Charlotte City Council Zoning Meeting - April 15, 2024
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Charlotte City Council Zoning Meeting - April 15, 2024
The Charlotte City Council held a zoning meeting on April 15, 2024, at 5:00 PM in the Council Chamber. The meeting covered consent agenda approvals, multiple rezoning petitions, and a public hearing on a text amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) concerning conservation residential development standards. Key discussions included affordable housing, traffic impacts, and neighborhood character.
Consent Calendar
- Approved 16 rezoning petitions (items 3–18) en masse, except for five items pulled for separate votes: item 5 (2023-107), item 10 (2023-155), item 11 (2023-159), item 16 (2023-170), and item 17 (2023-171).
- Item 5 (2023-107) – Approved unanimously. Councilmember Johnson noted collaboration with the Seven Oaks Homeowners Association, resulting in 9,000 sq ft of retail, a 12-foot multi-use path, and traffic improvements.
- Item 10 (2023-155) – Approved 10-1 (Councilmember Mayfield opposed).
- Item 11 (2023-159) – Approved 10-1 (Mayfield opposed, citing inconsistency with community needs).
- Item 16 (2023-170) – Approved 10-1 (Mayfield opposed).
- Item 17 (2023-171) – Approved 10-1 (Mayfield opposed, citing resident concerns about displacement).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Text Amendment 2024-043 (Conservation Residential Development): Multiple speakers addressed the proposed changes to UDO Section 4.5. Supporters included Laura Belcher (Habitat for Humanity) who emphasized the need for a new compact development tool to preserve affordable housing. Opponents, including representatives from the Steel Creek Residents Association (SCRA), raised concerns about the ETJ, lack of infrastructure, and developer exploitation. Councilmember Driggs noted that many comments were off-topic; the public hearing was later closed after a motion to suspend rules allowed three previously unscheduled speakers (Rob Nanfelt, Joe Padilla, Charlotte Lodge) to speak for three minutes each. The item was not voted on and will return to committee.
- Rezonings on Providence Road Corridor (2023-023, 2023-038, 2023-039): Residents from nearby neighborhoods (e.g., Dennis Grills, Chris Shotard, Doyle George) testified against high density, traffic congestion, and building heights up to 80 feet. They presented detailed traffic studies showing existing intersections at Level of Service F and projected 22,000 additional daily trips. Councilmember Bokhari acknowledged the challenges and committed to further community engagement.
- Wilmore School Rezoning (2023-042): Jody Moynihan, a neighbor, opposed the 250-unit plan, citing loss of historic district character, privacy concerns, and the height of new buildings. Stuart Gray (Historic Landmarks Commission) and Valerie Barry supported the plan, emphasizing preservation of the historic school building and community input.
- Other Hearings: Public comments on petitions 2022-105 (Moores Chapel Retail), 2023-033 (CRD Elizabeth), 2024-004 (Drox Group), and 2024-005 (Portman Residential) were heard. No opposition was recorded for Portman Residential.
Discussion Items
- Text Amendment 2024-043: Staff presented proposed changes to increase open space, require tree save, and mandate fronts on public streets. Councilmembers debated the impact on housing supply and affordability. Staff noted 3,000 units in sketch plan review and proposed a new compact development tool within 2–3 months. Councilmember Driggs called for a gradual transition; Councilmember Graham urged collaboration with developers. No vote was taken.
- Rezonings on Providence Road (2023-023, 2023-038, 2023-039): The three petitions (Horizon, Levine, Northwood Raven) were discussed together due to their cumulative impact. Staff did not recommend approval due to unresolved traffic studies, height concerns, and lack of connectivity. Councilmember Bokhari highlighted the need for a comprehensive approach, including transportation improvements and affordable housing. Councilmember Watlington suggested a committee referral to develop a pilot for comprehensive planning. Public hearings were closed; decisions deferred to future meetings.
- Wilmore School Rezoning (2023-042): This petition proposes adaptive reuse of the historic school with 250 units, including townhomes and a mixed-use building. The Historic District Commission approved the design. Councilmember Brown expressed empathy for both preservation and neighborhood concerns, indicating further discussions.
