the land plan bumped the projection up to 8,000 and now these new density measures calculate an estimated 16,000 residents in the Town of Davidson. We are already seeing the impact of those decisions and many more have already been approved.
Traffic/Speeding on Pine Road
Begin discussion with the State of North Carolina in an attempt to assume ownership of Pine Road so that speed and traffic control devices can be installed. Speeding continues to be a problem that is exacerbated by large construction trucks, service vehicles and lawn care trailors. If my numbers are correct, the proposal may likely come close to doubling the poplulation of Pine Road just by building this number of units on the small tract.
Lynn Jeffords, Pine Road
This development will be interesting to watch as it is the first one since the town adopted the new Village Infill zoning ordinance. One of the key aspects of the new ordinance is the objective to recognize the existing environment when designing new development. From what I have seen of the plans, this developer clearly sees the existing environment as their south Charlotte neighborhoods. I doubt we will see anything out of Simonini that reminds one of the older sections of Davidson. It is frustrating that when an opportunity arises to build some classic Davidson housing it appears that we will get something straight out of South Park, sans the gate.
It is very disappointing that the affordable housing requirement was negotiated away. Regardless of the transparency of the agreement, I think that some principles are not negotiable. It is unfortunate that diversity can be put on the table.