[0:57] Hey,
[1:12] how many have you had?
[1:26] But this one Congrats,
[1:31] man.
[4:58] would like to call to order the
[5:00] Thursday, September 10th, 2026 Concord
[5:04] City Council meeting. It's good to have
[5:06] everybody here tonight. Uh there are
[5:09] some empty seats up here on the front
[5:10] row if any anybody would like those.
[5:14] Uh we're going to start out our meeting
[5:17] tonight with the pledge of allegiance
[5:18] and followed by a moment of silence.
[5:22] [clears throat]
[5:25] » I aliance to the flag of the United
[5:28] States of America and to the republic
[5:31] for which it stands. One nation under
[5:35] God, indivisible, with liberty and
[5:38] justice for all.
[6:02] Thank you.
[6:10] Okay. Do we have any members of the
[6:13] Concord 101 class with us tonight? If
[6:16] you would please stand.
[6:18] Uh and we'd love it if you would
[6:21] introduce yourself. And uh there's a
[6:25] microphone over there. Uh and tell us
[6:28] tell us a little little something about
[6:31] your experience in the class so far.
[6:33] » I've really enjoyed the class. My name
[6:35] is Paula Ferguson Kenzel.
[6:38] » Hi, my name is Chris. Yeah, the class is
[6:40] very informative. A lot of things I just
[6:43] never thought about with the city
[6:44] government. It's fun. Yep.
[6:47] » Great. Thank you.
[7:03] Geraldine plot. A lot of information and
[7:07] so little time to take it all in.
[7:13] Diane Ally, um, I'm a new resident. I
[7:15] moved here in May of last year, so it's
[7:18] been very interesting to learn. um
[7:21] everything that goes on in this city.
[7:23] » Great. Well, we we Oh, you got got one
[7:27] more back there.
[7:35] » I'm Donna Kinley and I've lived here all
[7:37] my life and I just wanted to find out a
[7:41] little more than I knew about the
[7:43] workings of our government and uh the
[7:45] facilities and everything that we have
[7:47] in Concord. and it helps me know um
[7:53] whenever it comes time to decide who I'm
[7:56] going to vote for to know what I'm
[7:58] voting for. So,
[8:02] » Excellent. Well, we we thank you very
[8:05] much for making the commitment. It is
[8:08] quite a time commitment to participate
[8:11] in the class and we appreciate you being
[8:14] that invested in the city of Concord and
[8:17] and glad that you're here with us
[8:19] tonight.
[8:21] Okay. We have several presentations
[8:25] um tonight. Um
[8:28] » Oh the minutes. Yes, you have three sets
[8:31] of minutes that you have been provided
[8:33] with. Uh, so do I hear a motion to
[8:36] approve the minutes or is there any
[8:39] corrections?
[8:40] » To approve second.
[8:43] » Okay, we have a motion and a second. Any
[8:45] discussion?
[8:47] » All in favor, please say I.
[8:50] » All oppose? No. That motion passes. And
[8:53] now we will move on to the
[8:55] presentations. And I'm going to come
[8:58] down front for those. And the first one
[9:00] is presentation of a proclamation
[9:03] uh recognizing constitution week. And I
[9:06] think council member Clay is going to
[9:09] join me for that one.
[9:27] Mhm.
[9:43] All right. And I will read that
[9:45] proclamation now. Uh whereas the
[9:48] Constitution of the United States of
[9:50] America, the guardian of our liberties,
[9:52] embodies the principles of limited
[9:54] government and a republic dedicated to
[9:58] rule by law. And whereas September 17th,
[10:02] 2026
[10:04] marks the 239th
[10:07] anniversary of the framing of the
[10:10] Constitution of the United States of
[10:12] America by the Constitutional
[10:14] Convention.
[10:16] Whereas it is fitting and proper to
[10:18] accord official recognition to this
[10:21] magnificent document
[10:24] and its memorable anniversary and to the
[10:27] patriotic celebrations which will
[10:30] commemorate it. Whereas public law 915
[10:34] guarantees the issuing of a proclamation
[10:37] each year by the president of the United
[10:40] States of America designating September
[10:43] 17th through 23rd as Constitution Week.
[10:48] Now therefore, I Stephen M. Morris,
[10:51] mayor of the city of Concord, do hereby
[10:54] proclaim the week of September 17th
[10:56] through September 23rd as Constitution
[11:00] Week and ask our citizens to reaffirm
[11:03] the ideals of the framers of the
[11:06] Constitution. that framers of the
[11:08] Constitution had in 1787
[11:12] by vigilantly protecting the freedoms
[11:15] guaranteed to us through this guardian
[11:18] of our liberties. And Councilwoman Clay
[11:21] is a member of our local D chapter and
[11:24] so please add any comments you'd like.
[11:27] » Well, I really don't have any other than
[11:28] to thank you so much for this and I will
[11:30] be um excited to share it with other
[11:33] daughters of our Cabaris Black boys
[11:35] chapter.
[11:36] » Right. the D. So, thank you so much.
[11:38] » Absolutely. Thank you.
[11:40] » Okay.
[11:45] » Okay. Next up, we have a proclamation
[11:49] uh recognizing
[11:51] Sep September 15th through October 15th
[11:55] as National Hispanic Heritage Month. And
[11:59] is Sandra Torres
[12:02] there? Sand. Both of you are here.
[12:06] Welcome.
[12:14] Okay. And I will read that proclamation.
[12:17] Whereas National Hispanic Heritage Month
[12:20] is an occasion to commemorate the
[12:22] countless contributions of Hispanic
[12:25] people that enrich American life. And
[12:28] whereas this year's theme, together we
[12:31] are more celebrates family resilience,
[12:35] creativity, faith, and service, and
[12:39] honors the diverse stories that help
[12:42] strengthen our nation. And whereas this
[12:45] month recognize recognizes and
[12:48] highlights the significant strides of
[12:51] Hispanics in the economic, political,
[12:54] and social growth of the United States.
[12:57] And whereas National Hispanic Heritage
[13:00] Month is a call to every citizen to
[13:04] reflect on the contributions of Hispanic
[13:06] people which are woven throughout
[13:09] American history. Now therefore, I
[13:12] Stephen M. Morris Mayor and the city
[13:15] council of the city of Concord do hereby
[13:18] offer this proclamation in honor of
[13:21] September 15th through October 15th
[13:25] being recognized as National Hispanic
[13:28] Heritage Month. Congratulations and
[13:31] thank you.
[13:32] » Yes.
[13:34] » And please feel free to make any
[13:36] comments you would like.
[13:38] We appreciate the council and the mayor
[13:41] for this recognition. Um, this is very
[13:44] important for us as Elent Espano. It's
[13:46] the only nonprofit organization in the
[13:48] Cavaras County helping the Latino
[13:50] community here in our city. So, we
[13:52] appreciate it and thank you so much.
[13:54] » AB: Absolutely. And we have have another
[13:56] one for for you ladies as well. And this
[14:00] is recognizing October 3rd, 2026 as
[14:05] Concord International Festival Day.
[14:08] Whereas Concord has a thriving
[14:11] international community that has greatly
[14:14] contributed to all facets of the
[14:16] American culture. And whereas community
[14:19] members from different origins and
[14:21] backgrounds enrich our communities by
[14:24] sharing their vibrant culture and
[14:26] heritage. And whereas the Concord
[14:29] International Festival is an event to
[14:32] celebrate the many diverse cultures in
[14:35] our community and to promote
[14:38] understanding amongst different races
[14:40] and ethnicities through music, food,
[14:44] art, community bonding and sharing among
[14:48] all cultures. And whereas this will be
[14:51] the sixth year the Concord International
[14:54] Festival will be celebrated and
[14:57] presented in partnership with Elquente
[15:00] Hispano.
[15:02] Now therefore, I Stephen and Morris,
[15:04] mayor, and on behalf of the city council
[15:07] of the city of Concord, do hereby
[15:10] proclaim Saturday, October 3rd, 2026
[15:15] as Concord International Festival Day.
[15:19] And if any of you have not been there,
[15:22] you certainly don't want to miss it.
[15:24] It's a wonderful event. I was recently
[15:27] talking with a new merchant at a ribbon
[15:29] cutting downtown Concord. And I said,
[15:32] "So what what brought you here?" They
[15:34] had talked about their previous they
[15:36] said, "We came to the Concord intera
[15:39] festival and and we loved what we saw
[15:42] and so we moved our business here." So
[15:44] you're making a big impact on our city.
[15:47] Thank you.
[15:47] » Thank you. And I just want to know who
[15:49] has been at the Concord International
[15:51] Festival.
[15:53] Amazing. Thank you. So this year, be
[15:56] prepared because we have a wonderful,
[15:58] wonderful, wonderful show. We're going
[16:00] to have six hours of live music from
[16:03] groups from Greece and Germany to
[16:07] African groups, obviously Latin American
[16:10] groups, um, groups from Laos region,
[16:14] China. It's going to be an amazing
[16:16] event. everything. You can go there and
[16:18] don't spend any money, but I rather you
[16:21] spend some money. Uh [laughter]
[16:25] uh but you can go just go there and
[16:27] listen to music all day. It's going to
[16:28] be amazing. It's going to be right on
[16:30] Union Street. We have between 5,000 to
[16:34] 8,000 people depending on who's
[16:36] counting. And Natalie is going to tell
[16:38] you a little bit about the food that
[16:39] we're going to have.
[16:40] » So, if you love food and you want to try
[16:43] food from different countries, this is
[16:44] your event. So, we're going to have food
[16:46] from Philippines, Haiti, Jamaica,
[16:50] Latin American, um, Puerto Rico,
[16:54] uh, Korea, China, and what else? I'm
[16:59] missing I think Philippines if I
[17:02] mentioned it already.
[17:03] » Yeah.
[17:03] » Um, so we are super excited. We're going
[17:05] to have like 16 food trucks, uh, bunch
[17:08] of, uh, stands, like food stands from
[17:11] different countries. So just come here
[17:13] just for the food or for the
[17:15] entertainment like or for both. Um so we
[17:17] hope to see you um or and for the
[17:20] drinks. We're going to have um an
[17:21] amazing margarita and pina colada at the
[17:24] appointos bar. So come see us um visit
[17:28] the the event. It's going to be from
[17:30] 12:00 p.m. to 6 pm all day. Um full of
[17:34] events and full of entertainment. Thank
[17:36] you.
[17:36] » Great.
[17:37] » Thank you.
[17:38] » Thank you.
[17:41] » [applause]
[17:55] » All right. And next up, I'm going to
[17:57] call on city manager Lloyd Payne for
[18:00] presentation of the uh employee award.
[18:17] Thank you. All right. Thank Thank you,
[18:19] mayor, members of council. So, as you
[18:21] see in your agenda item, Joe Atwater
[18:23] continuous core values award is the
[18:25] highest award presented to the to a city
[18:27] of Concord co-orker. Joe Atwater's life
[18:31] was synonymous with heartfelt service to
[18:33] others in our community and the highest
[18:35] dedication to our organizational core
[18:37] values. Joe Outwater served for the city
[18:39] from 1994 until her passing in 2004.
[18:43] During this time, she became a respected
[18:45] friend, an inspirational teammate to all
[18:47] co-workers. This award continues Joe's
[18:50] vibrant spirit and valued legacy by
[18:52] annually recognizing one co-orker that
[18:55] best embodies our organizational core
[18:57] values and commitment to serving others
[19:00] in the community. This year's Joe
[19:02] Atwater Award celebrates a co-orker who
[19:04] doesn't just talk about the city of
[19:06] Concord's core values of accountability,
[19:08] communication, and teamwork. She lives
[19:11] them. Our nominee proves each day that
[19:13] these values are not just words printed
[19:15] on paper, but standards we can actively
[19:18] carry into our daily work. She has built
[19:21] a well-earned reputation across team
[19:23] Concord for being both compassionate and
[19:25] principled, approachable, but
[19:27] transparent transparently honest. When
[19:30] staff identified a gap in leadership
[19:32] preparation for employees with no prior
[19:34] specific experience, she didn't just
[19:37] listen. She spearheaded a brand new
[19:39] training and enrichment program. She
[19:41] brought the right people together,
[19:42] respected everyone's input, and
[19:44] strengthened our city's internal
[19:46] leadership pipeline.
[19:48] Her commitment to service stretches far
[19:50] beyond her standard professional duties.
[19:53] She is known throughout Cabaris County
[19:54] as the ultimate go-to person whenever a
[19:57] need arises. From organizing food
[19:59] drives, coat drives, and litter cleanups
[20:01] to extending vital health resources to
[20:03] underserved communities, she actively
[20:05] protects the quality of life in Concord.
[20:08] She looks to the future by hosting free
[20:10] resume and interview prep workshops,
[20:12] building long-term confidence and
[20:14] economic independence for our residents.
[20:17] What makes her impact so meaningful is
[20:18] that she never seeks the spotlight or
[20:20] recognition. She serves purely purely
[20:23] out of a deep belief in people. She
[20:26] treats others with genuine respect,
[20:28] anchors difficult situations with
[20:30] fairness, and chooses service over
[20:32] convenience each and every single time.
[20:35] This year's winner will have her name
[20:37] added to the Joe Atwater Award plaque
[20:38] that hangs in the city hall lobby, an
[20:41] engraved crystal award, recognition in
[20:43] the city circular, a $500 gift card, and
[20:46] one day of administrative paid leave.
[20:48] Please join me in congratulating our
[20:50] 2026 Joe Atwater Award recipient, City
[20:53] of Concords Human Resources Director,
[20:55] Miss Chantel Thompson. [applause]
[21:01] [applause]
[21:06] [applause]
[21:25] Oh, [laughter]
[21:28] so I have a personal rule. No crying at
[21:30] work.
[21:32] [laughter]
[21:36] I'm so surprised. Um,
[21:41] thank you. I appreciate it. You know, we
[21:45] do a lot of work here at the city
[21:47] [snorts]
[21:48] and our city manager never lets us
[21:50] forget that we get to come to do this
[21:52] work. We don't have to come to do it.
[21:55] So, with that,
[21:58] no matter how hard the days are, we just
[22:00] don't forget what we're here for. And
[22:02] we're here to support [snorts] the team
[22:05] of people who keep the lights on, keep
[22:08] the streets going, and keep the water
[22:10] going. And that's super important. So,
[22:14] I just really appreciate it. I I thank
[22:16] you for thinking of me. So, appreciate
[22:19] it.
[22:21] [applause]
[22:32] Okay.
[22:57] » Good.
[22:58] [laughter]
[23:04] » [applause]
[23:11] » We would welcome you to introduce some
[23:13] of your family members that are here.
[23:15] Chantel
[23:18] have
[23:19] » Oh, I'm so sorry.
[23:20] » Now, now that now that you're now that
[23:22] you're composed,
[23:24] » I'm so shocked. So, I have all of So,
[23:27] this is my husband, Titus. He puts up
[23:31] He's put up with me for 20 years, so I
[23:32] guess he gets up for the um my daughter,
[23:36] Aubrey.
[23:38] So, if anybody at work talks to me,
[23:40] everybody knows who Aubrey is. I'm
[23:42] either fussing or excited. [laughter]
[23:46] My best friend from college for over 20
[23:48] years. This is unique.
[23:51] Thank you. I have my cousin Erica and my
[23:54] sweet little cousin Chloe.
[23:58] Excuse me.
[24:01] And um [snorts] my stepmom Dr. Bnight.
[24:04] My little brother Ricky Bnight. My dad
[24:07] Ricky Senior. If you know me, I talk a
[24:10] lot about him too. My best friend from
[24:13] college, Dory. So she drove here. I I
[24:15] don't even know how Titus pulled that
[24:17] off.
[24:19] Congratulations. [snorts]
[24:21] my godmomra
[24:25] and [snorts] my aunt Audrey. And then I
[24:28] see Kim standing back there and I'm
[24:29] wondering how she I'm just so surprised.
[24:32] [laughter]
[24:33] So everybody knew but me.
[24:36] » Thank you.
[24:36] » Well, congratulations and thank you for
[24:39] what you do. [applause]
[24:48] » Okay. We we [clears throat] move now to
[24:50] departmental reports and we're going to
[24:53] hear from Jay on a parks and recreation
[24:55] bond update.
[25:07] » Good evening mayor, members of council,
[25:08] Mr. Payne, Miss Kochinsky, Miss Jenkins.
[25:10] Happy to give the September bond update.
[25:13] Uh we'll start off with our financial
[25:15] slide and the only difference from last
[25:16] month is their increase in investments
[25:18] earnings which equated to $60,653.
[25:24] Moving on to projects under
[25:25] construction. Our first project is Jim
[25:27] Ramser Park. Uh some big improvements
[25:29] that we've seen over the last few
[25:31] months. Want to focus on the top left
[25:33] and the bottom right. Those are the two
[25:36] of the playgrounds that are currently
[25:37] being installed right now. And it's kind
[25:39] of neat. There's going to be a transform
[25:40] uh platform that'll go from the top one
[25:42] to the bottom one. So, you kind of see
[25:43] that a little bit in the bottom right.
[25:45] That picture on the top right is the
[25:48] foundation for the maintenance building.
[25:50] And then the bottom left is the
[25:52] foundation that's going in for the
[25:53] restroom over at the basketball courts.
[25:55] So, everything is still on schedule for
[25:57] summer of 27.
[25:59] Moving on to the next park, David
[26:01] Phillips Park. Uh we broke ground two
[26:03] months ago on this and really continue
[26:04] to see more clearing and grading for
[26:06] this as well as making some improvements
[26:08] to the shelter that'll be expanded which
[26:11] is on the bottom right. You'll see that
[26:12] and that'll be expanded over the next
[26:13] few months. We'll continue to show
[26:14] pictures of that.
[26:16] So for next projects that are in final
[26:19] design or out to bid. Uh currently we
[26:21] have the Academy Gibson skatepark pump
[26:22] track sculpture garden out to bid and
[26:25] the official bid opening is scheduled
[26:26] for next Thursday, September 17th. So
[26:29] hopefully have that to bring to council
[26:31] next month. Next up for Hartzel Park,
[26:34] continue to work on plans for that. Our
[26:36] final survey came in uh earlier this
[26:38] week. We're meeting with the consultant
[26:40] next week to go over some final design
[26:41] plans and hope to bring that to you for
[26:43] final design approval in probably
[26:45] November uh potentially December.
[26:48] And then for projects that are in design
[26:50] right now, Papa Tent Trail Head Park, uh
[26:53] the improvement for that one from last
[26:55] month is we received yesterday our final
[26:57] approval for the erosion control plan
[26:59] and our next step is our encroachment
[27:01] agreement with NC DOT. Um just a
[27:03] reminder, we're doing that internally as
[27:05] well. also working very closely with
[27:06] engineering department as well as the
[27:08] Wilson Street Park working internally
[27:10] for this project as well which we hope
[27:12] to bring design to you next summer and
[27:13] then begin construction after that
[27:16] for WW Flow uh last month the approval
[27:19] for the schematic design contract went
[27:22] through so we're starting to see that so
[27:23] we'll bring improvements to that as we
[27:26] see fit for giving you more updates and
[27:28] then there are no current updates on the
[27:30] academy recreation center but we plan to
[27:33] work on the RFP that'll go out in the
[27:35] new year in January. And I'd be happy.
