OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Charlotte City Council Zoning Meeting – February 19, 2024

City Council — Monday, February 19, 2024
BodyCharlotte, North Carolina
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, February 19, 2024
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
2:02

Zoning meeting to order.

2:04

Um we are going to have a motion to the meeting is officially open, and then I'm going to ask the city attorney to read a motion for a closed session.

2:14

And we'll need a motion to go into closed session to instruct city staff concerning the position taken by the city in negotiating material terms of a contract for the acquisition of real property interest under GS one forty three three eighteen eleven A five.

2:28

Do I have a motion and a second?

2:32

So I miss Mayfield is a second.

2:35

And so with that, all in favor of the motion, please raise your hand.

5:00

Since 1879, Washington's birthday has been a federal government holiday observed since 1968 on the third Monday of February every year.

5:04

The day is also an official state holiday in most states, but it's optional.

5:09

It has names like Washington's birthday, President's Day, Washington and Lincoln's birthday.

5:14

In fact, the various states use 15 different names, depending on the specific law, the state holiday may officially celebrate Washington alone, Washington and Lincoln, or some other combination of U.S.

5:24

presidents.

5:25

Since we are all here tonight, it does not appear to be an official state holiday in North Carolina.

5:31

I believe it's appropriate today to honor the memory of arguably our two greatest presidents.

5:35

Founding Father George Washington led the Continental Army to victory in the American Revolutionary War, presided at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and was the first U.S.

5:46

President.

5:47

Abraham Lincoln led the nation through the American Civil War, preserved the Union, abolished slavery, bolstered the federal government, and modernize the U.S.

5:55

economy.

5:56

To honor the legacy of these two historic figures, let us challenge ourselves to continue to fight for what they believed in and sacrifice so much for.

6:05

In their respective ways, they shaped a great nation.

6:08

Today we should all remember them and work together to live up to the promise they created all those years ago.

6:14

Thank you, Mayor.

6:15

Thank you.

6:15

Please stand if you choose for the Pledge of Allegiance.

6:23

I pledge allegiance to the Act of the United States.

6:28

And to the Republic for which it stands.

6:36

Thank you.

6:38

Okay.

6:41

So I'm going to take a minute or so to those of you who don't frequent our space often on these days of zoning meetings to explain the zoning process.

6:51

The process begins with applications submitted to the planning staff for review.

6:55

There are two types of cases on the agenda.

6:57

They are decisions and hearings.

6:59

Decisions on cases for which a public hearing was previously held.

7:07

Hearings.

7:08

Anyone wishing to speak is asked to see the clerk before the start of the hearing.

7:12

And then after we have on that, we have the staff presentation, which has no time limit.

7:18

And then the petitioner and those in favor get three minutes to combine to present a case unless their opponents signed up to speak.

7:26

If staff is in opposition, the petitioner gets 10 minutes.

7:30

The opponent gets 10 minutes combined.

7:32

And petitioner gets a two-minute rebuttal.

7:34

If no one is opposed or signed up to speak, the staff provides a short presentation, and then we move on to the next public hearing.

7:43

The petition then goes to the zoning committee of the planning commission for review and recommendations.

7:49

And with that, I'd like to introduce the chair of our zoning committee, Douglas Welton, to introduce his information as well as his members.

7:58

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

7:59

Uh, and thank you, Council.

8:00

My name is Douglas A.

8:01

Walton, and I serve as the chairman of the zoning committee of the planning commission.

8:06

Allow me to introduce the uh my fellow members of the uh committee, Will Russell, uh, Shauna Neely, Rick Winnaker, Terry Lansdale, Rebecca Wilden, and uh Clayton Seeley.

8:18

The zoning committee will meet on Tuesday, March 5th at 5.30 p.m.

8:22

here at the Government Center.

8:24

And at that meeting, the zoning committee will meet to discuss and make recommendations on the petitions that have a public hearing here tonight.

8:31

The public is welcome to that meeting, but please note it is not a continuation of the public hearing that is being held here tonight.

8:39

Prior to that meeting, you are welcome to contact us and provide input.

8:44

You can find contact information and uh information on each one of the petitions at the city's website at CharlottePlanning.org.

8:52

Madam Mayor, back to you.

8:54

Thank you very much, Mr.

8:55

Welton.

8:56

Um, and now we will go with the next item that we have is that since the planning staff prepared the written agenda that was distributed publicly and was online.

9:06

We have had some changes in the actions that are being listed for this after for this evening.

9:13

And those are called deferrals and withdrawals.

9:16

And so I'm going to ask Dave Petton to read those items.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Land Use and Development█████████████████████████████████████37%
Zoning█████████████████████████25%
Affordable Housing█████████9%
Community Engagement██████6%
Procedural█████5%
Historic Preservation████4%
Transit Oriented Development███3%
Mixed Use Development██2%
Transportation Safety██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Charlotte City Council Zoning Meeting – February 19, 2024

The Charlotte City Council convened on February 19, 2024, at 5:00 PM for a Zoning Meeting to consider numerous rezoning petitions. The meeting included deferrals, a consent agenda, separate votes on pulled items, and public hearings for several additional petitions. Major themes included affordable housing, community benefits, traffic impacts, and historical land-use injustices.