Key Outcomes
- Deferrals: Six petitions (items 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28) were deferred to May 20, 2024, by unanimous vote.
- Consent Agenda Approvals: 16 petitions approved en masse; five items approved individually with votes as noted.
- Decision on 2023-174 (Text Amendment): Approved unanimously to update campus zoning districts and create a new General Office district.
- Decision on 2023-062 (White Point Partners): Approved after changes coordinated with CATS regarding the Silver Line.
- Decision on 2023-046 (Childress Klein/CMS): Approved with modifications reducing residential units and adding height restrictions and road connections.
- Decision on 2023-176 (Smith Douglas Homes): Approved after changes adding tree plantings.
- Decision on 2022-216 (QuikTrip): Approved 10-1 (Mayfield opposed) over the zoning committee's denial recommendation, following the district representative's support.
- Hearings Closed: All hearing items were closed; they will proceed to the zoning committee on April 30, 2024.
- Committee Referral: Councilmember Watlington requested a formal committee referral to explore comprehensive planning for the Providence Road corridor, to be developed offline.
Meeting Transcript
Thank you, everyone. As we begin our meeting, I'm going to do a brief explanation of the zoning process. The process begins with applications submitted to our staff for review. There are cases are of two types that are on our agenda, decisions and hearings. Decisions are on cases for which a public hearing has previously been held and there will be no further public comment. Hearings, if anyone is wishing to speak, please see our city clerk before the start of the hearing. In this case, we will have public staff presentation with to present the petition to us, and then the petitioner and those in favor get three minutes combined to present their case unless there's opposition or opponents signed up to speak. Or if the staff is in opposition, the petitioner gets 10 minutes, opponent gets 10 minutes combined. And this is especially important. I know a lot of us, but collectively, the 10 minutes are for everyone that signs up to speak. So we try to help you organize yourselves if you have several speakers for one item that's in opposition. And it's the completion of the opponents' 10 minutes combined. The petitioner gets a two-minute rebuttal. If no one is opposed or signed up to speak, staff provides a short presentation. Thank you, staff. And the public hearing is closed and the next public hearing is open. The petition then goes to the zoning committee of the planning commission for review and recommendation. And now I'd like to recognize Douglas Welton, the chair of our zoning committee, so that he can provide your introductions as well as the process that follows. Thank you, Madam Mayor, and thank you, Council. My name is Douglas A. Welton. I serve as the chairman for the zoning committee of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Commission. Allow me to introduce the members of the committee. Will Russell, Sean O'Neilly, Rick Winnaker, Terry Lansdale, Rebecca Wilden, and Clayton Seely. The zoning committee will meet on uh Tuesday, April the 30th at 5.30 here at the government center. At that meeting, the zoning committee will meet to discuss and make recommendations on the petitions that have a public hearing here tonight. The public is welcome at those meetings, but please note it is not a continuation of the public hearing that is being held here tonight. Prior to that meeting, you are welcome to contact us and provide your input. You can find contact information for each petition on the city's website at CharlottePlanning.org. Thank you, Madam Mayor. Thank you to our team for doing this work. It's really important. Um I would like to now um ask the staff to provide us the changes that have occurred since the document was presented with the idea of whether or not we had any deferrals or withdrawals. So Mr. Patton. Sure, thank you, Madam Mayor. Uh, we do have uh several deferrals. Uh first item number 22, uh petition 2023 172 by BVB Properties LLC. Um we get into our hearings. Item number 24, 2023 134 by the PACES Foundation. Item 25, 2023 164 by Eden Acquisitions LLC. Item 26, 2024-007 by Oak Hill Management, uh item 27, 2023 040 by City of Charlotte, and then item 28, 2023-041 also by the City of Charlotte. Uh all of those deferral requests are to our May 20th meeting uh next month. All right. Um, should we talk about the item that we've added to the agenda as well, Mr. Patton? Uh we do have an additional decision item, um which is item 23b. Uh it was omitted from the print version of the agenda. It's on the online version, and I put a hard copy uh of all of that uh around the dais. Uh thank you for everybody.
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