[27:38] Oh, I'm sorry. Skipping ahead. So, we
[27:40] did add another picture to our completed
[27:42] projects. Uh, so with the grand opening
[27:45] of the Academy Gibson Athletic Fields,
[27:46] this moves over to our slides of
[27:48] completed projects um along with academy
[27:51] or I'm sorry, along with Caldwell,
[27:52] Dorton, and the pool. And no changes to
[27:56] the timeline. And I'll be happy to
[27:58] answer any questions.
[28:01] » Questions for Jay?
[28:03] All right. Thank you very much.
[28:07] » Okay. We move now to persons requesting
[28:10] to be heard. Uh we've got our regular
[28:14] public comment tonight. Plus, we have
[28:16] three public hearings. So, if anybody
[28:20] determines that they sign the wrong list
[28:24] uh when I call out their name, just let
[28:26] me know and we'll we'll make
[28:27] adjustments.
[28:29] [clears throat]
[28:30] Um, and I will read our guidelines for
[28:33] for public comments. This portion of our
[28:36] meeting is our time to recognize persons
[28:38] requesting to be heard and provides an
[28:41] opportunity for anyone wishing to
[28:43] address the city council to do so. Each
[28:47] person will receive three minutes to
[28:49] address the council. This is a time of
[28:52] listening for the council. The subject
[28:55] will be noted and if it requires action
[28:59] or a request, the city manager will note
[29:02] as such and provide steps for any
[29:05] required response or afteraction.
[29:09] Um, and I think everybody has left their
[29:11] contact information when they signed in
[29:14] so our clerk can get in touch with you
[29:16] if if there needs to be some followup.
[29:19] And so the first speakers signed up are
[29:24] Bob Bennett and Larry Shaheen.
[29:34] Evening, Mr. Mayor, Mr. Manager, Madam
[29:36] Attorney, rest of the town council. Uh
[29:38] we've come before you enough times at
[29:40] this point that we've now gotten them to
[29:41] allow us to do it together so that we
[29:43] can save you an additional three
[29:44] minutes. Um as many of you know, my name
[29:46] is Larry Shaheen. I'm an attorney at the
[29:47] Macintosh Law Firm working on behalf of
[29:49] Stanley Martin uh here today to ask you
[29:51] for a highest rating of five on the
[29:53] Royce Croft request for sewer uh water
[29:56] allocation for the second phase uh for
[29:58] their project. I know you've heard a lot
[29:59] from me and from uh Bob and from a lot
[30:01] of our team, but we just wanted to come
[30:03] up one more time and say thank you so
[30:05] much for everything that y'all do. We
[30:06] really appreciate the opportunity to be
[30:08] here to be a part of the city of Concord
[30:10] community and be able to provide some
[30:12] muchneeded housing uh in the future for
[30:15] the citizens that we anticipate will be
[30:16] continuing to choose this wonderful
[30:18] place to live in North Carolina. And I
[30:20] will now turn it over to Bob.
[30:21] » Yeah, Larry [snorts] pretty much said it
[30:22] all, but I just want to thank everyone.
[30:23] You guys have been great. I really
[30:24] appreciate everything. So,
[30:26] » Great.
[30:26] » Thank you.
[30:27] » All right.
[30:28] » Thank you all.
[30:28] » Thank you. Okay, our next speaker is
[30:32] Margaret Pucket.
[30:37] » [snorts]
[30:43] » Good evening, mayor and members of
[30:45] council. My name is Margaret Pucket. I'm
[30:47] here on behalf of Toll Brothers to
[30:49] respectfully request sewer allocation
[30:51] for 137 single family homes. Our
[30:54] proposed project is located at 4460
[30:57] Weddington Road. I know that council has
[31:00] a difficult job when it comes to sewer
[31:01] allocation. There is more demand than
[31:03] available capacity. So I think the
[31:05] important question is simply not whether
[31:07] a project needs sewer. It is what the
[31:10] city is getting in return for allocating
[31:12] that capacity. The property that we're
[31:14] proposing or property that we're looking
[31:17] at consists of 75 acres on Weddington
[31:20] Road immediately adjacent to West
[31:22] Cabaris High School. It's surrounded
[31:24] largely by existing residential
[31:26] communities and Caparis County schools.
[31:28] One of the most important things that
[31:29] I'd like to point out to council tonight
[31:32] is that this property is zoned already
[31:34] for much higher density than what we're
[31:37] proposing.
[31:39] There have been previous plans that have
[31:40] consisted of over 350 homes on this
[31:43] property. Toll Brothers is proposing
[31:45] something very different. Our plan is
[31:48] only for 137 single family detached
[31:51] homes across 75 acres, roughly 1.8 homes
[31:55] per acre.
[31:56] » [snorts]
[31:56] » So rather than maximizing the density
[31:58] that the existing uh existing zoning
[32:01] will allow, we're intentionally
[32:03] proposing a much lower density community
[32:05] that we believe is more compatible with
[32:07] the surrounding area and represents a
[32:09] better long-term outcome for the city of
[32:12] Concord. We're making significant
[32:14] investments outside of just the homes
[32:16] themselves. Our traffic con traffic
[32:19] study that we've completed now includes
[32:22] two left-hand turn lanes and two
[32:25] right-hand turn lanes into our proposed
[32:27] community. We're focused on connectivity
[32:30] to the adjacent schools. Our plan
[32:32] proposes walking trails and connectivity
[32:34] to all of the schools in the surrounding
[32:36] area.
[32:38] The homes that we're proposing will
[32:40] reflect the architecture, materials,
[32:42] interior design, and outdoor living, and
[32:44] the overall community quality that you
[32:46] would expect from Toll Brothers. Our
[32:48] objective is to create a community that
[32:50] adds lasting value to the area and to
[32:53] Concord. We recognize that sewer
[32:56] capacity is extremely valuable for the
[32:58] city and we don't take our requests
[32:59] lightly. We believe that if this council
[33:02] is going to allocate capacity for
[33:03] residential growth, this represents a
[33:06] very thoughtful lowdensity, highquality
[33:09] development
[33:10] that will have meaningful return for the
[33:12] city of Concord. Thank you for your
[33:14] time.
[33:15] » Thank you.
[33:17] Okay, our next speaker is Ryan Kenny.
[33:30] Good evening, mayor and me members of
[33:32] city council. My name is Ryan Kenny and
[33:35] I'm with New Branch Real Estate Advisors
[33:37] and I represent the sellers of the
[33:39] approximately 75 acre property at 4460
[33:42] Weddington Road. We are here tonight
[33:45] seeking your support for sewer
[33:46] allocation. This is the same project
[33:48] that Margaret from Pill Brothers just
[33:50] recently spoke on.
[33:53] We have appreciated the opportunity to
[33:55] speak individually with each of you and
[33:57] we value the input and feedback that
[33:59] each of you have provided to make this a
[34:01] better city. From these discussions, we
[34:03] learned how lowdensity executive level
[34:05] housing was a need and a city
[34:07] initiative. So we attent intentionally
[34:10] sought out builders capable of
[34:12] delivering that quality which has led us
[34:14] to Toll Brothers. We also understand the
[34:17] two primary concerns of this project are
[34:19] schools and traffic. To address traffic,
[34:22] Toll Brothers has already invested
[34:24] significantly into traffic impact
[34:26] analysis with professional traffic
[34:27] engineers to evaluate roadway
[34:29] improvements. The proposed plan
[34:31] incorporates dedicated turn lanes and
[34:34] Toll Brothers has expressed a
[34:36] willingness to work with Cabaris County
[34:37] Schools on sidewalk connections to
[34:39] nearby schools that would help reduce
[34:42] vehicle traffic.
[34:44] But perhaps the most important
[34:45] consideration regarding both traffic and
[34:47] schools is what this property could
[34:49] otherwise become. This property is
[34:52] currently zoned for eight units per acre
[34:55] or roughly 600 homes. Based on our
[34:57] discussions with city council and the
[34:59] mayor, we knew that lower density was
[35:01] important. So Toll Brothers listened to
[35:03] our direction and our proposal before
[35:05] you tonight is only for 137 executive
[35:08] level single family homes. As the pro as
[35:12] the process stands today, city council
[35:14] must approve the sewer allocation. If
[35:16] the process returns to a first come,
[35:18] first- serve basis, this property could
[35:20] see a much higher density. We believe
[35:23] 137 homes provides Concord with a higher
[35:26] quality and more thoughtful approach to
[35:27] development.
[35:29] As a resident of Concord and one that
[35:31] lives less than a mile from this
[35:33] property, I have a vested interest that
[35:35] extends beyond my role as the seller's
[35:38] agent. I believe this proposal strike
[35:40] strikes a reasonable balance between
[35:43] allowing the property owners to realize
[35:45] the value of their land while delivering
[35:46] a lower density highquality development
[35:49] that council and the mayor have asked
[35:51] for. We sincerely appreciate your
[35:53] consideration and respectfully ask for
[35:56] your support. Thank you.
[35:57] » Thank you. [clears throat]
[35:59] Our next speaker is Austin Boyd.
[36:16] Hello, Mayor, members of of council.
[36:19] Thank you for having us tonight. Um, my
[36:21] name is Austin Boyd. I work for Johnson
[36:23] Development Associates, and I'm here to
[36:25] ask for sewer capacity approval for the
[36:28] 4495 Global Avenue property in the
[36:32] International Business Park. Our plan is
[36:34] to develop a speculative class A
[36:36] industrial building uh that will be high
[36:39] finish class A and in keeping with the
[36:41] existing buildings in the park. [snorts]
[36:43] This is also the last full-size
[36:45] development site owned by the original
[36:48] master planner of the park, the Nolan
[36:50] Group. Uh and we would like to ask that
[36:52] you grant us the ability to put that
[36:54] final piece into production. Uh I would
[36:57] like to address a few potential
[36:58] questions that you might have. This is
[37:01] the second time that we have come before
[37:03] you for quarterly allocation. What's
[37:05] different? We reduced our flow request
[37:08] from 4,350
[37:10] gallons per day to 2,600 gallons per
[37:13] day. We've also included a note of
[37:15] support from the Nolan Group. U another
[37:18] question might be who is going to occupy
[37:20] this building? uh where you see yes next
[37:23] to logistics and distribution on your
[37:25] sheet. I'd like to stress that this
[37:27] building is not a fit for large format
[37:31] distribution that's associated with low
[37:33] wages and low job count. It's a much
[37:36] better fit for size and economic reasons
[37:39] for a manufacturer who may value the
[37:42] security of their own facility or a
[37:45] warehouse group that would like to build
[37:47] out significant office to house
[37:49] executive sales and R&D functions. And
[37:52] the last question you might have is why
[37:54] does it have to be speculative? Uh build
[37:56] to suit projects are not very common for
[37:58] users in this size range. uh they often
[38:01] have an occupancy timeline and need that
[38:04] is uh shorter than it would take to
[38:06] design, entitle, and construct a
[38:08] building. Uh this is well evidenced by
[38:11] the fact that no build to suit project
[38:13] has selected this site uh in the 20ome
[38:17] years that it's been out and available
[38:19] in the park. Uh we believe in this
[38:21] project. We think it'll be a win for
[38:23] Concord and I hope we're able to go do
[38:25] it. Thank you.
[38:26] » Thank you.
[38:28] Okay, our next speaker is Elizabeth
[38:31] Rhoden.
[38:41] Hello. I'm not here to talk about
[38:43] toilets, but good evening, mayor and
[38:46] members of the council. My name is
[38:47] Elizabeth Rhoden, and I live off of
[38:50] Short Street. I'm here tonight out of
[38:52] deep frustration and concern for the
[38:53] safety of our neighborhood. Short Street
[38:55] is a tiny residential zone with a 25 mph
[38:58] limit. It is a street or is a
[39:01] neighborhood where families walk, not a
[39:02] highway. Yet, drivers routinely fly down
[39:04] our street at 35 or 40 m an hour. Last
[39:07] weekend, I was almost run over twice
[39:09] while walking my dog. And tragically,
[39:11] this reckless speeding has already cost
[39:12] the life of my cat. As a driver who has
[39:15] previously received a speeding ticket in
[39:17] Concord for going 65 and 55 on a highway
[39:19] during working hours, I know our laws
[39:21] can be enforced. But right now, that
[39:24] enforcement is entirely missing where it
[39:25] matters the most, inside our
[39:27] neighborhoods where people actually live
[39:28] and walk. Instead of seeing active
[39:30] traffic enforcement or physical police
[39:32] presence in our streets, we see the city
[39:34] pouring funding into automated
[39:35] surveillance like flock cameras. To make
[39:38] matters worse, according to the crowd
[39:39] source data and my journey over to McGee
[39:42] Park today, the flock cam camera closest
[39:44] to me is aimed into McGee Park. This
[39:47] park is publicly recognized as one of
[39:50] the safest parks in Concord. And if
[39:51] these devices are truly meant for
[39:53] automated license plate reading and
[39:55] traffic monitoring, why is the camera
[39:57] pointed away from the street and aimed
[39:58] directly at the children playing? What
[40:00] kind of traffic are we watching?
[40:03] It makes absolutely no sense. We do not
[40:05] need passive invasive surveillance grids
[40:07] watching our safe parks and playgrounds.
[40:09] We need a visible, active police force
[40:11] that prevents real traffic crimes and
[40:12] stops reckless drivers before they hit a
[40:14] pedestrian. Tonight, I'm asking the
[40:16] council to do two things. one,
[40:19] uh, just some targeted speed enforcement
[40:22] or a traffic calming study on Short
[40:24] Street, and two, re-evaluate our budget
[40:26] priorities. We need to shift funding
[40:28] away from invasive flaw cameras,
[40:30] watching parks, and redirect those
[40:32] resources into putting actual police
[40:34] officers on our streets to keep our
[40:35] neighborhoods safe,
[40:38] giving them raises, and using actual
[40:40] humans, not robots, to watch us. Thank
[40:43] you.
[40:44] » Thank you.
[40:47] Okay, that concludes everyone who has
[40:49] signed up to speak tonight. Uh so we
[40:53] will now move into public hearings. Uh
[40:57] and our first one I'll ask Kevin if
[41:01] he'll give us the background on that
[41:02] one.
[41:05] » Um I thought I'd do that when we open
[41:11] » Before he gives his report.
[41:17] Okay. So, the attorney is telling me
[41:20] that I need to open the public hearing
[41:21] before Kevin makes his comments. So,
[41:24] since we have quite a few people here
[41:26] tonight and we have, I think, three
[41:28] public hearings, uh, I'm going to very
[41:31] quickly read our rules of procedure on
[41:34] public hearing uh, for the benefit of
[41:36] everybody in attendance.
[41:38] uh in order to promote discussion, allow
[41:41] public input, maintain order and fair
[41:44] allotment of time to interested parties
[41:47] and to avoid unnecessary repetition. The
[41:51] following general time limitations shall
[41:53] be observed for all public hearings. The
[41:56] st city staff will begin the hearing
[41:59] with a brief description and the staff
[42:01] recommendation.
[42:03] The proponents will present their case.
[42:06] A total of 21 minutes shall be allocated
[42:10] for the presentation.
[42:13] The opponents will present their case. A
[42:16] total of 21 minutes shall be allocated
[42:20] for their presentation.
[42:22] A total of five minutes will be allowed
[42:25] to both the proponent side and the
[42:28] opponent's side for rebuttal. In the
[42:32] event multiple parties on either side
[42:35] cannot agree to a reasonable division of
[42:37] rebuttal time, the council shall assign
[42:41] a time limit to each. Individual
[42:44] speakers who are not speaking on behalf
[42:46] of a group shall be limited to three
[42:49] minutes each. Unused minutes may not be
[42:53] yielded or transferred to other
[42:56] speakers. Groups having the same or
[42:59] similar objectives
[43:01] are encouraged to select a spokesperson.
[43:05] A spokesperson may [snorts] use all or
[43:08] any portion of the 21 minutes as agreed
[43:13] by the side for which the group
[43:15] advocates.
[43:16] In the event agreement cannot be reached
[43:19] by multiple groups, councils shall
[43:22] assign a time limit for the spokesperson
[43:26] representing each group. In the event
[43:29] the total speakers wishing to present
[43:31] testimony
[43:33] exceed the 21 minute time frame, each
[43:36] additional speaker will be allocated
[43:39] three minutes until each speaker signed
[43:42] up has been allowed to speak. Additional
[43:45] time equal to the time allotted to these
[43:48] speakers shall be granted to the other
[43:51] side in an effort to promote fair access
[43:54] to both sides of any issue. City council
[43:59] would generally refrain from asking
[44:02] questions during the speaker's allocated
[44:05] speaking time, reserving any questions
[44:09] for after the expiration of such
[44:12] allocated allotted time.
[44:14] And so with that being said, I will now
[44:17] open the public hearing on item one uh
[44:20] and ask Kevin to speak on that matter.
[44:24] » Good evening uh mayor, members of
[44:26] council, Mr. Ping, Miss Colchinsky, Miss
[44:28] Miss Jenkins. This item is a uh
[44:32] reasonzoning request. Um 285 Paliside
[44:35] Drive Northeast. Um a little bit of
[44:37] background. It was uh went to went to
[44:40] planning commission. Um, it was it did
[44:43] not receive the threequarters vote to
[44:45] come to you for approval and that's why
[44:47] it's or it did not receive the
[44:49] threequarters uh vote for planning
[44:52] commission final approval and that's why
[44:53] you were you were hearing it tonight. A
[44:55] little bit of background. Uh, it was
[44:57] purchased by the current owners in 2024.
[45:00] It's a single family home built in the
[45:03] 1960s about 1,600 square ft and the
[45:06] applicant is Lina R uh Lena Romero about
[45:10] half an acre. Um current zoning is RM1
[45:13] residential medium density and the
[45:15] proposed zoning is C1 uh conditional
[45:19] district light commercial and office for
[45:21] use as an accounting office only. And
[45:25] you see it's on the southwest uh corner
[45:27] of uh Buridge and Palisside.
[45:31] Uh this gives you an idea of what the
[45:33] subject property looks like. A couple of
[45:34] drone photos. Uh the one on the left
[45:36] looking west toward the site. You see
[45:38] the subject property in the foreground
[45:40] at the corner of Paliside and Buridge.
[45:42] The atrium health campus is in the in
[45:45] the background. To the right is a uh a
[45:48] large medical office complex which is
[45:51] also zoned C1. um uh photo on the right
[45:56] looking southwest toward the site. You
[45:58] see the Beverly Hills neighborhood in
[46:00] the background, the Cornerstone
[46:01] condominiums
[46:02] to the right at the corner of Lake
[46:05] Concord Road and the subject property
[46:07] there in the foreground. Um so the
[46:10] petitioners after after they bought the
[46:12] property, they did they they did uh
[46:14] concreted an existing driveway which is
[46:16] shown on the left. That's that's the
[46:17] current drone photo. um 2024 photo to
[46:21] the right, but it was an existing
[46:23] driveway. Um so the proposal from the
[46:28] developers um there is a uh there's an
[46:31] out building up on the uh you see on the
[46:33] upper leftand corner of the page that
[46:35] they're proposing to take part of that
[46:36] down as well as a ramp in order to
[46:39] facilitate a uh circular access for the
[46:44] vehicles coming in. you you you see they
[46:46] would come in off of uh off of uh lake
[46:49] or off of Buridge and exit off of uh off
[46:51] of Paliside. So there would be a
[46:53] circuitous motion there.