Consent Calendar

  • The following petitions were approved en masse without objection: 2021-209 (Steele Creek Road/Rigsby Road), 2023-017 (Providence Road West), 2023-092 (Steele Creek Road/1-485 ramp), 2023-098 (Hawthorne Lane/Central Avenue), 2023-103 (Atando Avenue/Robinson Crest), 2023-127 (South McDowell Street/Baxter Street), 2023-136 (Dupree Street/Rozzelles Ferry Road), 2023-139 (West Brooklyn Village Avenue), and 2023-144 (Baxter Street/Pearl Park Way). All met the criteria of no public opposition, zoning committee approval, no post-committee changes, and staff recommendation.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Petition 2023-037 (Shinnville Ridge Partners): No public testimony recorded, but council debate included neighborhood concerns addressed by the petitioner.
  • Petition 2022-079 (Pappas Properties – Midtown): Three speakers from the Brooklyn Coalition (Reverend Janet Garner Mullins, Jacqueline Stowe, Barbara Rainey) opposed the rezoning, citing historic displacement from urban renewal and demanding on-site affordable housing. They noted the city’s unfulfilled promises to the Second Ward community.
  • Petition 2022-107 (ParkMIMO LLC): Neighbor Tamara Fowles spoke in support, highlighting parking, stormwater diversion, and facade improvements agreed with the developer.
  • Petition 2022-210 (RPVI SEBP Charlotte LP): No public testimony, but council member Brown raised concerns about community engagement and traffic impacts.
  • Petition 2023-178 (Crosland SE Communities): No public testimony; staff presented a 72-unit affordable housing proposal.
  • Petition 2023-138 (Sankofa Partners LLC): Diana Ward spoke in favor, noting support from neighborhood leaders and transit access.

Discussion Items

  • Deferrals: The council unanimously approved deferrals for petitions 2020-071, 2022-216, 2022-224, 2023-015, 2023-047, 2023-091, 2023-134, 2021-085, 2022-121, 2023-033, 2023-107, and 2023-154 to the March 18, 2024 meeting.
  • Petition 2023-080 (True Homes – Nations Ford Road): Councilmember Mayfield expressed concerns about inadequate amenities (only gas stations) and dangerous pedestrian conditions, and voted no. Staff noted a 2.2-acre park dedication and sidewalk improvements. Approved 10-1 (Mayfield opposed).
  • Petition 2023-089 (True Homes – Point O'Woods Drive): Councilmember Johnson supported as attainable for-sale housing. Mayfield raised quality concerns about True Homes’ track record. Approved 10-1 (Mayfield opposed).
  • Petition 2023-126 (Commonwealth Development – Nations Ford Road): Councilmember Watlington questioned the N1-A zoning between higher-density parcels. Staff explained the designation retained an existing single-family home. Approved unanimously.
  • Petition 2023-128 (Synco Properties – Roxborough Road): Mayfield questioned a height increase to 190 feet in a regional activity center. Staff noted consistency with South Park area. Approved unanimously.
  • Petition 2023-140 (John Patel – Thomasboro Drive): Mayfield opposed due to housing in an airport noise overlay, citing future buyout costs. Councilmember Ajmera noted reduced trip generation versus current commercial use. Approved 10-1 (Mayfield opposed).
  • Petition 2022-099 (Levine Properties – Commonwealth Avenue & The Plaza): After post-committee changes (membership in neighborhood associations, sidewalk modifications), council voted not to send back and then approved unanimously. Mayor Pro Tem Anderson praised year-long community collaboration.
  • Petition 2023-037 (Shinnville Ridge Partners – Fairview Road): Councilmember Bokhari moved to approve over the Zoning Committee’s 4-3 denial. Supporters cited stormwater upgrades (25-year to 100-year), $5,000 for open space, left-turn lane, and pedestrian refuge. Councilmember Ajmira opposed, citing pedestrian safety. CDOT reported only one crash in five years. Approved 10-1 (Ajmira opposed).
  • Petition 2023-069 (Ravin Partners – East Independence Boulevard): Post-committee changes (buffer increases, stream debris removal). Councilmember Molina reported three-hour community meeting and amicable agreement. Approved unanimously.
  • Petition 2023-095 (Men in Motion Home Renovations – Pickway Drive): Mayor Pro Tem Anderson moved to defer to the March meeting for further community outreach. Approved unanimously.
  • Petition 2023-122 (EHC Homes – Jenkins Avenue): Post-committee change added 100-year stormwater peak control. Councilmember Molina noted community concerns about flooding and petitioner’s commitment. Approved unanimously.
  • Petition 2023-129 (Wells Fargo – South Church Street): Overrode Zoning Committee’s 5-2 denial. Councilmember Graham supported as consistent with Center City 2040 plan. Councilmember Ajmira noted sign size concerns but said standards should apply uniformly. Approved unanimously.
  • Petition 2022-079 (Pappas Properties – Midtown): Public hearing closed. Speakers from Brooklyn Coalition demanded affordable housing; petitioner noted $370,000 housing trust fund contribution and MWSBE participation. Council members acknowledged historic wrongs but noted state law constraints on mandating affordable housing. Discussion deferred to future vote.
  • Petition 2022-107 (ParkMIMO LLC – Parkwood Avenue): Community spoke in support after developer reduced density from 25 to 18 units, added fencing/landscaping. Approved (no vote taken that night; hearing closed).

