Charlotte City Council Zoning Meeting - March 23, 2026
Charlotte City Council Zoning Meeting - March 23, 2026
The Charlotte City Council held a zoning meeting on March 23, 2026, chaired by Councilmember Ed Driggs. The meeting included a public hearing on proposed amendments to seven community area plans, several rezoning petitions, and a vote on capital improvements for the Bojangles Entertainment Complex. The council deferred the vote on the area plan amendments to April 13, 2026, and approved $25 million in tourism-funded capital improvements for the Bojangles Complex.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Aaron Oliverio (Mountain Island Lake area) expressed support for the planning and CDOT staff, thanking Monica, Kathy Cornette, Katherine Mahoney, and Travis Miller for their work with the community alliance.
- Stephanie Loss (Stillbury Acres neighborhood) asked for help saving Stillbury Acres, supporting the amended policies on manufacturing/logistics but criticizing the West Outer Plan for allowing manufacturing/logistics near her neighborhood. She advocated for IMU (Innovation Mixed Use) instead.
- Ernest Smith (real estate professional) opposed the West Outer Community Area Plan, arguing it sets a dangerous precedent by mapping manufacturing/logistics corridors near established residential communities, contradicting lessons learned from the Southwest Middle CAP process.
- Kelly Pledger (Mountain Island Lake community) thanked the council for the extra time to review the plans and noted that while not all concerns were addressed, the planning group provided detailed responses and improved the plans through collaboration.
- Sam Spencer (speaker) advocated for more housing supply to lower prices, using the example of a home in Elizabeth that increased in value despite being next to a quadruplex, and urged the council to consider the data supporting growth.
- Barbara Falcone (Save the Steelberry Association) thanked the council for deferring the vote and highlighted negative impacts of manufacturing/logistics on her community, including loss of tree lines, safety issues, and traffic congestion.
Discussion Items
- Amendments to Charlotte Future 2040 Community Area Plans: Staff presented recommended new policies addressing neighborhood change, environmental impacts, and infrastructure, with minor additions and map changes. The public hearing was held, and all six speakers were heard.
- Bojangles Entertainment Complex Capital Improvements: The council approved up to $25 million in tourism-funded capital improvements for the Bojangles Complex, addressing critical infrastructure needs such as old HVAC systems and a leaking roof. Councilmembers noted that the funding comes from tourism funds, not property taxes, and that the investment is essential for visitor safety and experience.
- Rezoning Petition 2025-118 (Text Amendment): The council voted to update the UDO to implement the 2040 comprehensive plan, covering 25 of the 39 articles. The vote was unanimous.
- Rezoning Petition 2025-039 (Christopher Martin): Approved unanimously for a 0.37-acre site from N1B to N1C (conditional zoning).
- Rezoning Petition 2025-?? (Townhome Project): The council voted not to send the petition back to the zoning committee despite changes (adding conditions on garage sizes and driveway configurations). The petition was then approved unanimously. Still Creek Residents Association worked with the petitioner and does not oppose the rezoning.
- Rezoning Petition 2025-?? (Affordable Housing and Townhomes): The council voted not to send the petition back to the zoning committee after changes (clarifying street frontage improvements). The petition faced opposition from some councilmembers due to concerns about concentrating poverty in East Charlotte, traffic safety, and infrastructure gaps. Councilmember Mayfield voted no, arguing the area lacks amenities. Others supported the 125 affordable housing units (at 80% AMI for 99 years) and 11 townhomes, citing the need for affordable housing and partnership with a church. The motion passed 6-0 with Councilmember Anderson voting no.
Key Outcomes
- Deferred vote on seven community area plans and policy map revisions to April 13, 2026 (moved by Councilmember Mayfield, seconded, all in favor).
- Approved up to $25 million in tourism-funded capital improvements for Bojangles Entertainment Complex (unanimous).
- Approved rezoning petition 2025-118 (UDO text amendment) (unanimous).
- Approved rezoning petition 2025-039 (Christopher Martin) (unanimous).
- Approved townhome project (with conditions added after zoning committee) (unanimous, after vote not to send back).
- Approved affordable housing and townhome project (Crossing Southeast) (6-0, with Councilmember Anderson opposed).
- Approved deferrals/withdrawals for petitions 2025-129, 2025-085, 2025-021, 2025-094, 2025-030, 2025-077 (all approved).
- Approved consent agenda item 8 (petition 2025-121 by Huntington National Bank) (unanimous).
- Approved consent agenda item 7 (petition 2025-114 by Charlotte Mecklenburg Hospital Authority) (unanimous).
- Approved consent agenda item 9 (petition 2025-122) (unanimous).
- Approved rezoning petition 2025-132 (Hopper Communities Inc.) (unanimous).
- Approved rezoning petition 2025-138 (Coral Reef Investment Properties) (unanimous).
- Approved rezoning petition 2025-139 (Averitt Express) (unanimous).
- Approved rezoning petition 2025-140 (XL Financial Services Inc.) (unanimous).
Meeting Transcript
You need to go. Yes. Bang, bang, bang. Good evening. I'd like to call to order this March twenty-third zoning meeting of the Charlotte City Council. My name is Ed Driggs. I am the District Seven member of City Council, and I chair the uh planning transportation development committee, and in that capacity, I will be sitting here tonight. Uh we start our meetings with introductions, and we'll begin with the clerk. Billy Collins, Deputy City Clerk. Terry Hagler Gray, Senior Assistant City Attorney. Good evening, Dimple Ashmer, at large member. Good evening, Dr. Victoria Watlington. Uh good evening, Joy Mayo, representing District Three. Good evening, Dante Anderson, District One. Allison Craig, Deputy City Manager. I make a couple. Good evening, Kimberly Owens. I represent District Six. Malcolm Graham, District Two. Good evening, the one of Mayfield, Councilmember at large. Good evening, JD Masuela Adias, probably representing the East Side District Five. Thank you. We will begin our meeting with an invocation, expressions and inspiration, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. The invocation by the council members intended to solemnize our proceedings. We celebrate the religious diversity of our community, including those without a religious faith. Tonight it is my turn to deliver the invocation. So I hope you will join me for a moment of reflection. Heavenly Father, accept our thanks for this day and all its blessings. Bless those who work with us to serve our community, particularly those who do so at grave personal risk to themselves. And in particular, this is a hearing on changes to the adopted, the seven adopted plans that are indicated by the work that was done on these seven plans that have not yet been adopted. Uh we will listen to what is said at the hearing, and our intention will be to vote on the 13th of April. So do we have speakers signed up? Yes. All right. So uh here we go. We've got both those and these, right? And uh yes, Ms. Holmes, is she going to speak to this? Um, just before the speakers, I was just gonna give you a brief overview. Um, as you are well aware, since the deferral on the 24th of November, and our engagement that followed that. Uh the there have been a recommendation of several new policies that touch on neighborhood change, so how we deal with development in existing neighborhoods and how we preserve neighborhood character. Uh policies also that speak to environmental impacts, so uh specifically around adjacent uses and how we uh are context sensitive to those adjacent uses. Uh, and then a third category infrastructure and how we take into account um our growth with our infrastructure. Uh we also have minor additions and revisions that just clarify language and then several map changes across uh several of the area plans. Uh so with that uh we can go into the hearing. I was just gonna give you that brief overview before we dove into the speakers. All right, so that was basically the staff presentation, and therefore we can proceed to the speakers. We have uh six speakers signed up, and a couple of those are against, and therefore uh in this case the speakers in favor have three minutes. Ten minutes, the speakers in opposition have ten.
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