[46:56] Um the site plan that went to planning
[46:59] commission is on the left. Um they
[47:02] petitioners made a request that they
[47:03] continue it a month if you recall last
[47:06] month so they could work with DRC and
[47:08] come up with the site plan I just showed
[47:10] you which is the one on the right. And
[47:12] you see they're they're taking out that
[47:14] portion of the um out building on the
[47:17] northwest or the upper leftand corner of
[47:20] the page in order to facilitate that
[47:23] pass through traffic. Surrounding zoning
[47:27] to the north is C1 light commercial and
[47:29] office and that has the medical office
[47:31] land use that I mentioned to you. It's a
[47:33] it's a pretty good sized
[47:35] C1 uh C1 parcel. Um to the south you
[47:40] have the residential uses in the Beverly
[47:42] Hills neighborhood along um along along
[47:45] Paliside. To the east also RM1 uh
[47:48] there's residential land uses there.
[47:50] There's one vacant lot along uh along
[47:53] Burge Road right across Palside from the
[47:55] subject property. Um to the west you see
[47:58] the cornerstone condominiums. That's the
[48:00] RCCU zoning. To the west a fairly fairly
[48:04] highdensity residential development. And
[48:06] further on to the west you see the uh
[48:08] public interest district which is the
[48:10] atrium uh hospital facility. The 2030
[48:14] land use plan designates the property as
[48:16] a mixeduse activity center. It's a very
[48:18] large mixeduse activity center. It
[48:20] extends all the way along Copperfield
[48:22] Boulevard and up to Interstate 85. Um
[48:24] and and basically the mixeduse activity
[48:27] center and your major C and your major
[48:30] um intersections. you want more intense
[48:32] land uses there and sort of flaring out
[48:35] lesser intensity as you go as you go
[48:37] further out. But uh the mixed use
[48:39] activity center gives you a number of
[48:41] zoning districts that you could apply
[48:42] for. Um typically they are site plan
[48:44] control. C1 is listed as a corresponding
[48:47] zoning district in the mixeduse activity
[48:49] center. So they are allowed to reszone
[48:52] to uh conditional district C1. Um this
[48:56] is the notification map. the Beverly
[48:58] Hills Neighborhood Association was
[49:00] noticed with the with the initial
[49:02] resoning petition going to uh planning
[49:05] commission. There have been subsequent
[49:06] notices to adjacent property owners um
[49:10] with with all of the public hearings
[49:11] that we have scheduled. Um so at at
[49:15] Planning and Zoning Commission, uh PNZ
[49:18] recommended the zoning the statement of
[49:20] zoning consistency that supports
[49:23] approval, which is the one on the left.
[49:26] Um, and we also, as typical in the re
[49:28] with with resonings, we also draft one
[49:30] for denial if you wish to use that one.
[49:32] The only difference is the is the last
[49:34] bullet point. So, they voted to support
[49:37] approval 4 to three
[49:41] for the item on the left, but when it
[49:42] came to the vote, they deadlocked 33.
[49:47] I think I got my math right there.
[49:50] So, there are several uh suggested
[49:53] conditions. One is the re uh compliance
[49:56] with the resoning site plan dated 8626.
[49:59] Uh of course compliance with their sewer
[50:01] allocation policy, addition of a of a
[50:04] backflow assembly, uh bicycle parking.
[50:07] Um if the petitioner decides to put up a
[50:09] sign, they have um they have um um
[50:14] agreed that they would not put a
[50:16] freestanding ground sign that's lit. It
[50:18] will not be a a lit sign. It it will be
[50:21] just a standard ground sign with no
[50:23] no power to it. Uh, of course, technical
[50:26] site plan review and approval is
[50:28] required after should this resoning be
[50:30] approved. And of course, all approvals
[50:32] from all local, state, uh, and federal
[50:34] agencies. And if they were to modify
[50:37] this site plan, add another use, they
[50:40] would have to come back for an amendment
[50:42] to the reszoning petition. Again, it is
[50:43] a request only for an accountant's
[50:45] office.
[50:49] And your next steps would be to approve
[50:50] or amend the statement of consistency
[50:53] and approve or deny the zoning map
[50:55] amendment with the conditions.
[50:58] So does anyone have any questions?
[51:03] » Any questions for Kevin?
[51:06] All right. Thank you, sir.
[51:08] » And so we have open the public hearing
[51:10] and the we have the first person signed
[51:13] up to speak is Chris Hughes.
[51:29] Good evening, Mr. Mayor, members of the
[51:33] council and staff. My name is Chris
[51:35] Hughes. Uh, I reside next door to the
[51:39] proposed uh, zoning change at 271
[51:43] Paliside Drive. and I come in support of
[51:46] the of the change. U I believe it's it's
[51:50] in line with what the city has has
[51:53] proposed for our area. Uh I have met
[51:59] with the owners. Uh I find them to be
[52:02] open and honest and straightforward with
[52:05] what they want to do and I don't see any
[52:08] downside to me as being their neighbor.
[52:12] That's all I have to say.
[52:13] » Great. Thank you. [clears throat] Okay,
[52:16] our next speaker is Nancy Faggard.
[52:24] » Good evening, Mr. Mayor, members of
[52:26] council. I am so excited to learn of the
[52:30] unanimous city council commitment to
[52:32] CCM's Tucker Rebuilders campus. It is
[52:35] good to invest in people, families, and
[52:38] communities. Thanks to all of you for
[52:41] your commitment to find solutions that
[52:44] will strengthen Concord for generations
[52:46] to come. I hope tonight that council
[52:50] will address the future of the Beverly
[52:52] Hills neighborhood in the same spirit.
[52:55] Stability, community, relationships,
[52:59] sustainability.
[53:00] These are all qualities that the Beverly
[53:02] Hills neighborhood hopes to retain as
[53:05] well.
[53:06] It is concerning that significant
[53:09] changes to the property of 285 Paliside
[53:12] Drive Northeast were made before the
[53:15] required zoning and site plan approvals
[53:18] were obtained. This is undermining to
[53:21] the city's development review process
[53:24] and sets a dangerous precedent. Citizens
[53:28] in the Beverly Hills neighborhood
[53:29] deserve the peace of mind that their
[53:32] residential neighborhood remains just
[53:34] that. It is a reasonable expectation.
[53:39] Please be committed tonight to protect
[53:41] the neighborhood from the encroachment
[53:43] of business. Government, business, and
[53:46] neighbors can all come together to
[53:48] preserve the residential character of
[53:50] Paliside Drive in Beverly Hills. Thank
[53:54] you.
[53:54] » Thank you.
[53:56] Okay. Next is David Phillips.
[54:01] We have
[54:01] » Not heard from the proponents.
[54:06] I was going to ask that same question.
[54:09] [clears throat]
[54:10] » So, we got Chris Hughes.
[54:14] Who Who is the applicant? Who is here
[54:16] for the applicant?
[54:18] » David, would you mind if we have the
[54:19] applicant?
[54:20] » I have a presentation that staff.
[54:24] » Can you tell us your name?
[54:25] » Yeah, my my name is Travis Jingra.
[54:26] Latitude 35 design group. Did
[54:28] » Not sign up on the sign?
[54:29] » I generally doesn't the applicant
[54:34] Don't they usually have a slot speak?
[54:36] » It's all right. It's all right.
[54:38] » Thank you.
[54:38] » Yes, that was very confusing.
[54:41] » Please, please proceed with your
[54:42] presentation.
[54:43] » Is there How do I get that? Okay.
[54:47] » Yeah.
[54:49] » All righty. Um, good evening everyone. I
[54:52] think Thank you, Mr. Mayor and uh
[54:56] members of the council. My name is uh
[54:58] Travis Jingra. I'm a Latitude 35 design
[55:00] group. Um 8:45 Church Street North um is
[55:04] where where my office is located at.
[55:08] Um I have a quick PowerPoint here that
[55:11] we'll go through just um quick little
[55:13] table of contents. We'll go over the uh
[55:16] low location uh current current
[55:18] conditions, some project highlights, and
[55:20] then uh some of the project site and and
[55:23] changes as well there. Um and talk a
[55:25] little bit about traffic. [snorts]
[55:28] Um, real quick, the the site is located
[55:31] off on the corner of Buridge and uh,
[55:33] Paliside. Um, you'll note from my map
[55:36] there, u, blue and white are, uh,
[55:39] residential, uh, that is the Beverly
[55:42] Hills community there. Um, and then in
[55:45] the green, um, those items there are,
[55:48] uh, commercial businesses along with the
[55:51] red, that is the, uh, institutional and
[55:53] civic uses. Uh we got the David Phillips
[55:56] um park that is on uh Buridge as well as
[55:59] a church across the street and we we
[56:01] know of uh Atrium Health. You will note
[56:04] in the white and the red, those are
[56:07] actually home businesses.
[56:10] [snorts] And I I do want to put the
[56:11] caveat in there that um our our client
[56:15] and stuff is is well aware they could
[56:18] keep this RM1 zoning, operate this uh
[56:21] live out of the house and operate it as
[56:23] a home business as well, but um they
[56:25] have they have opted to uh to try to get
[56:27] the uh conditional zoning. [snorts]
[56:31] Um and then these are just some uh site
[56:34] photos. Uh this is off of uh first one
[56:37] upper left that is Bridge Road. That is
[56:39] uh looking down Bridge Road from Lake
[56:42] Concord Road. You can see that that is a
[56:44] uh collector street. Um the image to uh
[56:49] below that would be Paliside Drive. Um
[56:52] that is a local residential street. And
[56:54] then um two two images of our subject
[56:58] property both from Paliside Drive and
[57:00] from Buridge.
[57:05] The uh some uh project highlights.
[57:08] Again, we are in the uh uh Beverly Hills
[57:11] community. There are nine ingress and
[57:14] egress points into the Beverly Hills uh
[57:17] community with Paliside Drive off of
[57:20] Buridge. That is one ingress egress
[57:22] point. Um it the Beverly Hills community
[57:25] is a mixture of single family homes with
[57:28] some modest multif family surrounding
[57:30] surrounding the uh the community. Then
[57:32] the community is also flanked by mixed
[57:34] use corridors.
[57:36] Um the 2030 growth concept we are within
[57:39] the medical district as well as um the
[57:42] 2030 plan highlights this area as an
[57:44] adjacent um or is within the act
[57:47] activity center. Um again we are
[57:50] proposing light commercial
[57:52] um about the project. It is going to be
[57:55] a bilingual C CPA office. Um something
[57:59] to note although Concord and Charlotte
[58:02] Metro is a um is a thriving uh Latin
[58:07] culture um there are still areas that
[58:10] that we are we are lacking in providing
[58:12] that uh that community. I did a web
[58:15] search of 20 CPA firms within Concord.
[58:20] Only one is advertising that they are by
[58:24] by bilingual and speak Spanish.
[58:26] Um so we we see a major need for for
[58:29] this this type of uh service that is
[58:31] being uh being proposed.
[58:34] Um the traffic impacts of this uh of
[58:37] this site um we would be generating
[58:39] approximately 16 trips per day. That's a
[58:43] net difference. Um it's a net increase
[58:45] of six trips. A typical residential home
[58:48] sees about 10 trips per day.
[58:51] And then as um as Mr. Ashley stated, one
[58:54] of one of the conditions that we are um
[58:57] uh propo or that we have agreed to is
[59:00] that there will be 0% light um
[59:02] illumination on any kind of ground
[59:04] ground signage. Um the the uh the
[59:08] business is going to operate about two
[59:10] to three employees and they have strict
[59:12] operating hours Monday to Monday through
[59:15] Friday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
[59:19] Um again, this uh this business is going
[59:22] to be um bringing in um bringing in jobs
[59:26] that have an income range of uh between
[59:28] 41,000 to 90,000. It is a professional
[59:31] service and then again Charlotte Metro
[59:35] is ranked by a AARP
[59:37] um as one of the top top 10 best cities
[59:40] where uh Latin culture is flourishing
[59:47] and uh the the future 2030 plan does put
[59:50] us within a activity center. Um the uh
[59:55] excuse [clears throat] me uh the the
[59:57] future 2030 plan recommends um some some
[1:00:01] of the uh some of the options that it
[1:00:03] recommends in activity center indoor
[1:00:04] retail services, office uses, suburban
[1:00:07] offices, mixeduse neighborhoods. Again,
[1:00:10] we we feel that the office use um within
[1:00:14] this activity center and especially
[1:00:15] being on the um being on the limits of
[1:00:19] that activity center where we're
[1:00:21] transitioning into residential
[1:00:23] neighborhoods that this professional
[1:00:26] service is a good use of this property.
[1:00:29] Um, we are the client is planning on
[1:00:32] keeping the um the existing features of
[1:00:35] of the home so that way it looks and
[1:00:38] feels like you're entering still a
[1:00:40] residential neighborhood
[1:00:43] [clears throat]
[1:00:47] and then um the the site and as Mr.
[1:00:51] Ashley had had alluded to um looking at
[1:00:54] this um the the existing uh building the
[1:00:58] existing structure that sits you know
[1:01:00] plan center to the left of that was a um
[1:01:04] parking lot that was installed prior to
[1:01:06] any sort of plan or um yeah any sort of
[1:01:10] uh development approval. And then as
[1:01:12] well um to the north of that we have
[1:01:14] existing driveway and existing um uh
[1:01:17] parking area along with the existing
[1:01:19] garage, existing patio. There is an
[1:01:22] existing um sidewalk that goes from
[1:01:25] Paliside Drive up to the uh front of the
[1:01:28] existing home today
[1:01:34] and the proposed changes of the site.
[1:01:36] again, um the parking lot that was
[1:01:40] installed um prior to plan approval,
[1:01:43] that needs to come up to current code um
[1:01:46] current code co code restrictions. So
[1:01:50] again, we we're going to have to verify
[1:01:52] a couple things when when we rebreak
[1:01:54] ground and um and install uh and demo
[1:01:58] the um as as the site plan shows. So
[1:02:01] there are going to be some things that
[1:02:02] are going to be verified that they were
[1:02:04] installed correctly. Um I do want you to
[1:02:07] note um there is a um landscape buffer
[1:02:11] that is going to be would be uh plan
[1:02:14] west uh on the lefth hand side. It is a
[1:02:17] 15 ft buffer. We are following the
[1:02:20] existing um ordinance requirements with
[1:02:23] that buffer. We are requesting for a
[1:02:26] reduction in that buffer. Um we have
[1:02:29] received um uh neighboring properties um
[1:02:33] their their their approval and a sign
[1:02:36] signed letter stating that they
[1:02:38] understand the buffer um the buffer um
[1:02:43] uh uh excuse me the buffer uh reduction.
[1:02:47] One thing that I'd like to note about
[1:02:48] the buffer uh the buffer reduction is
[1:02:52] that [clears throat]
[1:02:54] we are not going to be reducing the
[1:02:56] number of buffer plants that are um uh
[1:02:59] proposed in that buffer. The same amount
[1:03:02] of of plantings are going to be planted
[1:03:03] within that buffer. And we are also
[1:03:06] adding a um six-foot um uh land
[1:03:10] landscaping privacy fence um due to that
[1:03:13] buffer buffer reduction.
[1:03:20] And lastly, um I just wanted to talk
[1:03:22] about uh during our planning and zoning
[1:03:25] um uh com uh commission meeting, we
[1:03:28] talked about um there was there was a a
[1:03:31] few things that that came up from that.
[1:03:33] And um one was that the the neighborhood
[1:03:36] was concerned about traffic and
[1:03:38] concerned about traffic impacts that are
[1:03:40] going to be um felt within their within
[1:03:44] their neighborhood. if that if this uh
[1:03:46] does be uh if this does become re
[1:03:49] reszoned. Um so a couple things that
[1:03:52] that we we know and even from from the
[1:03:54] images that you that you saw earlier in
[1:03:56] my slides is that um Buridge Road and
[1:04:00] also Paliside Drive has have great sight
[1:04:02] distances. So, um, what what that means
[1:04:05] is that you can be sitting at that
[1:04:07] intersection and see hundreds of feet to
[1:04:10] your left, hundreds of feet to your
[1:04:11] right, see any on oncoming traffic and
[1:04:14] be able to safely um go through that uh
[1:04:18] in uh safely use that uh intersection.
[1:04:22] Um, and then as well from our access
[1:04:25] points from our uh ingress egress out of
[1:04:28] the in and into and out of the site. Um,
[1:04:31] again, great access point or great sight
[1:04:34] lines so that way you can you can see
[1:04:37] traffic uh coming and going. [snorts]
[1:04:43] And now I'd like to open uh if the
[1:04:46] council has any questions.
[1:04:50] » Any questions, council?
[1:04:57] » There appears to be none.
[1:04:59] » Thank you so much.
[1:04:59] » Thank you.
[1:05:04] Okay. Sorry for that that confusion
[1:05:07] getting started. So now we'll ask David
[1:05:10] Phillips to come back up.
[1:05:17] » Good evening, mayor, council members,
[1:05:19] Miss Cochinsky, Mr. Payne,
[1:05:22] Leslie.
[1:05:24] I appreciate the opportunity to be here
[1:05:26] tonight. I want to talk to you about one
[1:05:27] aspect of this um issue concerning
[1:05:30] reasonzoning. Um I am a member of Eper
[1:05:34] Methodist Church. I am not here to speak
[1:05:36] on behalf of the church. I want that
[1:05:37] understood. But I do want to tell you
[1:05:39] about something that happened recently
[1:05:42] that I think factors into this whole
[1:05:44] issue. A couple years ago, we bought the
[1:05:48] house next door to Ep. And at the time,
[1:05:51] we also wanted to put up a digital sign
[1:05:53] in front of the church. We [snorts]
[1:05:55] could not put up the digital sign
[1:05:57] because a church property was zoned
[1:05:59] residential. So we went through the
[1:06:01] process. We went through the city and
[1:06:03] had the property reszoned from
[1:06:05] residential to OI. At the same time, it
[1:06:08] was suggested to us that we because we
[1:06:11] did own the property next door and it
[1:06:14] was also residential property because it
[1:06:15] had been a single family residence. It
[1:06:18] was suggested to us that we probably
[1:06:20] ought to resone that at the same time.
[1:06:21] And so we did. So we had both the church
[1:06:24] property and the what we call the Newton
[1:06:27] property next door reszoneed to Oi.