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Approvals: Items 2021-209, 2023-017, 2023-092, 2023-098, 2023-103, 2023-127, 2023-136, 2023-139, and 2023-144 approved unanimously.
  • Pulled Approvals: Items 2023-080 (10-1), 2023-089 (10-1), 2023-126 (unanimous), 2023-128 (unanimous), 2023-140 (10-1).
  • Deferrals: 13 petitions deferred to March 18, 2024.
  • Decisions:
    • 2022-099: Approved unanimously.
    • 2023-037: Approved 10-1 (over Zoning Committee denial).
    • 2023-069: Approved unanimously.
    • 2023-095: Deferred.
    • 2023-122: Approved unanimously.
    • 2023-129: Approved unanimously (over Zoning Committee denial).
  • Hearings Heard: 23 petitions had public hearings closed; final decisions will follow Zoning Committee review on March 5, 2024.
  • Notable Positions: Councilmember Mayfield opposed two petitions citing infrastructure and airport noise concerns. Councilmember Ajmira opposed one on pedestrian safety. Brooklyn Coalition opposed the Pappas midtown project, calling for affordable housing on site.

Meeting Transcript

Zoning meeting to order. Um we are going to have a motion to the meeting is officially open, and then I'm going to ask the city attorney to read a motion for a closed session. And we'll need a motion to go into closed session to instruct city staff concerning the position taken by the city in negotiating material terms of a contract for the acquisition of real property interest under GS one forty three three eighteen eleven A five. Do I have a motion and a second? So I miss Mayfield is a second. And so with that, all in favor of the motion, please raise your hand. Since 1879, Washington's birthday has been a federal government holiday observed since 1968 on the third Monday of February every year. The day is also an official state holiday in most states, but it's optional. It has names like Washington's birthday, President's Day, Washington and Lincoln's birthday. In fact, the various states use 15 different names, depending on the specific law, the state holiday may officially celebrate Washington alone, Washington and Lincoln, or some other combination of U.S. presidents. Since we are all here tonight, it does not appear to be an official state holiday in North Carolina. I believe it's appropriate today to honor the memory of arguably our two greatest presidents. Founding Father George Washington led the Continental Army to victory in the American Revolutionary War, presided at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and was the first U.S. President. Abraham Lincoln led the nation through the American Civil War, preserved the Union, abolished slavery, bolstered the federal government, and modernize the U.S. economy. To honor the legacy of these two historic figures, let us challenge ourselves to continue to fight for what they believed in and sacrifice so much for. In their respective ways, they shaped a great nation. Today we should all remember them and work together to live up to the promise they created all those years ago. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Please stand if you choose for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the Act of the United States. And to the Republic for which it stands. Thank you. Okay. So I'm going to take a minute or so to those of you who don't frequent our space often on these days of zoning meetings to explain the zoning process. The process begins with applications submitted to the planning staff for review. There are two types of cases on the agenda. They are decisions and hearings. Decisions on cases for which a public hearing was previously held. Hearings. Anyone wishing to speak is asked to see the clerk before the start of the hearing. And then after we have on that, we have the staff presentation, which has no time limit. And then the petitioner and those in favor get three minutes to combine to present a case unless their opponents signed up to speak. If staff is in opposition, the petitioner gets 10 minutes. The opponent gets 10 minutes combined. And petitioner gets a two-minute rebuttal. If no one is opposed or signed up to speak, the staff provides a short presentation, and then we move on to the next public hearing. The petition then goes to the zoning committee of the planning commission for review and recommendations. And with that, I'd like to introduce the chair of our zoning committee, Douglas Welton, to introduce his information as well as his members. Thank you, Madam Mayor. Uh, and thank you, Council. My name is Douglas A. Walton, and I serve as the chairman of the zoning committee of the planning commission. Allow me to introduce the uh my fellow members of the uh committee, Will Russell, uh, Shauna Neely, Rick Winnaker, Terry Lansdale, Rebecca Wilden, and uh Clayton Seeley. The zoning committee will meet on Tuesday, March 5th at 5.30 p.m. here at the Government Center. And at that meeting, the zoning committee will meet to discuss and make recommendations on the petitions that have a public hearing here tonight.

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