Charlotte City Council Zoning Meeting – May 19, 2025

The Charlotte City Council held a zoning meeting on May 19, 2025, at 4:00 PM in the Council Chamber. The meeting included the appointment of a new District 6 representative, approval of consent and decision rezoning petitions, and public hearings on multiple rezoning requests. Key topics included traffic safety, affordable housing, environmental concerns, and community engagement.

Appointment of District 6 Council Member

• The council voted 7-4 to appoint Edwin Peacock to fill the District 6 vacancy, with Mayor Vi Lyles breaking a 5-5 tie. The vote was not unanimous: Council members Anderson, Graham, Mayfield, Mitchell, and Molina voted for Peacock; Council members Brown, Driggs, Johnson, and Watlington voted against. The motion was made by Council Member Mayfield, seconded by Council Member Driggs. The appointment was affirmed after a second vote with the same result.

Consent Calendar

• Item 4 (2024-064): Rezoning of 7.59 acres on Shopton Road from N1-A ANDO to ML-2(CD) ANDO. Approved unanimously.
• Item 5 (2024-145): Rezoning of 8.85 acres on I-85 from N1-A to ML-1(CD). Approved 10-1 (Council Member Mayfield opposed).
• Item 6 (2025-002): Rezoning of 0.28 acres on East 36th Street from N1-C to NC (CD). Approved unanimously.
• Item 7 (2025-006): Rezoning of 94.46 acres on Rhyne Road from I-1(CD) to ML-1(CD). Approved unanimously.

Decision Items

• Item 8 (2024-137): Rezoning of 13.29 acres on Johnston Oehler Road from N1-A to N2-A (CD). Approved unanimously after changes committed by petitioner (no more than 20% rental units, building height limits, etc.). Council Member Johnson highlighted the developer's community engagement and standards.
• Item 9 (2024-144): Rezoning of 156.23 acres on Moores Chapel Road from I-2(CD) to I-2(CD) SPA. Approved 10-1 (Council Member Mayfield opposed). Petitioner committed to LEED Silver minimum and closed-loop cooling system for data center. Council Member Brown noted environmental concerns were addressed.
• Item 10 (2025-022): Rezoning of 5.80 acres on E.W.T. Harris Boulevard from R-20MF(CD) to N2-B (CD). Approved 10-1 (Council Member Mayfield opposed).

Public Hearings

Item 11 (2025-047) – UDO Text Amendment

• Staff presented the first maintenance amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance, covering updates to 27 articles, including multiple frontage rules, research campus uses, office conversions, landscape yard standards, and parking clarifications. Council Member Mayfield expressed concern about horseshoe driveway language. The public hearing was closed unanimously.

Item 12 (2025-015) – Mount Holly Road Rezoning

• Proposal: 8.74 acres, N1-A/ML-1 to N2-A (CD) for up to 100 townhomes. Staff recommended approval upon resolution of site/building design issues. Community speakers (Aaron Olivario, Melbourne Merritt, Tony Price) from Mountain Island Lake Community Alliance requested deceleration lane, reduced conflict intersection (RCI), and public streets. They cited over 20,000 daily trips on Mount Holly Road and safety concerns. Petitioner (Bridget Grant) agreed to continue working on deceleration lane and noted NCDOT preliminary support. Council Member Graham and Mayfield expressed concerns about cumulative traffic impact and lack of traffic study trigger. Public hearing closed unanimously.

Item 13 (2025-005) – Cleve Brown Road Rezoning

• Proposal: 1.96 acres, N1-B to N1-D with cottage court overlay. Conventional petition, no site plan. Community speakers (Lee Barnes, Melvin Brown) opposed, citing traffic and loss of privacy; preferred single-family homes. Petitioner (Steve Mallory) noted current zoning allows duplexes/triplexes by right. Council Member Ajmera and Mayfield discussed the challenge of conventional petitions for community understanding. Public hearing closed unanimously.

Item 14 (2025-010) – Rockford Court Rezoning

• Proposal: 1.04 acres, N1-B to N1-C. Conventional petition, consistent with policy map. No opposition. Staff recommended approval. Public hearing closed unanimously.

Item 15 (2025-012) – Statesville Road Rezoning

• Proposal: 6.11 acres, OFC to ML-2. Corrective rezoning to align with surrounding industrial uses. No opposition. Public hearing closed unanimously.

Item 16 (2025-014) – West Sugar Creek Road Rezoning

• Proposal: 6.5 acres, N1-B to N2-A (CD) for up to 110 townhomes. Staff recommended approval upon resolution of transportation/design issues. Petitioner (John Floyd) noted open space and tree save areas. No community speakers. Public hearing closed unanimously.

Item 17 (2025-016) – Paw Creek Road Rezoning

• Proposal: 11.16 acres, N1-A to N2-A (CD) for up to 88 attached units plus one single-family lot. Staff did not recommend approval in current form. Petitioner (Nolan Gross) proposed 30% affordable at 80% AMI, including partnership with Kit Foundation for teachers. Community speakers (Lynn Dubneca, Mr. Lukakis) opposed citing traffic, tree loss, stormwater, and sewer concerns. Council Member Johnson and others expressed support for affordable for-sale product but noted need for further work on environmental issues. Public hearing closed unanimously.

Item 18 (2025-017) – Nations Ford Road Rezoning

• Proposal: 3 acres, OFC to N2-A (CD) for up to 37 attached units. Staff recommended approval upon resolution of outstanding issues. No community attendees at the meeting. Council Member Brown expressed concern about lack of community engagement. Petitioner (Nolan Gross) confirmed mailings and next-door notices. Public hearing closed unanimously.

Item 19 (2025-018) – Sam Wilson Road Rezoning

• Proposal: 2.98 acres, N2-B to ML-1. Conventional petition, consistent with policy map. No opposition. Petitioner (Jeff Watson) stated it is a corrective rezoning. Public hearing closed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• District 6 Appointment: Edwin Peacock appointed by a 7-4 vote.
• Consent Items: Items 4, 6, 7 approved unanimously; Item 5 approved 10-1.
• Decision Items: Items 8, 9, 10 approved (Item 9 with one opposed).
• Hearings Closed: All 10 public hearings were closed; items will be considered by the Zoning Committee on June 3, 2025, and return to City Council on June 23, 2025 (per standard process).
• Policy Discussions: Council members raised concerns about traffic study thresholds, cumulative impact of development, and expanding community notification radius. Staff agreed to provide additional data on housing opportunity maps and traffic study triggers.