[1:06:30] As we got further down the road, we
[1:06:33] realized that if we ever were going to
[1:06:35] need that property next door to the
[1:06:37] church, it was going to be many years
[1:06:39] down the road. And so I was on the board
[1:06:42] of trustees at the time, also church
[1:06:44] council. um we made the decision we were
[1:06:47] going to sell that property because we
[1:06:49] didn't think we would possibly need it
[1:06:51] in the foreseeable future. So we put the
[1:06:54] property up for sale and then some of
[1:06:56] the residents of Beverly Hills asked
[1:06:58] some questions about it because of the
[1:06:59] OI zoning and they were concerned that
[1:07:03] as long as the church owned that
[1:07:04] property that was one thing but if we
[1:07:07] sold it they didn't know what would be
[1:07:08] there. So after a lot of thought and
[1:07:10] deliberation and discussion on the board
[1:07:12] of trustees, we came back to the city of
[1:07:14] Concord zoning requirements and reszone
[1:07:18] the property back to residential.
[1:07:20] We didn't have to do that, but we did
[1:07:22] that because we have always tried to be
[1:07:24] a good neighbor to the church, I mean to
[1:07:26] the to the um community. And we actually
[1:07:30] sold that property for less money than
[1:07:32] we could have gotten if we had stayed
[1:07:34] oi. But we did that because we're
[1:07:37] committed to be a good neighbor to the
[1:07:38] to the pro to the community and we felt
[1:07:40] like that's the right thing to do. So in
[1:07:43] that spirit, um I'm here to ask you
[1:07:45] tonight, please consider do not approve
[1:07:48] the reasoning request. Thank you.
[1:07:51] » Thank you.
[1:07:53] Okay. Next is Karen Miller.
[1:07:58] » Okay. Uh Diane Norwood.
[1:08:09] Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity
[1:08:11] to speak. My name is Diane Norwood and I
[1:08:13] live in the Beverly Hills neighborhood
[1:08:15] for the last 10 years. I serve as the
[1:08:18] secretary to the Beverly Hills
[1:08:21] neighborhood. It's a recognized uh
[1:08:23] neighborhood and I've previously also
[1:08:25] been their president. This is not an
[1:08:27] HOA. It's a recognized neighborhood. Our
[1:08:32] goal is to communicate to and on behalf
[1:08:35] of our neighbors.
[1:08:37] Well over a hundred neighbors after we
[1:08:40] found out about the the resoning
[1:08:42] contacted me to directly voice their
[1:08:44] objection. Many contacted the council
[1:08:48] directly. I think you got a bunch of
[1:08:50] emails, didn't you? We value the
[1:08:52] council's time and service to our
[1:08:56] community and we hope to keep the number
[1:08:58] of speakers representing our 300 homes
[1:09:01] here tonight. Our request, please deny
[1:09:05] this resoning request. We have concerns
[1:09:08] about the impact to the families in the
[1:09:10] Beverly Hills neighborhood. The recently
[1:09:13] modified site plan shows parking for
[1:09:16] seven vehicles and they've said that
[1:09:17] they're only going to have hours 10 to
[1:09:19] 7. Also understand it's a tax prep
[1:09:22] office. How many people can get and do
[1:09:25] their tax filings from 10:00 a.m. to
[1:09:29] 5:00 pm Monday through Friday? That's
[1:09:32] that's kind of difficult for people who
[1:09:34] are working. So we have a little concern
[1:09:36] on whether that would be able to be
[1:09:37] maintained over the long period of time.
[1:09:40] Planning on Buridge Road then I think
[1:09:42] needs to be restricted adjacent to that
[1:09:45] property. You've got a lot of property
[1:09:47] cars going back and forth. Um, we have a
[1:09:50] high volume of vehicles that turn off of
[1:09:52] Lake Concord by the hospital onto
[1:09:55] Buridge Road and they would have limited
[1:09:58] time and visibility if we've got cars
[1:10:01] parked on that road. That's one issue.
[1:10:03] My other issue, it's probably a bigger
[1:10:05] issue is that we found out about the
[1:10:09] 2030 land use plan when we started
[1:10:12] investigating this resoning. didn't
[1:10:14] really know about it ahead of time, but
[1:10:16] now we're worried that this could create
[1:10:18] a domino effect if this property, this
[1:10:22] first property that's listed on the 2030
[1:10:25] plan is approved.
[1:10:28] We've got, according to the map that
[1:10:30] I've read, there are seven properties on
[1:10:33] Buridge Road that are currently
[1:10:35] residential tracks. All of those parcels
[1:10:39] are are currently a residential except
[1:10:41] for the Epworth Church and the David
[1:10:43] Phillips Activity Center, soon to be a
[1:10:46] park. On the side streets, there are 12
[1:10:49] properties. Six on Palace side, four on
[1:10:53] the Klein, and two on Suburban. One's
[1:10:56] mine. Didn't know [clears throat] about
[1:10:57] it. Um, if this resoning is approved,
[1:11:01] we're worried about any additional
[1:11:03] resoning tracks. Could it be easily
[1:11:06] reszoned in the future? because they're
[1:11:07] now on that. We value our neighborhood.
[1:11:10] We have a strong local community. We
[1:11:13] look for our seniors. We look out for
[1:11:15] the children. We Whoops. We welcome new
[1:11:18] families. Um we have families with
[1:11:22] multiple generations here. Almost 75
[1:11:25] years ago, the Beverly Hills
[1:11:27] neighborhood was the first World War II
[1:11:30] planned community in Concord. Most of
[1:11:34] the homes were built midentury for
[1:11:37] surgeons and doctors and working people
[1:11:39] at the hospital. Several have
[1:11:41] exceptional exceptional architectural
[1:11:44] features. All are designed for families.
[1:11:48] I bought my home 10 years ago to live
[1:11:50] next door to families. I got one more
[1:11:52] second.
[1:11:53] » I made a point to meet my f my neighbors
[1:11:56] and be a friend to them. Um I want to
[1:11:59] continue to live in family right
[1:12:01] » With Next Door. Thank you.
[1:12:02] » Thank you.
[1:12:03] Okay, next is Lee Schuman.
[1:12:14] Good evening, mayor and uh council
[1:12:16] members. I think it's evident in the
[1:12:19] communication that you've received from
[1:12:21] uh many of the neighborhood members uh
[1:12:23] the opposition to this resoning. You
[1:12:26] might kind of ask why that is. Um, I
[1:12:29] think simply put is that we need to be
[1:12:31] selective about resoning requests like
[1:12:34] this. It's somewhat confusing for
[1:12:37] neighbors when they see the 2030 land
[1:12:39] use plan and it says mixed activity,
[1:12:41] mixed use activity center. Um, that
[1:12:44] sounds really good until you start
[1:12:47] talking about what the reasonzoning can
[1:12:48] possibly be. Um, the presentation on
[1:12:51] this case, I want to make sure I make
[1:12:53] something clear. I think at the work
[1:12:54] session it was mentioned that uh this
[1:12:57] house was not conducive or attractive
[1:12:59] any longer for residential users and had
[1:13:00] been on the market for 7 to 8 years. I
[1:13:03] believe that was either some
[1:13:04] misunderstanding or just some bad
[1:13:06] information. This house was occupied by
[1:13:08] a family from 2019 to 2024. They did
[1:13:11] improvements to the outbuildings on this
[1:13:14] parcel. Uh improved landscaping. They
[1:13:17] were great neighbors. This has always
[1:13:20] been a very good uh residential use.
[1:13:22] hasn't been a derelict use at all. Um, I
[1:13:25] think the current owner is only the
[1:13:27] fifth owner in the last 40 years in this
[1:13:29] community. I think that's important. As
[1:13:31] a matter of fact, this community has
[1:13:32] been a consistent uh attractive
[1:13:34] residential neighborhood for 75 years.
[1:13:36] I've lived at Grand View Drive for going
[1:13:39] on 20 years now, believe it or not.
[1:13:42] Raised three children there. Um, I think
[1:13:45] all of the the vibrancy of this
[1:13:48] neighborhood is really interesting.
[1:13:50] You've got people who've lived here for
[1:13:51] decades. I mean, original homeowners.
[1:13:54] You've got new families moving in with
[1:13:55] children. When you walking down up down
[1:13:58] these streets or driving up and down the
[1:13:59] streets, we have to slow down. People
[1:14:02] are walking in the streets. Kids are
[1:14:03] riding bikes. That community hasn't had
[1:14:05] that in years.
[1:14:08] Um, it's amazing what that community has
[1:14:10] continued to do over the last 75 years,
[1:14:12] and I think it'll continue to do more
[1:14:14] for the next 75 if we protect it. Um, I
[1:14:18] don't have any issue with the applicant.
[1:14:19] Um, I do think a home occupation here
[1:14:22] would be totally acceptable. We have num
[1:14:23] numerous uh home occupations up and down
[1:14:26] Burge Road. But if you if you've ever
[1:14:28] driven down this road, you come down
[1:14:30] Buridge, it's all residential property
[1:14:32] all the way to Concord High School. My
[1:14:35] kids ride their bikes down Buridge
[1:14:37] because they can go underneath Highway
[1:14:39] Three and get to their friends houses on
[1:14:41] the other side of three. Uh closer to my
[1:14:44] house is Myiar and that's a really
[1:14:47] dangerous intersection going across to
[1:14:48] the high school. My daughter who
[1:14:50] actually drives goes that way because
[1:14:53] it's safer. She can drive down Buridge
[1:14:55] and underneath. Um all those uses are
[1:14:58] residential other than the David
[1:15:00] Phillips Activity Center which has been
[1:15:02] a great uh addition to our neighborhood.
[1:15:04] That's the kind of activity center I
[1:15:06] think we all thought we were getting
[1:15:07] when we saw that 2030 land use plan. So,
[1:15:10] I think we just need to be selective on
[1:15:12] what we're doing here. Just because the
[1:15:14] land use plan says we can doesn't mean
[1:15:16] we should. I don't think it's the right
[1:15:18] time and I don't think it's the right
[1:15:20] use for this particular parcel. So,
[1:15:22] thank you. I appreciate your time.
[1:15:27] [applause]
[1:15:28] » Okay. Our next speaker is Suzanne Smith.
[1:15:38] » Good evening. Uh, mayor and council
[1:15:40] members, thank you for letting us speak
[1:15:42] tonight. Um, so my name is Suzanne Smith
[1:15:45] and I've lived in the Beverly Hills
[1:15:47] neighborhood now for uh, 10 years or a
[1:15:50] little bit more. Um, I'm respectfully
[1:15:53] asking you to deny the resoning request
[1:15:55] for 285 Palicide.
[1:15:58] My neighbors and I have been talking
[1:15:59] with you for a couple of months now
[1:16:01] about concerns with traffic safety, the
[1:16:03] domino effect, and the perils of spot
[1:16:06] zoning. So, I'm not going to go into
[1:16:08] that more this evening. Um, one of my
[1:16:12] biggest concerns is actually uh the
[1:16:14] petitioner's conduct with the property
[1:16:17] before seeking approval from the city.
[1:16:20] Significant concrete improvements
[1:16:22] specifically for a business were made
[1:16:25] without permits or city review. When
[1:16:28] questioned at the zoning meeting in
[1:16:29] July, two explanations were offered.
[1:16:33] First, the petitioner has said that
[1:16:34] gravel previously existed in the
[1:16:36] sideyard and so she simply replaced it
[1:16:39] with concrete. However, the photos from
[1:16:41] the real estate listing when the when
[1:16:43] the property was purchased show that
[1:16:45] there was actually a lawn. Um the
[1:16:48] driveway has always been behind the
[1:16:49] house. Um secondly, the petitioner
[1:16:53] stated she was unaware permits were
[1:16:55] required.
[1:16:57] However, she's owned and operated a
[1:16:59] masonry and concrete company in Winston
[1:17:01] Salem for more than 20 years.
[1:17:04] Given that background, it is reasonable
[1:17:06] to expect an understanding that
[1:17:08] significant site modifications might
[1:17:10] require a permit or at the minimum a
[1:17:13] consultation with the city. She actually
[1:17:16] made a business decision to disrespect
[1:17:18] and ignore the zoning process and
[1:17:20] regulations of our city.
[1:17:24] This matters because resoning decisions
[1:17:26] depend in part on trust and credibility.
[1:17:30] The council must be able to rely on the
[1:17:32] representations made uh regarding
[1:17:34] traffic, number of employees, hours of
[1:17:37] operation, and any future use of the
[1:17:38] property. Yet throughout this process,
[1:17:41] there have been inconsistencies.
[1:17:43] For example, the number of employees was
[1:17:45] pro proposed uh to the APOS in March as
[1:17:48] 1 to two, but in the zoning meeting in
[1:17:51] July, it became no more than four. And
[1:17:54] tonight, it's now 2 to 3. The hours of
[1:17:56] operation ending at 5 are questionable
[1:17:59] when during tax season, I've never seen
[1:18:01] a tax office that is not open late. When
[1:18:05] significant changes has have already
[1:18:07] been made without approval and
[1:18:09] information is inconsistent or
[1:18:11] questionable throughout the process, it
[1:18:13] becomes difficult to have confidence in
[1:18:15] those assurances.
[1:18:17] If a property owner chooses to make
[1:18:19] substantial changes before obtaining the
[1:18:21] necessary approvals. The answer should
[1:18:23] not be to bend established regulations
[1:18:26] and reward a change in zoning. The
[1:18:28] answer should be to uphold the standards
[1:18:30] that protect every resident, every
[1:18:33] property owner, and every neighborhood
[1:18:35] in our city.
[1:18:37] I don't believe our community is opposed
[1:18:39] to new businesses. I'm certainly not.
[1:18:41] I'm certainly not opposed to growth. I
[1:18:44] do believe that commercial operations
[1:18:46] belong in areas that are already zoned
[1:18:48] and planned for commercial use. So, I
[1:18:51] respectfully ask that you deny this
[1:18:53] request. Thank you.
[1:18:54] » Thank you.
[1:18:56] [applause]
[1:18:57] » Okay. Next is David Chrysenberry.
[1:19:03] » Hello all, mayor, members of city
[1:19:06] council.
[1:19:07] Um, the house
[1:19:10] at 285 Paliside was designed as a
[1:19:13] residence
[1:19:15] and it's best used as a residence in the
[1:19:18] future.
[1:19:21] Um,
[1:19:24] and a home occupation definitely would
[1:19:27] be something that would work
[1:19:32] for me personally.
[1:19:35] This is a draw a map showing the nine
[1:19:38] traffic concerns that I have. I'll
[1:19:40] quickly go through them. When you come
[1:19:42] off of Lake Concord Road, you don't
[1:19:44] really have to slow down when you come
[1:19:46] on to Buridge. You just basically ramp
[1:19:48] off into Buridge. you'd likely be able
[1:19:51] to dead rear in someone turning into the
[1:19:54] drive at 285 at at uh for this property.
[1:20:00] Number two is uh
[1:20:05] the actual drive itself uh there at U
[1:20:09] Buridge Road. That's their in drive.
[1:20:12] Number three, there's just too much
[1:20:14] going on at this area.
[1:20:17] Uh number three is the medical drive
[1:20:20] that it's a right in right out but
[1:20:22] people don't abide by that. Number four
[1:20:26] is paliside. Well paliside is not a
[1:20:28] 90deree term and any dot uh expert will
[1:20:32] tell you that a 90deree intersection is
[1:20:34] a a safer intersection.
[1:20:37] Uh number five is a second medical
[1:20:40] office entrance.
[1:20:43] Then you turn on the palside and number
[1:20:45] six is a driveway to a house. Number
[1:20:48] seven is the is the driveway out of 285.
[1:20:53] There's just too many intersections
[1:20:55] here.
[1:20:57] I'm also added two other areas. Number
[1:20:59] eight and number nine. Number eight,
[1:21:01] keep in mind Buridge Road is going to
[1:21:03] get it's very busy road.
[1:21:07] As someone else earlier today said,
[1:21:09] people aren't abiding by speed limits.
[1:21:12] When you go down Barage Road, you're
[1:21:14] going to have 25 new houses and 60 new
[1:21:17] patio homes.
[1:21:21] Also, when you go down Palisside,
[1:21:24] you're going to have 300
[1:21:27] students at the Mary Francis Wall
[1:21:29] Center.
[1:21:31] So, I again I do have safety concerns,
[1:21:35] traffic concerns.
[1:21:37] So please please uh deny this resoning.
[1:21:43] Thank you.
[1:21:44] » Thank you.
[1:21:47] [applause]
[1:21:47] And those are all the persons that we
[1:21:51] have signed up to speak. And so Valerie,
[1:21:54] you want to walk us through the
[1:21:56] » We'd like to let's ask Mr. Gunus if he
[1:21:59] has a rebuttal.
[1:22:00] » Okay.
[1:22:03] » You can take five minutes.
[1:22:04] » Okay. Yeah, not a problem. Uh yeah, I ju
[1:22:06] I just want to just talk again back
[1:22:09] about the um traffic
[1:22:11] um
[1:22:13] with a
[1:22:15] entrance only and then an exit exit only
[1:22:18] off off of palisides. That's that's that
[1:22:21] that changes things quite a bit. um you
[1:22:24] know, our our access point off a bridge,
[1:22:26] people are only going to be turning in
[1:22:28] into our site and not exiting and
[1:22:30] causing um as as as the as the gentleman
[1:22:34] just said that, you know, a lot going
[1:22:35] on. We we understand that. So, again, we
[1:22:39] are we are creating that as only an an
[1:22:41] entrance only and driveway standards and
[1:22:44] spacing based on both the city and also
[1:22:47] the state. um that that driveway that is
[1:22:50] off of Buridge does meet those spacing
[1:22:52] spacing requirements. Um, so I I do just
[1:22:55] want to state that. Um, as far as the
[1:22:59] commercial zoning and in respects to the
[1:23:03] building architecture, um, a commercial
[1:23:07] uh, zoning that has commercial, what
[1:23:10] that does to the building um,
[1:23:12] structurally is they have to meet
[1:23:14] different standards than what the
[1:23:16] residential standards are for
[1:23:17] structures. So, actually the the
[1:23:20] building will be refortified. there's
[1:23:23] going to be ADA type uh bathrooms and
[1:23:26] that sort of thing inside of the
[1:23:27] building. So, um you know, again, some
[1:23:31] of the some of the construction of of of
[1:23:33] the building um gets
[1:23:36] um has an engineering architect go
[1:23:38] through it and they um make those make
[1:23:41] those revisions. Um
[1:23:44] and then
[1:23:46] I just want to state a little bit about
[1:23:50] the home occupation. It sounds like
[1:23:51] everybody is in favor of it of a home
[1:23:55] occu, you know, a home occupation being
[1:23:57] there, but they're not in favor of the
[1:23:59] of the commercial zoning. Um, and I I
[1:24:03] from my understanding is that they don't
[1:24:07] want this to be um opened as a Pandora's
[1:24:10] box, right? If you will, I totally get
[1:24:14] that. But in these types of conditional
[1:24:18] zonings, right, [snorts]
[1:24:19] we are stating conditions that it it has
[1:24:23] to remain a CPA office. If something
[1:24:27] else comes in, it has to come back in
[1:24:29] front of front of the board and has to
[1:24:30] get approved as such. Um
[1:24:34] zonings are, you know, the these types
[1:24:36] of zoning meetings are it's not just a
[1:24:39] blanket blanket zoning. and um we we
[1:24:42] understand that uh that there are checks
[1:24:44] and balances and that's that is why why
[1:24:46] we're here today. So um other than that
[1:24:49] I think that is all the rebuttal that I
[1:24:52] have.
[1:24:54] » Thank you.
[1:24:55] » Thank you.
[1:25:01] » So the opponents can also have a brief
[1:25:04] rebuttal. Is there anyone on the on the
[1:25:07] opposition side that wishes to say
[1:25:09] anything more?
[1:25:11] It would need to address what um the the
[1:25:14] proponent had just said.
[1:25:19] Okay. Hearing none.
[1:25:26] » Oh, for Kevin. Yeah.
[1:25:30] » I need to do that before you close
[1:25:31] public hearing. Right.
[1:25:33] » Go ahead, Jennifer.
[1:25:34] » Good. two for you Kevin.
[1:25:36] » Um first would be
[1:25:40] hours of service has been discussed. Um
[1:25:43] is that a condition that can be I mean I
[1:25:46] know an applicant or a developer can
[1:25:48] place any condition they choose. Right.
[1:25:50] We cannot do that. Talk to me a little
[1:25:52] bit about the enforcement of that. I
[1:25:54] understand a buffer. I understand. Can
[1:25:56] you elaborate on that a little bit?
[1:25:58] » I mean that that could be something that
[1:26:00] could be suggested to the applicant.
[1:26:01] They would have to agree to that. Of
[1:26:03] course, it would be like any other
[1:26:05] zoning condition. It would have to be
[1:26:07] enforced by code enforcement or someone,
[1:26:09] » Right? So, there they say 10 to 5, it's
[1:26:13] 7:00
[1:26:14] we have to call Jimmy and excuse me, we
[1:26:17] have to call the chief and code
[1:26:18] enforcement would get involved.
[1:26:19] » Correct.
[1:26:20] » Okay. Um, second question is can you
[1:26:22] talk also a little bit about operating a
[1:26:24] home business because that's a little
[1:26:25] bit that if you could expand on that of
[1:26:29] you know because I know that that's also
[1:26:31] I just want to be clear too there's
[1:26:33] there's a lot of parameters around
[1:26:34] operating a home business and there's a
[1:26:36] lot of people sitting here and I don't
[1:26:37] want them to think that it's open season
[1:26:39] on just let me go and open a business
[1:26:41] too.
[1:26:42] » So home occupations currently we have a
[1:26:46] whole list of those top of the list
[1:26:48] accountants offices. So, you could have
[1:26:49] a home business. No more than 25% of the
[1:26:52] floor area could be devoted to that use.
[1:26:56] Um,
[1:26:58] no more than one
[1:27:00] um non-resident employee could be there.
[1:27:05] Um, but there was there was recently a
[1:27:09] bill passed by the legislature
[1:27:11] as of like three weeks ago,
[1:27:14] uh,
[1:27:17] House Bill
[1:27:19] House Bill 372.
[1:27:21] And a lot of the planners don't even
[1:27:23] know this came about. It's it's it's
[1:27:25] something called a no impact home
[1:27:27] business, which basically says we have
[1:27:29] to allow them numbers of employees would
[1:27:31] be based upon from what we're reading
[1:27:34] from residential occupancy. So if you
[1:27:36] could if eight people were allowed in
[1:27:39] the house based on number of bedrooms,
[1:27:41] you could have eight clients and eight a
[1:27:45] total of eight people with clients and
[1:27:47] residents. I mean, but this is this is a
[1:27:49] bill that just just came out. So,
[1:27:54] those are the big things about a home
[1:27:56] home occupation. Basically, low low
[1:27:58] impact, not meant to have a lot of
[1:28:00] traffic.
[1:28:02] [clears throat]
[1:28:04] » I have a question for Kevin as well
[1:28:07] because that was one of my kind of
[1:28:09] thoughts.
[1:28:11] Can a home business still essentially be
[1:28:13] ran and if it goes by occupancy, you can
[1:28:15] still have five, six, seven cars parked
[1:28:18] there?
[1:28:19] » Certainly.
[1:28:19] » So, the traffic wouldn't change,
[1:28:22] » Right?
[1:28:22] » And you also don't have to do any
[1:28:24] significant repairs to the home because
[1:28:26] it's a home business or how would that
[1:28:29] work?
[1:28:30] » I I do not believe that a home
[1:28:32] occupation has to be brought up to ADA
[1:28:35] compliance.
[1:28:37] So, that's that's the difference. So we
[1:28:39] wouldn't have to have the handicapped
[1:28:40] ramp,
[1:28:41] » So on and so forth.
[1:28:44] » Kevin, just I'm just going to ask a
[1:28:46] blunt question. What's the difference?
[1:28:47] And why we've got a lot of folks that
[1:28:49] are, you know, complaining, not
[1:28:50] complaining, but opposition, I should
[1:28:52] say, of the of the commercial side. And
[1:28:54] what weigh it out for me.
[1:28:56] » After after listening to the testimony,
[1:28:59] it sounds like the concern is the fact
[1:29:03] of setting a precedent for future
[1:29:05] resonings, you know, coming down the
[1:29:07] pike. And then of course I'll paraphrase
[1:29:10] our wonderful city attorney who has
[1:29:12] basically said before there's there's
[1:29:14] not really a precedent. Everything sort
[1:29:15] of stands on its own. But I think their
[1:29:17] concerns are that you know I think a
[1:29:20] couple of the people talked about the
[1:29:21] domino effect.
[1:29:24] Lori.
[1:29:26] » Well, I think Alviverus asked my
[1:29:27] question really, and I guess I'm sort of
[1:29:30] trying to formulate in my head, what's
[1:29:31] the difference between having a home
[1:29:33] business and having this having this? I
[1:29:37] mean, it doesn't sound like to me
[1:29:38] there's going to be much difference,
[1:29:39] right? Am I just to make sure I
[1:29:41] understand correctly?
[1:29:42] » There would have to be, you know, a
[1:29:43] resident that lives there full-time.
[1:29:45] It's also
[1:29:46] » Assuming that
[1:29:47] » It's also the operator of the business.
[1:29:48] It could be I mean, I guess a home
[1:29:51] occupation doesn't have to be the
[1:29:52] property owner. or it could just be
[1:29:53] someone that
[1:29:56] » Because we do have we do have homes that
[1:29:57] are rented where people run
[1:29:59] » Home businesses. One one difference
[1:30:02] » Um that I don't think anyone's brought
[1:30:04] up is if it were a home business there
[1:30:06] would be some somebody there 24 hours a
[1:30:09] day,
[1:30:09] » Right? My question
[1:30:11] » To potentially I mean I guess someone
[1:30:12] could have could have parties could have
[1:30:14] a lot of visitors after five o'clock. So
[1:30:17] it's sort of you know the other end of
[1:30:20] the of the coin. And so that I think
[1:30:21] those are the two big differences.
[1:30:24] » Okay.
[1:30:26] » Any additional question? Terry, did you
[1:30:28] have
[1:30:29] » And I'm I'm sorry, Kevin. I just want to
[1:30:31] make sure that I fully understand this.
[1:30:33] So
[1:30:35] with zoning, there is a little bit more
[1:30:37] I say control of what can run in and
[1:30:40] out. But with the home business, there's
[1:30:43] not.
[1:30:45] » Correct. The the the home occupation
[1:30:47] could be there's no site plan review
[1:30:49] involved. It's basically just a home
[1:30:51] occupation permit
[1:30:53] from us with with with with the
[1:30:55] commercial zoning.
[1:30:57] There would be landscaping
[1:30:59] required. Um, and of course compliance
[1:31:03] with ADA and all of that.
[1:31:04] » But if we were to bullet point the
[1:31:06] issues, I mean obviously the one about
[1:31:07] the domino effect is one that stands
[1:31:10] alone in my opinion, but the issues of
[1:31:12] traffic and so on and so forth, there's
[1:31:14] no difference. Am I hearing that? Or
[1:31:16] could not be difference. I
[1:31:18] » I mean if they
[1:31:19] I mean potentially they could have the
[1:31:21] same number of people there with the
[1:31:23] home.
[1:31:23] » Now did I hear you right? If it's a
[1:31:25] classified as a home business, does a
[1:31:27] person have to literally live there?
[1:31:29] » Yes.
[1:31:29] » Okay.
[1:31:29] » Yes. One of the operators would have to
[1:31:31] live there.
[1:31:31] » So that's a big difference.
[1:31:32] » Right. That's that's the big the big
[1:31:34] difference and the and the zoning would
[1:31:36] stay residential.
[1:31:38] » But but did I understand she said she
[1:31:41] would live there if this didn't
[1:31:43] » No, ma'am.
[1:31:44] » She did not say that. Okay. All right.
[1:31:46] Thank you.
[1:31:47] Is the is the individualist running this
[1:31:49] business here? Are they is is anybody
[1:31:51] here?
[1:31:54] » She didn't speak. So, I'm just want to
[1:31:55] see. Thank you for raising your hand.
[1:32:00] » Okay. Any other questions? John
[1:32:02] » Kevin, thanks for taking care of us on
[1:32:04] this. I just have a question about uh
[1:32:06] when you have a home business, um we've
[1:32:08] had a lot of change in signage. Is there
[1:32:10] any signage allowed? Um, and it's not,
[1:32:13] if I understand right, it's not part of,
[1:32:15] this neighborhood is not a HOA
[1:32:17] controlled. So, is there any signage
[1:32:19] allowed?
[1:32:20] » Well, we we we talked about that earlier
[1:32:22] today. There is a there's a gap in our
[1:32:25] sign ordinance that that does not
[1:32:27] address signage for homebased businesses
[1:32:31] particularly. So, it would it would fall
[1:32:32] under the residential signage
[1:32:34] requirements, which would probably be,
[1:32:37] you know, I haven't looked at it, but
[1:32:39] fairly similar to what they're
[1:32:40] proposing.
[1:32:44] Okay, any other questions?
[1:32:47] » I don't have a question. Uh, just a
[1:32:48] comment, but my takeaway from this is
[1:32:51] like it was shared before. I believe the
[1:32:53] main concern is the fab damaging the
[1:32:57] fabric of the neighborhood is that and
[1:33:00] when I think about I looked around the
[1:33:03] city and I don't know if everyone here
[1:33:06] is familiar with the
[1:33:09] stretch of
[1:33:10] on church street between
[1:33:13] Buffalo and Kani. Now looking
[1:33:16] [clears throat] at that it appears that
[1:33:17] years ago it was all residential and now
[1:33:20] it's mainly commercial but the houses
[1:33:23] you need to tell by the structures that
[1:33:25] they were once residential. So that's my
[1:33:28] comment.
[1:33:32] » All right we will close the public
[1:33:34] hearing. Uh and Valerie I'll ask you to
[1:33:37] guide us through the process.
[1:33:40] » All right. If we could please get the um
[1:33:43] statements of consistency back up there
[1:33:45] pre previous. Yeah, there we go. So if
[1:33:49] you are you have two suggested um
[1:33:53] drafted statements of consistency. The
[1:33:57] first three bullet points, excuse me, on
[1:33:59] both [clears throat] sides are the same.
[1:34:01] And the bottom bullet point on each side
[1:34:04] is different. one side supporting
[1:34:07] approval of the resoning and one side
[1:34:09] supporting denial of the resoning. Um,
[1:34:12] so what you would need to do now is we
[1:34:15] need a motion to adopt one of these
[1:34:18] statements of consistency.
[1:34:20] » Thank you,
[1:34:21] » Mayor. I'll make a motion if time the
[1:34:23] time to do that we deny this for the
[1:34:27] zoning amendment. It is not reasonable
[1:34:28] and it's not in the public interest of
[1:34:30] this area.
[1:34:31] » All right, we have
[1:34:32] » I would second that. We have a motion
[1:34:35] and a second supporting denial.
[1:34:39] » I have a comment.
[1:34:40] » Yes, ma'am.
[1:34:41] » Um, and my comment is in reference to
[1:34:43] the land use plan because it actually
[1:34:45] does reference that in here. And so, uh,
[1:34:48] a lot of you guys brought that up
[1:34:50] tonight and I would also like to say
[1:34:52] there's a lot of full chairs in here,
[1:34:53] which is really nice to see to be
[1:34:55] completely honest with you. It's part of
[1:34:56] the process. Um, I would also say that
[1:34:59] we discussed on Tuesday night, uh, the
[1:35:02] upcoming land use plan is going to be
[1:35:04] looked at. Um, that would be a great
[1:35:08] time to give feedback because understand
[1:35:11] that a lot of times the only time we get
[1:35:13] feedback are in these situations. So, do
[1:35:17] know that when we do these land use
[1:35:18] plans, there are meetings, there are
[1:35:21] hours and hours of public open input.
[1:35:25] And I gotta tell you, there's about the
[1:35:27] five people that are sitting on the
[1:35:28] front row that give the input. So, it
[1:35:30] would really be beneficial for us um
[1:35:33] from a standpoint of that because it was
[1:35:35] brought up several times. So, I just I
[1:35:37] just wanted to make that comment. I
[1:35:38] think it's a a real opportunity for
[1:35:41] people to to give us input um instead of
[1:35:44] it coming to to this place. So, thank
[1:35:46] you.
[1:35:46] » Thank you.
[1:35:48] And I I am assuming there would be some
[1:35:51] community meetings as part of this plan.
[1:35:55] » Yes. The word copious mean.
[1:35:57] » Yes.
[1:35:58] » There will be there will be a lot
[1:35:59] » Lots of opportunities for citizen input
[1:36:03] for sure.
[1:36:05] Okay. We have a motion and a second. Is
[1:36:08] there any discussion? Yes, sir. So, I
[1:36:12] want to thank Kevin Ashley for his
[1:36:15] walking us through this and the
[1:36:18] ramifications of all this. I want to
[1:36:20] thank the representative of the owner
[1:36:24] for presenting. Well, you did that. I
[1:36:27] also want to thank the members of this
[1:36:31] community who have spoken very clearly
[1:36:34] to us in many different forums.
[1:36:37] This has been a much better meeting than
[1:36:39] I feared this evening and I am thankful
[1:36:44] for everybody's participation in this
[1:36:46] but I'm really do think at this stage it
[1:36:49] is time for us to deny this resing.
[1:36:51] » Great. Any other discussion?
[1:36:56] Okay. Hearing none, we will move to a
[1:36:58] vote. We do have a motion and a second.
[1:37:01] Can you supporting
[1:37:02] » Yes, ma'am. Make sure you say which
[1:37:04] motion it is because this is on the
[1:37:06] statement of consistency. And then
[1:37:08] Valerie, the next vote that we'll take
[1:37:10] is on the reszone.
[1:37:11] » Correct. Correct. Correct. We are at the
[1:37:13] stage of of um adopting the suggested
[1:37:17] statement of consistency. There is a
[1:37:19] motion and a second on the table for the
[1:37:23] supporting denial one with the red
[1:37:27] caption.
[1:37:28] Not reasonable. Not in the public
[1:37:30] interest. That's where we are.
[1:37:33] If there's any confusion about that,
[1:37:36] » Then then we got a problem because we've
[1:37:38] said it three times.
[1:37:39] » And after we take that vote, there will
[1:37:41] be a second vote where you vote on the
[1:37:44] resoning itself.
[1:37:45] » Right.
[1:37:47] Okay. Does anybody have any question
[1:37:49] about what they're voting on?
[1:37:51] » I think it's crystal clear.
[1:37:54] » Yes.
[1:37:55] » So, we have a motion and a second
[1:37:57] supporting denial. All in favor, please
[1:38:00] say I.
[1:38:02] All oppose, please say no.
[1:38:05] » No.
[1:38:06] » Okay. So, we've got
[1:38:10] three nos and
[1:38:13] four yeses.
[1:38:16] Correct.
[1:38:19] » Great. So, that motion passes.
[1:38:22] » Next up, I turn it back to you, Valerie.
[1:38:25] [clears throat]
[1:38:26] So the next um uh step in the process is
[1:38:31] to to approve or deny the reasonzoning
[1:38:34] itself. If you are for some reason going
[1:38:36] to adopt the denial statement of
[1:38:38] consistency but approve the
[1:38:40] reasonzoning, I don't suggest doing
[1:38:42] that. Um because it's inconsistent. Um
[1:38:47] you would do with the approval with the
[1:38:49] conditions. If you're denying the motion
[1:38:50] can just be a motion to deny the
[1:38:52] reasoning.
[1:38:55] All right. So, council, any any
[1:38:58] questions on that? So, do I hear a
[1:39:01] motion
[1:39:03] to either approve
[1:39:06] or deny
[1:39:08] the zoning map amendment?
[1:39:11] » Mayor, I'll go ahead and make that
[1:39:12] motion as well to deny the zoning map
[1:39:14] amendment.
[1:39:16] » Second.
[1:39:17] » Okay, we have a motion and a second to
[1:39:20] deny the zoning map amendment.
[1:39:24] Is there any discussion
[1:39:28] hearing? None. All in favor, please say
[1:39:31] I and raise your hand.
[1:39:36] One, two, three, four, five. That is
[1:39:38] unanimous. So that motion passes. Thank
[1:39:42] you.
[1:39:44] All right. We move now to the next item
[1:39:46] on the agenda which is another uh public
[1:39:51] hearing which I will go ahead and open
[1:39:54] up. I think Autumn is going to brief for
[1:39:59] Kevin.
[1:40:07] » Okay. Hey,
[1:40:13] » And if you want to wait for just a
[1:40:16] moment until
[1:40:17] » Till until council chambers empties out
[1:40:20] a little bit so everybody can hear.
[1:40:36] Okay, I think we're good to go ahead.
[1:40:38] » All right. Good evening, Mr. Mayor,
[1:40:39] members of council, Mr. Payne, Miss
[1:40:41] Gchinsky, and Miss Jenkins.
[1:40:54] » So, this is a text amendment for the
[1:40:56] neighbor neighborhood infill residential
[1:40:58] district. And then we had one part that
[1:40:59] was added about the signs that we missed
[1:41:01] last month. So I'll go through this
[1:41:03] relatively quickly. Uh so the article to
[1:41:05] be amended is article 9.5 which is the
[1:41:08] neighborhood infill residential
[1:41:09] district. And uh this basically looks at
[1:41:12] our tiny homes in our cottage homes. And
[1:41:15] then we're going to quickly look at
[1:41:16] incidental signs um directory signs in
[1:41:19] um center city. So the background of
[1:41:22] this very quickly is that in October of
[1:41:24] 2023, city council amended the CDO to
[1:41:27] create the NRD. And during that time,
[1:41:30] the past three years, we've gotten a lot
[1:41:32] of input. Uh the planning department has
[1:41:34] that some of the current development
[1:41:36] standards. Um there are some challenges
[1:41:38] to coming up with a site plan for tiny
[1:41:41] homes or cottage homes that are fully
[1:41:42] compliant with the standards that we've
[1:41:44] set forth. So, in an effort to make it
[1:41:46] more friendly and make things more
[1:41:48] flexible, um we have uh come to you with
[1:41:51] these amendments to the CDO. For the um
[1:41:56] the purpose here, uh we did remove the
[1:41:59] adequate on street and or off- streetet
[1:42:01] parking because as of January 2027,
[1:42:04] minimum parking requirements will no
[1:42:06] longer um be allowed in North Carolina.
[1:42:08] So, we are removing that from the CDO.
[1:42:12] Um the NRD district currently is only in
[1:42:16] uh urban neighborhood. We've asked that
[1:42:18] it be changed to village center and
[1:42:20] mixeduse activity center um just to um
[1:42:25] help with there's with both of these
[1:42:29] land use designations you see more um
[1:42:32] connection to surrounding neighborhoods
[1:42:34] u being more pedestrian friendly, bike
[1:42:36] friendly um neighborhood serving and
[1:42:38] there are also transit facilities. So
[1:42:40] for these tiny homes and cottage homes,
[1:42:42] um that would that would be a positive
[1:42:44] for these.
[1:42:46] Uh there were a couple changes in
[1:42:48] definition. Essentially when we went
[1:42:50] from heated floor area to gross floor
[1:42:52] area and that just aligns more closely
[1:42:55] with other municipalities and our CDO as
[1:42:57] well.
[1:43:00] And 9.5 which is the application
[1:43:03] procedure and approval process is where
[1:43:06] we see uh most of the changes. So we
[1:43:09] removed the minimum and maximum number
[1:43:11] of dwellings. We have um defined maximum
[1:43:16] building height a little differently.
[1:43:17] Not only can it be two stories like on a
[1:43:20] slab, but it could be an elevated
[1:43:21] twotory so that parking can be
[1:43:23] underneath. So it's just a different um
[1:43:25] flexibility in providing parking for
[1:43:27] these um neighborhoods. We decreased the
[1:43:31] minimum open space just again for that
[1:43:33] flexibility and understanding that there
[1:43:36] may not be a need for such vast amounts
[1:43:38] of open space in these smaller
[1:43:40] communities because they should be you
[1:43:42] know your more tightknit tight-knit
[1:43:44] communities. Um we went instead of
[1:43:47] buffers um perimeter plantings. So
[1:43:50] that's a 12ft average width with one
[1:43:52] shade tree per 100 ft. And then there
[1:43:54] won't be any additional plantings within
[1:43:57] um the site itself.
[1:44:00] And you can see for the most part with
[1:44:01] cottage homes um the same information
[1:44:04] that I just noted um on the tiny homes
[1:44:07] um with the removal of the minimum and
[1:44:10] maximum number of dwellings as well as
[1:44:13] um the building height and then those
[1:44:16] plantings.
[1:44:18] [snorts]
[1:44:20] So going on with the application
[1:44:23] procedure and approval process, um we
[1:44:26] have clarified the types of amenities,
[1:44:28] we have um added [clears throat] that
[1:44:30] there definitely needs to be a
[1:44:32] pedestrian network to connect all
[1:44:33] buildings, parking and sidewalks because
[1:44:36] again you're you want these communities
[1:44:38] to be um traversible. Uh removal of
[1:44:42] minimum parking requirements, common
[1:44:44] open space should be accessible to all.
[1:44:47] Um, we've added that solid waste
[1:44:49] collection can now also um be done by
[1:44:52] private companies
[1:44:54] and fire code standards need to be met.
[1:44:57] [snorts] So, that's all for the tiny
[1:45:00] homes and the cottage homes with the
[1:45:02] incidental signs. Um, we did discuss
[1:45:04] this and it was just left out of um our
[1:45:07] the ordinance from from last month.
[1:45:10] Essentially, we want directory signs to
[1:45:13] be permissible um in CC only. This is
[1:45:15] one sign per exterior entrance, not
[1:45:18] exceeding six square ft. And this is for
[1:45:20] multi-tenant, multi-story buildings. And
[1:45:23] this will this does things like list the
[1:45:25] tenant, their suite number, um hours of
[1:45:27] operation, etc.
[1:45:30] So, here is your suggested statement of
[1:45:32] reasonleness and consistency. The top
[1:45:34] two bullet points are the ones that were
[1:45:36] approved by planning and zoning at their
[1:45:39] August meeting. And uh there is that
[1:45:42] denial language if if you choose that.
[1:45:46] Uh so your next steps are to consider
[1:45:48] the text amendments to the CDO, approve
[1:45:50] or amend the statement of consistency,
[1:45:52] and approve or deny the proposed
[1:45:55] proposed text amendments. And I can take
[1:45:56] any questions that you have.
[1:46:00] » Questions for Autumn.
[1:46:04] » All right.
[1:46:05] » Thank you.
[1:46:05] » Thank you. Uh I do not have anyone that
[1:46:09] has signed up to speak uh during this
[1:46:12] public hearing. Uh so we will close the
[1:46:15] public hearing. [clears throat]
[1:46:17] And council members, what's your
[1:46:19] pleasure on this item?
[1:46:22] If we could get that motion back up on
[1:46:24] the screen, it might be helpful. Yeah.
[1:46:32] So, Mr. Mayor, I I make the motion that
[1:46:35] we do the cons statement of cons
[1:46:37] reasonleness and consistency, the top
[1:46:40] two bullet points in blue.
[1:46:42] » I second.
[1:46:43] » Okay, we have a motion and a second uh
[1:46:47] in support of these changes. Uh is there
[1:46:53] discussion
[1:46:56] hearing? None. All in favor of the
[1:46:58] motion, please say I. All oppose, please
[1:47:02] say no. That motion passes. And then do
[1:47:06] we have another step on this one?
[1:47:08] » Yes, sir. The next step is to approve or
[1:47:10] deny the text amendments.
[1:47:12] » Great. So, do I hear a motion to either
[1:47:16] approve or deny the proposed text
[1:47:19] amendments?
[1:47:20] » Mayor,
[1:47:21] » Go ahead, please.
[1:47:22] » Mayor, make that motion to approve.
[1:47:24] » I'll second that. Okay, we have a motion
[1:47:26] and a second to approve the proposed
[1:47:30] text amendments. Is there discussion?
[1:47:33] Hearing none. All in favor, please say
[1:47:36] I.
[1:47:37] » All oppose, please say no. That motion
[1:47:40] passes.
[1:47:42] All right. And then we will move to the
[1:47:45] next item three. Um, we also have a
[1:47:49] public hearing on that item. Let's see.
[1:47:53] Did I close the last public hearing? I
[1:47:56] think I did. Yeah. And so I'll open the
[1:47:59] public hearing and I will invite Fred to
[1:48:02] come up and brief us on this item.
[1:48:10] » Good evening, Mayor Morris, members of
[1:48:12] council, Mr. Payne, uh, Miss Ginsky,
[1:48:15] Miss Jenkins. Um, the item before you is
[1:48:17] a conditional resoning application, uh,
[1:48:19] case number ZCD 2325.
[1:48:23] Um, and this reszoning request is for a
[1:48:26] single parcel consisting of uh
[1:48:28] approximately 4.879 acres um located at
[1:48:32] 190 George L Parkway. Um, basically the
[1:48:34] southeast quadrant of the George L and
[1:48:37] Weddington Road uh intersection. Um, and
[1:48:40] the applicant for this request is TWWP
[1:48:42] Acquisitions LLC. Um and the request
[1:48:45] again is to reszone the property from
[1:48:47] light commercial and office conditional
[1:48:49] district to general commercial um
[1:48:52] conditional district to construct a a
[1:48:54] 5,600 ft convenience store with gas um
[1:48:58] as well as a 1,330
[1:49:00] uh square foot car wash.
[1:49:05] Staff captured some drone photos of the
[1:49:08] subject property. Um as you can see uh
[1:49:10] aptly labeled there. Look, the slide to
[1:49:13] the left is looking south toward the
[1:49:15] site with Sheffield Manor on the left
[1:49:17] side of that particular slide with the
[1:49:19] Willow Oak development uh in the uh on
[1:49:21] the right side of that uh picture
[1:49:23] containing varied uh commercial uses
[1:49:26] including a BP Publix uh and several
[1:49:28] other retail uses. Um looking to the
[1:49:31] south, looking east toward the site is a
[1:49:32] picture on the right um which again
[1:49:35] shows those um two uses um just from a
[1:49:38] different angle.
[1:49:43] for a little bit of history on this
[1:49:44] parcel. Um, this parcel was annexed into
[1:49:46] the city um in 1995 and when it was it
[1:49:49] was zoned R2 for residential uses. Um
[1:49:53] once the CDO was adopted uh the property
[1:49:55] was converted to residential village but
[1:49:58] prior to the construction of the George
[1:49:59] L Parkway in 2015 and 2016 the parcel
[1:50:02] was a part of a larger property um to
[1:50:04] the west that which is located um which
[1:50:07] is labeled C2CD immediately across the L
[1:50:10] Parkway rightway. Um and also the land
[1:50:13] use plan at the time um characterized
[1:50:15] the parcels as village center and
[1:50:17] commercial. in effect when the uh George
[1:50:20] L Parkway was constructed uh it impacted
[1:50:24] the development character of the areas
[1:50:26] nearest this newly created uh George L
[1:50:29] Parkway intersection with Weddington
[1:50:31] Road. Um the Parkway's construction
[1:50:34] itself by sected a large parcel uh the
[1:50:37] larger parcel um that eventually was
[1:50:39] developed to the west as a Willow Oaks
[1:50:41] um commercial development with the
[1:50:43] public's BP and the other retail and it
[1:50:46] also left the remaining parcel our
[1:50:48] subject property uh to the east as
[1:50:50] undeveloped.
[1:50:52] Regarding the U zoning surrounding the
[1:50:54] subject parcel, to the south and east
[1:50:56] are RC zone parcels uh that are
[1:50:59] residential in nature and in use and to
[1:51:01] the north and west there are C2
[1:51:03] conventional and conditional zoning
[1:51:05] properties uh with some RV uh
[1:51:08] residential village uh as well. These
[1:51:10] parcels are um comprised of a mix of
[1:51:13] commercial uses um and undeveloped
[1:51:15] areas.
[1:51:18] for additional background regarding this
[1:51:20] conditional resoning application. Um
[1:51:22] staff has we basically created a brief
[1:51:24] timeline uh of the subject property um
[1:51:27] and the uh detailing how we got to this
[1:51:30] point. Um so in November of 2023, staff
[1:51:33] received the initial conditional
[1:51:34] resoning application for the property uh
[1:51:37] which was proposed to be developed uh as
[1:51:39] various commercial and retail uses um
[1:51:42] including a daycare and a quickserve
[1:51:44] business. Um, in December of that same
[1:51:47] year, uh, the DRC received and reviewed
[1:51:50] a sketch plan for the application. Um,
[1:51:52] this time it showed a child care center,
[1:51:54] a retail use, um, a drive-through
[1:51:57] restaurant, and an oil change facility
[1:51:58] on the property. So, from one month to
[1:52:00] the next, we got a little bit deeper in
[1:52:02] terms of more [clears throat] spec
[1:52:03] specificity with the um, proposed uses.
[1:52:06] Um, following that, um, the applicant,
[1:52:08] uh, applied for and received a
[1:52:09] preliminary sewer allocation, um, for
[1:52:12] those affformentioned uses in January of
[1:52:14] 2024. Um, in November of 2025, we
[1:52:19] received a new conditional resoning
[1:52:20] application site plan, which actually
[1:52:23] showed a 3,000 ft car wash and a 5,600
[1:52:27] foot convenience store with gas. Um,
[1:52:30] fast forward to August of this year, the
[1:52:33] planning and zoning commission heard the
[1:52:35] reasonzoning request uh for that
[1:52:37] particular for this particular petition,
[1:52:38] which is for a 1,330
[1:52:41] ft car wash and a 5600T convenience
[1:52:44] store with gas. Um, and they voted
[1:52:46] unanimously to recommend denial uh of
[1:52:49] the zoning map amendment request at that
[1:52:51] time.
[1:52:54] Um this next slide shows the site plan
[1:52:56] that was considered by the planning and
[1:52:57] zoning commission at that
[1:52:59] affforementioned August meeting. Um and
[1:53:01] as I mentioned previously, the applicant
[1:53:03] um proposes to develop a a 5,600 foot
[1:53:07] car wash with uh I mean excuse me,
[1:53:09] convenience store with gas and a 1,330
[1:53:12] foot um car wash facility uh on the
[1:53:16] property as shown here on the site plan.
[1:53:18] But as you can see, the site plan um
[1:53:20] proposes to create three lots. Um lot
[1:53:23] one being the principal convenience
[1:53:24] store. Lot two would be a uh is
[1:53:26] designated as a future and unspecified
[1:53:28] commercial development. And lot three is
[1:53:31] labeled as a storm water management
[1:53:33] area. And the proposed development will
[1:53:35] have vehicular access off of George Law
[1:53:37] Parkway as well as Weddington Road via
[1:53:40] two separate right in right out um
[1:53:43] driveways um which were recommended um
[1:53:46] by the applicant's traffic impact
[1:53:48] analysis as well as reviewed and
[1:53:50] approved by city transportation at NC
[1:53:52] DOT. Um this site plan additionally was
[1:53:55] recommended for denial by planning and
[1:53:57] zoning. Um, and it actually showed a
[1:53:59] 20ft type C buffer along the western
[1:54:02] property boundary, basically where the
[1:54:04] parcel, the subject property abuts the
[1:54:06] RC and RV residential village properties
[1:54:09] um of Sheffield Manor.
[1:54:15] Uh, this slide shows an actual revised
[1:54:17] site plan that was presented um that was
[1:54:20] u submitted by the applicant um to
[1:54:23] address the concerns that were brought
[1:54:24] forward at the planning and zoning
[1:54:25] commission meeting. Um the most
[1:54:27] significant revisions to um this site
[1:54:29] plan are uh that the applicant's now
[1:54:32] proposing to increase the buffer yard
[1:54:34] between the proposed used and Sheffield
[1:54:36] Manor uh from 20 ft to 30 ft. Um and
[1:54:40] that the applicant is also proposing to
[1:54:41] install a 10-ft high masonry wall along
[1:54:44] the western edge of the drive aisle
[1:54:46] nearest the subdivision. Um it should be
[1:54:49] noted that these proposed changes have
[1:54:51] not been reviewed by DRC for adherence
[1:54:54] to uh CDO standards.
[1:54:59] U this slide is just a colorized
[1:55:01] rendering of the applicant's preliminary
[1:55:03] uh landscape plan uh that they first
[1:55:05] introduced at last month's planning and
[1:55:07] zoning commission meeting. Uh we didn't
[1:55:09] want to leave you guys out in that.
[1:55:12] Uh but in regards to the 2030 land use
[1:55:14] plan, um the land use plan characterizes
[1:55:16] the subject property as urban
[1:55:18] neighborhood. Um and the requested C2
[1:55:20] general commercial conditional district
[1:55:22] uh is not a corresponding zoning
[1:55:24] classification. Therefore, a land use
[1:55:26] plan amendment will be required.
[1:55:29] The sub property is located um adjacent
[1:55:32] to a large commercially designated area.
[1:55:34] However, um the Willow Oaks development
[1:55:36] to the west um and as defined by the
[1:55:38] 2030 land use plan um and if approved,
[1:55:41] staff would recommend that the land use
[1:55:43] category be amended to commercial um as
[1:55:45] C2CD is a corresponding zoning
[1:55:48] classification within that land use
[1:55:50] category.
[1:55:54] Uh, as with all resonings, and pursuant
[1:55:56] to the CDO, the applicant um notified
[1:55:59] formally recognized neighborhood
[1:56:00] organizations as well as HOAs within a
[1:56:03] half mile radius of the subject
[1:56:04] property, as shown here on this map. Uh,
[1:56:06] council also should be advised that the
[1:56:09] applicant did conduct a virtual um
[1:56:11] community meeting on August the 3rd um
[1:56:13] of this year at 6 PM um and also
[1:56:16] provided staff with a transcript of that
[1:56:18] meeting. Additionally, planning staff
[1:56:20] notified adjacent property owners and
[1:56:22] recognized neighborhoods and APOs uh and
[1:56:25] HOAs with um APO letters as well as uh
[1:56:28] newspaper advertisements for both the
[1:56:30] planning and zoning commission meeting
[1:56:32] um as well as for this council meeting
[1:56:35] um as most recently as letters dated
[1:56:37] August the 24th uh with ad runs of
[1:56:40] August 29th and September the 5th for
[1:56:42] this particular meeting tonight.
[1:56:46] Um, council can see this suggest a
[1:56:48] statement of consistencies here on the
[1:56:50] screen. Um, the one on the left is if
[1:56:54] council supports approval of the
[1:56:56] application um or on the right
[1:56:59] supporting denial, which was uh the the
[1:57:02] the attack of the uh planning and zoning
[1:57:04] commission. Um,
[1:57:06] as with uh all resoning map amendment
[1:57:08] applications, planning staff uh presents
[1:57:10] both approval and denial language uh for
[1:57:13] council's consideration uh and adoption.
[1:57:18] In regards to the um suggested u
[1:57:20] conditions, staff recommends the
[1:57:22] following conditions. Um and these
[1:57:23] conditions have been shared with the
[1:57:25] applicant. I'll hit them in brief.
[1:57:27] Compliance with the TWWP Concord retail
[1:57:29] site plan dated 82526.
[1:57:33] Um the applicant has been notified that
[1:57:35] any sign permits will be um permitted
[1:57:37] separately um per article
[1:57:39] [clears throat] 12 of the CDO. Um any
[1:57:40] building materials and elevations will
[1:57:43] um meet uh article standard 7.10 divine
[1:57:46] design standards of the CDO uh at the
[1:57:49] construction review level. Um a dumpster
[1:57:52] detail uh shall be shown uh and shall be
[1:57:55] installed pursuant to 8.3.6c of the CDO
[1:57:59] during construction plan review. Um,
[1:58:01] additionally, um, although a preliminary
[1:58:03] sewer allocation was granted, uh, the
[1:58:05] scope of the site development and the
[1:58:06] resoning does not correspond with what
[1:58:08] that which was previously approved. Um,
[1:58:11] so therefore, a new preliminary sewer
[1:58:13] allocation application request may be
[1:58:15] requested um, per the adopted sewer
[1:58:17] policy. Uh, items conditions six and
[1:58:20] seven were recent ads. Again, these were
[1:58:22] um, conditions that were added to
[1:58:24] address some of the concerns that were
[1:58:25] brought forth in planning and zoning. Um
[1:58:27] the applicant shall provide a 30-foot
[1:58:29] undisturbed buffer along the eastern
[1:58:30] property line where adjacent to the
[1:58:32] residentially zoned or developed
[1:58:33] parcels. Um and this doesn't include the
[1:58:36] storm water management area or the
[1:58:37] service um company parcel which is a
[1:58:40] little gas outlier um uh I want to say
[1:58:44] on um Weddington there. Um but a 20ft uh
[1:58:48] uninstalled buffer shall be provided
[1:58:50] there. Um, additionally, the applicant
[1:58:52] shall provide a 10-ft masonry screen
[1:58:54] wall alongside the driveway of the
[1:58:56] property to be developed as the
[1:58:58] convenience store. And as with most
[1:59:00] conditional resonings, art um conditions
[1:59:03] eight and nine are standard fair
[1:59:05] regarding technical site plan review
[1:59:06] that would be required. Um, and approval
[1:59:09] by all any local, state, and federal
[1:59:11] agencies. Uh, additionally, any future
[1:59:13] modifications or additions would require
[1:59:15] um further approval by planning and
[1:59:17] zoning commission.
[1:59:19] I think I made it through and I'll
[1:59:21] gladly take any questions that council
[1:59:22] may have at this time.
[1:59:23] » Thank you. Any questions for Fred before
[1:59:26] we hear from uh the proponents and
[1:59:29] opponents?
[1:59:29] » Oh, no. You know what?
[1:59:32] » Great. Thank you. Okay, we have only one
[1:59:37] proponent that has signed up to speak
[1:59:39] and I think that's John Mack.
[1:59:42] » Monk.
[1:59:43] » Yep.
[1:59:46] » [clears throat]
[1:59:49] » Uh, good evening mayor and members of
[1:59:50] council. My name is John Mock and I'm
[1:59:52] here on behalf of Track West Partners,
[1:59:53] the developer for this project. Thank
[1:59:55] you for your time tonight. It's been a
[1:59:56] pleasure getting to know some of you
[1:59:57] over the last several weeks and I really
[1:59:59] appreciate I hope you all were to
[2:00:00] hearing our plans and the improvements
[2:00:02] we made working on we've been working on
[2:00:03] to make this a project worth your
[2:00:05] support. I'm here to request a reszone
[2:00:07] of the 4.8 acres at 190 George W. allows
[2:00:10] Parkway from C1 CD to C2 CD conditional
[2:00:13] district to allow a 5600 ft dash and
[2:00:16] convenience store with the fuel canopy
[2:00:18] and a300 foot splashing car wash. The
[2:00:21] planning and zoning commission heard
[2:00:22] this case on August 18th and recommended
[2:00:24] denial on an advisory basis. Being
[2:00:26] completely honest, after attending the
[2:00:27] planning and zoning meeting, I'm not
[2:00:28] surprised the board recommended denial.
[2:00:30] We were caught flatfooted. We weren't
[2:00:32] expecting the depth of feedback we heard
[2:00:33] from the neighbors. We weren't ready to
[2:00:35] provide concrete solutions that we could
[2:00:36] stand behind during that meeting. What
[2:00:38] I'm about to present today is what I
[2:00:40] believe solutions to all the comments we
[2:00:42] heard. Everything I'm going to walk you
[2:00:43] through tonight is our direct response
[2:00:45] to what was raised at that hearing, what
[2:00:46] we've improved, what we've committed to
[2:00:48] in writing, and why I believe this plan
[2:00:49] deserves your approval.
[2:00:56] Hit the next slide there.
[2:01:01] I'll do that.
[2:01:08] Set the arrow button. It's not working.
[2:01:21] Before [clears throat]
[2:01:34] we get into the plan itself, I want to
[2:01:36] be clear about where we stand right now.
[2:01:37] We held a community meeting on August
[2:01:38] 3rd. Planning and zoning heard the case
[2:01:40] on August 18th and recommend a
[2:01:42] recommendation is advisory. Tonight,
[2:01:44] council makes the bonding decision
[2:01:45] decision on this project. Since that
[2:01:48] hearing, we haven't stood still. The
[2:01:49] masonry wall has been drawn into the
[2:01:50] plan 10 10 ft tall, 400 ft of brick. The
[2:01:54] landscape plan has been sealed with a 90
[2:01:55] foot buffer, 30 ft of which is an
[2:01:57] established and mature tree line. And
[2:01:58] the phototric plan is complete, showing
[2:02:00] 0.0 foot candles at the rear property
[2:02:03] line. That means our project won't have
[2:02:04] any lights spilling onto the neighboring
[2:02:06] properties. Council's two actions in
[2:02:08] front of it tonight. First, to amend the
[2:02:09] 2030 land use plan designation on this
[2:02:11] parcel from urban neighborhood to
[2:02:12] commercial, and second to approve the
[2:02:14] resoning itself from C1 CD to C2 CD.
[2:02:20] So what is exactly being proposed? The
[2:02:22] 4.8 acres at the southeast quadrant of
[2:02:24] George Lyles Parkway and Wington Road,
[2:02:25] Bacon's L Parkway was built in 2015. The
[2:02:28] plan is a 5600T convenience store with
[2:02:31] the fuel canopy and a 1300 foot bay car
[2:02:33] wash on three lots. The first lot is the
[2:02:35] dashin parcel. The second is a future
[2:02:38] commercial lot and then a lot entirely
[2:02:39] dedicated to storm water. For the future
[2:02:42] commercial lot, we are in deep
[2:02:43] discussions with the local credit union
[2:02:45] to open a branch on that parcel. I do
[2:02:47] want to note that any plan for that
[2:02:48] parcel will need to come back in front
[2:02:49] of council for your approval. So voting
[2:02:51] yes for the dash in tonight does not
[2:02:53] give us any approval to develop the
[2:02:54] second parcel without your review and
[2:02:56] approval at a later date. Access in the
[2:02:58] site is right in right out only on L
[2:03:00] Parkway on Weddington's right in right
[2:03:02] out and left in. No left turnout in
[2:03:04] either direction in any point. And where
[2:03:06] this site touches residential zoning to
[2:03:07] the rear, we're providing a type-C
[2:03:09] buffer 30 ft completely undisturbed and
[2:03:11] over 90 ft total which I'll walk through
[2:03:13] in detail in a few minutes. What we're
[2:03:16] asking for is a straightforward resone
[2:03:17] from C1CD like commercial office to C2CD
[2:03:20] general commercial as a conditional
[2:03:21] district.
[2:03:24] I think it helps to see what exact what
[2:03:26] what's actually around this corner
[2:03:28] today. To the west across George W. Laws
[2:03:30] Parkway is C2CD. That's Publix and
[2:03:33] operating BP convenience store gas
[2:03:34] station and other retail. To the north
[2:03:37] to the north across Weddington Road is
[2:03:38] currently zone C2. To the south is
[2:03:41] Sheffield Manor and to the east is more
[2:03:42] residential along with Weddington Hills
[2:03:44] Elementary and West Cabaras High further
[2:03:46] out to the point of the the point of the
[2:03:48] slide is simple. Two of the site's four
[2:03:50] boundaries are arterial rights away. The
[2:03:52] third boundary is already C2 commercial.
[2:03:54] The corner sits inside the same
[2:03:55] commercial node as the grocery center
[2:03:57] and operating gas station. We are not
[2:03:59] introducing a new use to this
[2:04:00] intersection. We're just completing the
[2:04:02] intersection with the same uses.
[2:04:07] Here's why we're in front of you asking
[2:04:08] for C2 CD specifically. C1 CD the site's
[2:04:11] current zoning does not permit a
[2:04:12] convenience store with fuel sales or car
[2:04:14] wash. C2CD is the district that allows
[2:04:16] both. This is a conditional district
[2:04:19] which matters. It means only the uses
[2:04:21] and structures shown in our approved
[2:04:22] site plan can be built there. This
[2:04:24] property will be bound to those
[2:04:25] conditions permanently. We've offered
[2:04:26] several conditions voluntarily on top of
[2:04:28] the condition staff has recommended and
[2:04:30] the development review committee has
[2:04:31] reviewed this plan and recorded no
[2:04:32] objections to the petition. I also want
[2:04:34] to walk through the zoning history
[2:04:35] because I think it matters for tonight's
[2:04:37] decision. The parcel was annexed into
[2:04:39] the city in December of 95. In October
[2:04:41] of 2015, it was reszoned to C1CD for a
[2:04:44] 36,100
[2:04:46] ft legal grocery store, who is still the
[2:04:48] current owner of this property. In 23, a
[2:04:50] mixeduse case, a mixed commercial case
[2:04:52] was submitted, but later voided. And
[2:04:54] today, we're asking for C2CD for a 5600T
[2:04:57] convenience store and a 1300 foot car
[2:04:59] wash. The reason that matters, that
[2:05:01] parcel has been zoned and approved for
[2:05:03] commercial development since 2015. The
[2:05:06] question in front of council tonight
[2:05:07] isn't whether this corner becomes
[2:05:08] commercial. It already is. The question
[2:05:10] is which commercial use and under which
[2:05:12] what conditions and protections. I make
[2:05:14] that distinction because this property
[2:05:16] is this property being developed isn't a
[2:05:18] question of if. It's a question of when.
[2:05:22] I want to address the land use plan
[2:05:24] question directly because staff's report
[2:05:26] is honest about it and so are we. The
[2:05:27] site is designated urban neighborhood on
[2:05:29] the 2030 land use plan. C2CD isn't a
[2:05:32] corresponding district under that
[2:05:33] designation. So staff finds that reason
[2:05:35] request inconsistent with the plan as
[2:05:37] currently written. That's exactly why an
[2:05:39] amendment to commercial is part of
[2:05:40] tonight's action. But I'd also ask you
[2:05:42] to look at what staff's own suggested
[2:05:43] finding says because it's not neutral on
[2:05:45] the merits. It says the amendment, and I
[2:05:47] quote, is reasonable and in the public
[2:05:49] interest as it is consistent with the
[2:05:51] existing zoning to the north and west
[2:05:52] and would be an extension of the
[2:05:54] neighborhood commercial development
[2:05:55] pattern at the George Laws Parkway
[2:05:57] intersection. And the plan itself
[2:05:59] anticipates exactly this kind of site.
[2:06:01] It says lots let this intersection of
[2:06:04] lots at intersections of collector and
[2:06:06] arterial streets within or at the edges
[2:06:08] of urban neighborhoods may support
[2:06:09] neighborhood and community serving
[2:06:11] commercial uses. That's a precise
[2:06:13] description of this corner. An
[2:06:14] intersection at the edge edge of a
[2:06:16] neighborhood directly adjacent to CU C2
[2:06:19] CD and C2 commercial to the west and
[2:06:21] north.
[2:06:24] I want to [clears throat] spend a few
[2:06:25] moments on the process because I think
[2:06:26] it shapes how you should weigh
[2:06:28] everything else tonight. Planning and
[2:06:30] zoning advises advises, but council
[2:06:32] decides. You're not bound by the
[2:06:33] recommendation. I heard the question
[2:06:35] asked on Tuesday afternoon during the
[2:06:36] workshop meeting on why this was still
[2:06:38] being presented tonight. The reason is
[2:06:40] we are presenting a much improved plan
[2:06:41] with concrete solutions versus what was
[2:06:43] presented to the planning and zoning
[2:06:44] board a few weeks ago. The development
[2:06:46] ordinance asks you to adopt two
[2:06:48] statements. Whether the amendment is
[2:06:49] consistent with the adopted plan and
[2:06:51] whether it's reasonable and in the
[2:06:52] public interest. And critically,
[2:06:54] inconsistency with the current land use
[2:06:56] plan is not disqualifying. Council may
[2:06:59] approve the amendment and the reasoning
[2:07:00] in the same act action which is exactly
[2:07:02] the path we're asking for you to take
[2:07:04] tonight. I note again staff drafted the
[2:07:06] finding that supports approval. The
[2:07:07] development review committee recorded no
[2:07:09] objections. What's actually in front of
[2:07:10] you is the land use plan amendment which
[2:07:11] is squarely within council's authority
[2:07:13] and the conditions that will govern how
[2:07:14] this site gets built.
[2:07:20] This is our current site plan. It was
[2:07:21] prepared by engineer. It shows the 4.8
[2:07:23] acres across the three lots. The dashing
[2:07:25] itself is 2.58 acres. The future
[2:07:28] commercial lot which would have to come
[2:07:29] back for approval at a later date is
[2:07:30] 1.08 acres and the 61 acre lot is purely
[2:07:34] for commercial. This is the sheet bound
[2:07:36] by condition one and whatever gets built
[2:07:37] here has to match what's on this page.
[2:07:41] This is an elevation of the of the store
[2:07:43] that we are proposing to build. Um the
[2:07:46] store itself is 5600 ft standing about
[2:07:49] 18 ft 10 in to the parapit.
[2:07:53] Here are the elevations for the car
[2:07:54] wash. On the left is the entrance which
[2:07:57] faces toward the property line. On the
[2:07:59] right is the long side elevation. The
[2:08:01] building is 17 ft 6 in overall and the
[2:08:03] entrance end is screened by the 10-ft
[2:08:05] masonry wall running 400 ft across the
[2:08:08] property. The neighbors views will stop
[2:08:10] at the wall.
[2:08:13] I don't want to ask council to take
[2:08:14] these elevations on faith. So this slide
[2:08:16] is photographs, not renderings of a dash
[2:08:18] and splash and store already built and
[2:08:19] operating to the same prototype. The
[2:08:21] fuel canopy, the storefront glazing, the
[2:08:23] materials, the lighting standard. This
[2:08:24] isn't a concept. It's a store that
[2:08:26] exists today and it's the same design
[2:08:28] proposed for George W. Law's Parkway. I
[2:08:30] know several of you took the time to
[2:08:31] visit the existing dash on Vine Haven
[2:08:33] and I truly appreciate you guys taking
[2:08:34] the time to do that.
[2:08:37] This is what's inside the store. It's a
[2:08:39] fully staffed food and beverage
[2:08:40] operation. A made to order kitchen,
[2:08:42] packaged grocery, frozen and dairy
[2:08:44] cases, and a full beverage program.
[2:08:46] Fueling positions sit outside the
[2:08:47] building. Inside, this functions as a
[2:08:49] neighborhood convenience market. This is
[2:08:50] the store type we're proposing here.
[2:08:55] I'd point out specifically that food
[2:08:57] here is prepared on site by the store
[2:08:59] employees. It's a fully staffed kitchen
[2:09:00] line, a bakery case, daily produce prep.
[2:09:03] The kitchen runs during store hours
[2:09:04] along the retail floor. That's what
[2:09:06] separates this from a conventional
[2:09:07] fueling station with prepackaged goods
[2:09:09] on a shelf. This is closer to a small
[2:09:11] grocery with fuel service than a typical
[2:09:13] gas station. This is not a food pro
[2:09:15] program you'll find at the traditional
[2:09:17] convenience stores that are currently in
[2:09:18] the market. Dashing has built its
[2:09:20] reputation on fresh, highquality food
[2:09:22] and ingredients. For example, the eggs
[2:09:24] are cracked fresh, not poured from a
[2:09:26] carton. Prepared food doesn't sit for
[2:09:28] hours under heat lamps. And the baked
[2:09:29] goods and chips are made in house.
[2:09:34] Now, I want to walk you through the
[2:09:35] buffer in detail because this is the
[2:09:36] single biggest thing that changed as a
[2:09:38] direct result of what we heard from the
[2:09:39] neighbors. The ordinance minimum for a
[2:09:41] type-C buffer here is 20 ft. We
[2:09:43] originally committed to 30 ft
[2:09:44] undisturbed with the existing tree line
[2:09:46] left standing. Tonight we're offering 90
[2:09:48] feet total in the dash and parcel
[2:09:49] undisturbed plus planted plus the 10-
[2:09:51] foot masonry wall. That wall is 10 feet
[2:09:54] of brick, 400 feet long drawn onto the
[2:09:56] plant. It won't be an option that we
[2:09:58] might exercise later, but a commitment
[2:09:59] on the record. And it's not placed at
[2:10:01] the outer edge of the buffer for show.
[2:10:02] It's set at the drive where it actually
[2:10:04] blocks headlights, which is the point
[2:10:05] some of the neighbors raised during the
[2:10:07] last meeting. The landscape plan adds 54
[2:10:10] red cedars. They're 10 ft tall, planted
[2:10:12] 15 feet on center. Cedar and holly are
[2:10:14] both evergreen. So this green holds
[2:10:16] throughout the winter when a deciduous
[2:10:17] buffer would go bare. Currently the the
[2:10:19] trees out there go bare. And one of the
[2:10:21] complaints we heard during the last
[2:10:22] meeting was that during the winter time
[2:10:24] you can see straight to the Publix. This
[2:10:25] is a solution that would end that and
[2:10:27] we'd have the continuously blocked view
[2:10:29] for for the neighborhood in the rear.
[2:10:35] Here's the revised landscape plan
[2:10:36] itself. You can see we've added the the
[2:10:38] red cedars in the rear to really buffer
[2:10:40] the uh the view from the neighbors. And
[2:10:43] we have also added the 10-ft masonry
[2:10:44] wall.
[2:10:48] This is just the data sheet that goes
[2:10:49] with the with the landscape sheet.
[2:10:54] Lighting was one of the top concerns we
[2:10:55] heard. So I want to go through this
[2:10:56] carefully. This is the phototric plan
[2:10:58] that was prepared by Red Leonard and
[2:11:00] Associates. The number that matters
[2:11:01] most, 0.0 foot candles minimum beyond
[2:11:04] the paved area. That's the light level
[2:11:06] at the property line where it borders
[2:11:07] the homes. Average across that zone is
[2:11:09] essentially imperceptible. We're using
[2:11:11] 111 LED luminires, all with zero uplight
[2:11:14] Bug rating on every single pole and
[2:11:15] canopy fixture, meaning none of this
[2:11:17] light throws upward or outward pass
[2:11:19] where it's needed. 18 of those fixtures
[2:11:21] use house side shielding aimed
[2:11:22] specifically away from Sheffield Manor.
[2:11:24] Pole height is 17 ft, canopy fixtures
[2:11:26] are mounted at 15 ft, and the wall
[2:11:28] fixtures at 8 to 10 ft. The blue on this
[2:11:30] map means zero foot candles. That's the
[2:11:32] reading at the property line adjacent to
[2:11:34] the homes. This was all calculated
[2:11:36] before accounting for the additional
[2:11:38] evergreen plantings and masonry wall.
[2:11:39] So, I can confidently say that our
[2:11:40] project will not have any light
[2:11:41] intrusion onto the neighborhood.
[2:11:46] Our traffic impact analysis was prepared
[2:11:48] by DRMP. They're a third party traffic
[2:11:50] engineering firm and reviewed and
[2:11:51] accepted by NC DOT on March 20th of this
[2:11:53] year. This site, according to their
[2:11:55] study, will only add 111 trips in the
[2:11:57] morning peak and 121 in the evening peak
[2:12:00] after internal capture and pass by
[2:12:01] reductions are applied. That's only 3.1%
[2:12:04] of the total volume that's currently
[2:12:06] moving through the George L and Wington
[2:12:07] signal. So, our development is not going
[2:12:09] to add any meaningful additional traffic
[2:12:11] to this intersection. This is a
[2:12:12] convenience store. It's not a
[2:12:14] destination.
[2:12:16] Again, this study was done by a third
[2:12:18] party traffic engineer and it was
[2:12:19] reviewed and approved by NC DOT. This is
[2:12:21] not our gut feeling. This was done by
[2:12:23] actual data and actual engineers who
[2:12:25] know what they're doing.
[2:12:29] On access, George L Parkway is right in,
[2:12:31] right out only. Weddington is right in,
[2:12:33] right out and left in. No left out in
[2:12:35] either direction. And we are building
[2:12:36] this at our own cost. a concrete median
[2:12:38] on Weddington that physically prevents
[2:12:39] the left out of the site, a right turn
[2:12:41] lane and a left turn lane with a
[2:12:42] dedicated storage, a 5-ft sidewalk on
[2:12:44] George Lyles, a shared use path on
[2:12:46] Weddington, and a pedestrian connection
[2:12:48] toward Weddington Hills Elementary. NCD
[2:12:51] is not requiring us to make any kind of
[2:12:53] signal improvements with our plan.
[2:12:55] [snorts] I also want to point out a
[2:12:56] number that came up during the last
[2:12:58] meeting. Uh there was a question on how
[2:13:00] far our property is to the entrance to
[2:13:01] Sheffield. Uh we went ahead and measured
[2:13:03] on the GIS map and it says our the rear
[2:13:06] property line, not the entrance we're
[2:13:08] proposing, but the rear property line is
[2:13:09] 621 ft from Stone Hedge Lane, which is
[2:13:12] the Sheffield's main entrance.
[2:13:17] On storm water, what we can commit to
[2:13:19] tonight is no storm water runoff will be
[2:13:21] directed to the residential properties
[2:13:22] at the rear. All site drainage is
[2:13:24] captured on site and routed to the lot 3
[2:13:26] storm water facility. Post-development
[2:13:28] flows will not exceed pre-development
[2:13:30] rates as required by both the city and
[2:13:32] NCDQ. Lot three is 61 acres is reserved
[2:13:35] entirely for storm water and cannot be
[2:13:37] developed for anything else under this
[2:13:38] petition. The final pond design storm
[2:13:41] design detention volume and discharge
[2:13:43] point gets set through the city storm
[2:13:44] water permit review. Not here at
[2:13:46] resoning, but nothing gets built here
[2:13:48] until the city and every outside agency
[2:13:50] signs off. Approval tonight does not
[2:13:52] wave a single engineering standard.
[2:13:56] I want to spend some real time on the
[2:13:58] fuel safe because it's a fair question
[2:13:59] to ask about any site with underground
[2:14:01] storage tanks. This system is inspected
[2:14:03] in full by a third party consultant
[2:14:05] every 30 days. EPA only requires that
[2:14:07] inspection once a year. We're doing it
[2:14:09] monthly. Every tank is doublewalled with
[2:14:11] leak monitors in the space between the
[2:14:13] inner and outer walls. There are sumps
[2:14:14] with leak sensors at every critical
[2:14:16] piping joint and elbow. So the leaks get
[2:14:18] caught at the connection points, not
[2:14:19] just at the tank itself. It's a pressure
[2:14:21] line leak detection system and it
[2:14:22] constantly monitors any change in fuel
[2:14:24] line pressure. monitoring. Monitoring is
[2:14:27] continuous and not periodic. And the
[2:14:28] system watches line pressure, tank
[2:14:30] space, piping, sumps at all times. On
[2:14:32] top of that, with the 30-day inspection,
[2:14:34] if a sensor trips, the alarm goes to two
[2:14:36] places simultaneously. One, at the local
[2:14:38] store where it operates, and two at the
[2:14:40] Wills Group headquarters in Llata,
[2:14:42] Maryland. Another question was about air
[2:14:44] quality. Air quality is managed through
[2:14:46] vapor recovery. Fuel vapor is recaptured
[2:14:49] at the pump and recondensed back into
[2:14:50] the tanks. These are sealed tanks, not
[2:14:52] open containers. It's the same concept
[2:14:54] your own car uses and it's why a car
[2:14:57] sitting in a closed garage with 15
[2:14:58] gallons of gasoline in it doesn't fill
[2:15:00] the garage with fumes. None of this is
[2:15:02] waved by reszoning. Fuel systems are
[2:15:04] regulated independently by EPA and NCDQ.
[2:15:07] And this standard of monitoring applies
[2:15:08] every single day this store is open, not
[2:15:10] just at approval.
[2:15:13] On operations, the store and fuel and
[2:15:14] car wash operate 24/7, but deliveries
[2:15:16] and service will be restricted by time.
[2:15:19] Fender deliveries only between 7 am and
[2:15:21] 800 pm. Trash pickup only between 7 am
[2:15:23] and 800 p.m. And fuel deliveries only
[2:15:25] from the front of the site, never at the
[2:15:27] rear. For staffing, the kitchen the
[2:15:29] kitchen has four employees and the front
[2:15:30] of house has four employees during the
[2:15:32] day. Two kitchen and one front of the
[2:15:34] house employee at night. Plus 247
[2:15:36] there's always a dedicated exterior
[2:15:38] attendant whose job is specifically to
[2:15:40] clear clear any litter, move along any
[2:15:42] loitering or non-c customers. The idea
[2:15:44] is to keep the property as safe as
[2:15:46] possible and and continue to keep it a
[2:15:48] clean and welcoming environment. The car
[2:15:50] wash is fully enclosed with doors closed
[2:15:52] on both sides during the operation.
[2:15:57] I want to talk about the outreach
[2:15:58] because I think it's where we fell
[2:15:59] short. U we held a virtual community
[2:16:02] meeting on August August 3rd before the
[2:16:03] planning and zoning hearing. 18
[2:16:05] neighbors attended. We listened to what
[2:16:07] those 18 residents told us and we
[2:16:08] attempted to change the plan because of
[2:16:10] it. They raised concerns about
[2:16:11] separation between the store and the
[2:16:13] homes. We widen the buffer from 20 to
[2:16:14] 30. We with the tree line retained. They
[2:16:17] raised concerns about noise from the
[2:16:19] rear drive, dumpsters, and ear early
[2:16:20] deliveries. We repositioned the fence at
[2:16:22] the time to the rear drive where it
[2:16:24] actually blocks headlights. They raised
[2:16:26] they raised questions about light
[2:16:27] spilling. And in the meantime, we
[2:16:28] completed our lighting plan and put on
[2:16:30] the record for tonight. I'll be honest
[2:16:32] about what we didn't do well. 18 people
[2:16:33] came to that meeting and we did not go
[2:16:35] back to the neighborhood after we
[2:16:36] improved the buffer. That's a completely
[2:16:37] fair criticism and I want to own it
[2:16:39] directly rather than gloss past it. We
[2:16:41] own that mistake and we've worked
[2:16:42] diligently over the past several weeks
[2:16:43] to improve our plan based on the
[2:16:45] feedback we received during the
[2:16:46] neighborhood meeting and the planning
[2:16:47] and zoning meeting. We want to be good
[2:16:49] neighbors and add as much protection as
[2:16:50] reasonably possible to support the
[2:16:51] neighborhood behind us. The result we
[2:16:53] have is a plan that's built around the
[2:16:55] homes behind us. The wood stays
[2:16:56] standing. A brick wall, a 10-ft brick
[2:16:58] wall blocks all the headlights. And we
[2:17:00] have a lighting plan that's designed to
[2:17:01] stop at the property line. No vendors
[2:17:04] arrive before 7 a.m. And all of it is
[2:17:06] enforceable as a condition of this
[2:17:07] approval.
[2:17:10] I think this next comparison is the most
[2:17:12] important thing I'll show tonight. So,
[2:17:13] I'll slow down a little bit. [snorts] In
[2:17:15] October of 2015, this exact 4.8 acre
[2:17:18] site was already reszoned and approved
[2:17:20] for a 36,100
[2:17:22] square ft legal grocery store. That
[2:17:24] approval is the benchmark for what this
[2:17:26] corner is already entitled to build with
[2:17:28] essentially none of the protections that
[2:17:29] we're offering attached to our project
[2:17:30] tonight. Look at the comparison.
[2:17:33] Building floor area 36,100 square feet
[2:17:36] approved in 2015 versus the 6,930 feet
[2:17:40] total proposed now about 1/5if of the
[2:17:42] building size. Access on LA's full
[2:17:44] movement was approved in 15. We're
[2:17:46] offering ride in ride out only building
[2:17:48] placement. The 2015 legal plan was set
[2:17:51] was set the building against the east
[2:17:52] property line at Blackstone Court hard
[2:17:55] against the residential edge. Ours is
[2:17:57] set to the northwest away from the
[2:17:59] homes. overnight deliveries. Legal's
[2:18:01] policy is they do pickups at 11 PM and
[2:18:04] they have to be done by 5:00 am. So
[2:18:05] that's the middle of the night when
[2:18:06] those deliveries would have been
[2:18:07] happening. We've committed to nothing
[2:18:09] before 7 a.m. And the rear buffer here
[2:18:12] was only 35 ft of planted. That means
[2:18:14] all those trees were going to go away in
[2:18:15] 2015. We're offering 30 ft of
[2:18:18] undisturbed with approximately 90 ft of
[2:18:20] total buffer from the from any
[2:18:22] improvements for the dash in.
[2:18:25] So, we're offering less building, less
[2:18:26] less access, more separations from the
[2:18:28] home than what than what the plan this
[2:18:30] city has already proved in the same
[2:18:31] land.
[2:18:34] This is that 2015 from Bowler
[2:18:36] Engineering. A 36,100T
[2:18:39] grocery store, 156 parking spaces on the
[2:18:41] same 4.8 acres. Look at where this
[2:18:43] building sits. 36 ft off the property
[2:18:46] line with only a 35 ft planted buffer.
[2:18:48] That means the all all the trees back
[2:18:50] there would have been removed. and the
[2:18:51] loading and service side of the building
[2:18:53] pointed directly at the homes. Our plan
[2:18:55] puts a 6,930 ft of building, 1/5if of
[2:18:58] the approved building size here, on the
[2:19:00] far side of the site with more
[2:19:02] separation than the plan the city has
[2:19:04] previously approved.
[2:19:07] I want to run through some specific
[2:19:08] concerns that were raised at the
[2:19:10] planning and zoning one at a time with
[2:19:11] our response to each lights billing into
[2:19:13] the rear yards. Our phototric plan now
[2:19:15] shows 17 foot poles, 15 foot canopy
[2:19:18] fixtures, zero uplight fixtures, and 0.0
[2:19:21] foot candles at every property line.
[2:19:24] Noise for noise from the rear drive, a
[2:19:26] 30-ft undisturbed buffer that existing
[2:19:28] tree line retain a fence at the drive is
[2:19:30] what we previously proposed. Tonight,
[2:19:32] we're committing to go further. 90 ft of
[2:19:34] total buffer on the dash and parcel, and
[2:19:36] a 10-ft mason roll instead of a 6ft
[2:19:38] fence. Early morning dumpster and truck
[2:19:40] noise. Our haul agreement limits pickups
[2:19:42] to after 7 a.m. Fender deliveries begin
[2:19:44] at 7 a.m. Fuel tankers stay on the front
[2:19:46] of the site. The cut through traffic on
[2:19:48] Sheffield Manor, I think we've answered
[2:19:50] that with the traffic impact analysis as
[2:19:52] well. We're not adding significant
[2:19:54] traffic to with this project and I don't
[2:19:56] foresee any reason that people will be
[2:19:57] cutting through. If it does become an
[2:19:59] issue and it's something that you guys
[2:20:00] want to talk about, we're open to
[2:20:01] suggestions between speed bumps, stop
[2:20:03] signs, something to help mitigate people
[2:20:05] from trying to cut through if that is a
[2:20:07] concern. the traffic study being done in
[2:20:09] the summertime. People asked when that
[2:20:11] traffic study was done. The counts were
[2:20:13] taken in December of 25 and January of
[2:20:15] 26 while schools were in session. So, we
[2:20:17] got the highest traffic counts available
[2:20:18] for the study. And the car wash north of
[2:20:20] the property line. The answer is the
[2:20:21] bays are fully enclosed with both with
[2:20:23] both doors closed during the wash cycle.
[2:20:28] A word on who actually operates the
[2:20:30] store because I think it's a fair
[2:20:31] question for council to ask even though
[2:20:32] it isn't a resoning criterion. Dashing
[2:20:35] and Splashing are brands of the wheels
[2:20:36] group. They're a family-owned company
[2:20:37] celebrating their hundth year, and it's
[2:20:39] still held by the founding family. They
[2:20:41] operate Dashian across the Mid-Atlantic
[2:20:43] with North Carolina being the focus of
[2:20:44] their continued growth. Before they had
[2:20:46] a single store in the state, Wills Group
[2:20:48] gave $50,000 to the Second Harvest Food
[2:20:50] Bank of Metro for uh Charlotte for
[2:20:52] hurricane relief. They've distributed
[2:20:53] over 350 pounds of food across 14 North
[2:20:56] Carolina counties through the same
[2:20:57] grant.
[2:21:01] Yeah, I think you had some technical
[2:21:04] difficulties. So, you've got
[2:21:06] » I got a couple more things to go
[2:21:07] through.
[2:21:07] » None of that is resoning criterion. I'm
[2:21:09] only asking to weigh in as one, but it
[2:21:11] answers the question council may fairly
[2:21:12] ask. Who's still going to be here in 20
[2:21:14] years? This is a centrial family company
[2:21:16] that invested in this region before it
[2:21:18] even had a store to protect. They are
[2:21:20] dedicated to the communities that they
[2:21:21] operate in. They want to be good
[2:21:22] stewards in the neighborhoods they they
[2:21:24] operate within.
[2:21:27] Here's
[2:21:30] everything we're prepared to accept as
[2:21:31] binding and writing tonight. All seven
[2:21:32] conditions recommended by staff. On top
[2:21:34] of that, everything we've committed to
[2:21:36] on record since August 18th. A 30-ft
[2:21:38] understory buffer with the existing tree
[2:21:39] line retained over 90 ft total in the
[2:21:41] dash and parcel. Masonry wall in L of
[2:21:43] wood fence set at the rear drive.
[2:21:46] dumpster pickups between 7 am and 8:00
[2:21:48] p.m.
[2:21:49] No vendor deliveries before 7 a.m. or
[2:21:51] 800 p.m. fuel deliveries from the front
[2:21:53] of the site and future use on lot 2
[2:21:55] returns to commission for re review. If
[2:21:58] there is any other suggestions that pe
[2:22:00] that council thinks could strengthen our
[2:22:02] project, we're open to hearing them and
[2:22:03] we're open to making making changes if
[2:22:05] it if it strengthens the project.
[2:22:08] I want to close with the choice actually
[2:22:09] in front of you tonight. The 2015
[2:22:11] approval is the benchmark for what this
[2:22:12] corner can become without conditions.
[2:22:14] KZCD 1515 already put a 36,100 foot
[2:22:19] grocery store on these on these same
[2:22:20] 4.8.8
[2:22:22] acres with its rear wall and loading
[2:22:24] area just set 36 ft off the Blackstone
[2:22:26] Core property line. None of the
[2:22:28] protections were discussed tonight were
[2:22:30] attached to that approval. No 90 foot
[2:22:31] buffer, no masonry wall, no delivery
[2:22:34] hour limits, no lighting held to 0.0
[2:22:36] foot candles at the property line, and
[2:22:38] conditions don't follow the land on
[2:22:39] their own. If this petition is denied, a
[2:22:41] future application arrives with its own
[2:22:43] plan and every commitment we've offered
[2:22:44] for tonight disappears. So here's the
[2:22:47] ask. First, adopt the statement of
[2:22:48] consistency using the affirmative
[2:22:50] finding staff itself drafted. Second,
[2:22:52] amend the 2030 land use plan for this
[2:22:53] parcel to commercial. And third, approve
[2:22:55] the ZCD 2325 with all staff conditions,
[2:22:59] our application conditions, and every
[2:23:00] commitment made on record tonight,
[2:23:02] including the 90 foot buffer and masonry
[2:23:04] wall. This corner is going to be
[2:23:05] developed. It already carries an
[2:23:06] approved entitlement for something
[2:23:08] larger and closer to the homes that
[2:23:09] we're proposing. A conditional district
[2:23:11] is the only tool this council has to
[2:23:13] decide how that happens. Denial tonight
[2:23:15] leaves the neighborhood with the
[2:23:16] ordinance minimum and whatever plan
[2:23:18] comes next. Approval makes the 90 foot
[2:23:20] buffer, the masonry wall, the 0.0 foot
[2:23:22] candle lighting standard, and every
[2:23:24] delivery limit we've offered binding on
[2:23:26] this land tonight. Thank you, and I'm
[2:23:28] happy to answer any of your questions.
[2:23:30] » Thank you.
[2:23:33] Okay, we have uh three people signed up
[2:23:37] speaking uh as opponents to this
[2:23:40] project. Uh first is Sarah Murphy.
[2:23:47] » Good evening to you all.
[2:23:50] We talked about this a lot at the
[2:23:51] resoning hearing. I'm sure you've read
[2:23:53] through those minutes, so I I don't want
[2:23:54] to belabor the point. I'd ask you focus
[2:23:56] on two things. complete lack of
[2:23:59] community need and 247. Those are the
[2:24:02] two key pieces they can't argue a thing
[2:24:05] to you about because that's the reality
[2:24:07] of this project they're proposing. We
[2:24:09] did the math, too. Um there's a Speedway
[2:24:11] gas station we're expecting to be
[2:24:12] developed right across the street. We
[2:24:14] don't need another gas station. Speedway
[2:24:17] Willow Oaks BP that's half a mile away.
[2:24:20] Riptide car wash that's less than a mile
[2:24:22] away. Harris Teter Fuel Center 1.2
[2:24:24] miles. AMO gas station 1.4 miles.
[2:24:27] Running out of hands. Quick trip 1.6
[2:24:30] miles with a food prep hot food station
[2:24:32] already there. Circle K two miles. A
[2:24:34] Circle K car wash two miles. And if you
[2:24:36] go to the end of Weddington in the exact
[2:24:38] opposite direction, guess what? You run
[2:24:39] into another QT. We don't need another
[2:24:41] one. There is no community need that
[2:24:44] this would be establishing. We do not
[2:24:45] need another gas station. So, we'd ask
[2:24:47] you consider that. They talked a lot
[2:24:50] about precedent. I'd like you to focus
[2:24:52] on the complete lack of precedent. The
[2:24:54] station they mentioned on Copperfield
[2:24:57] has zero residential homes on that lot.
[2:25:00] There are apartments, absolutely zero
[2:25:03] residential communities. And this is
[2:25:05] hugely impactful to our neighborhood, to
[2:25:07] our city, and to these families who live
[2:25:09] on Weddington. The number is in the
[2:25:11] hundreds. So, I'd ask you focus on that.
[2:25:14] They mention future unspecified use.
[2:25:16] That is deeply concerning to the
[2:25:18] residents of this community and that I
[2:25:20] hope is concerning to this council. Not
[2:25:23] being able to tell you what they want to
[2:25:24] use it for down the line is not
[2:25:26] sufficient
[2:25:28] 24/7. Again, I'd ask you focus on that.
[2:25:30] No matter how many pretty brick walls
[2:25:32] they put up, that is not going to change
[2:25:34] that. Car horns, the lights, I get the
[2:25:37] map, the lights are going to be there.
[2:25:38] The lights in the stations are over 10
[2:25:40] foot tall. Um, so I'd ask you consider
[2:25:42] that as well. I would also ask you to
[2:25:45] consider the deep invasion to all of
[2:25:47] Weddington Roads, those longestablished
[2:25:50] neighborhoods, and to the schools. Those
[2:25:51] are hundreds of homes. This is a huge
[2:25:53] traffic impact. I have no clue where
[2:25:55] that study came from. Anyone who's
[2:25:57] driven on Weddington any time of day
[2:25:58] knows it is nearly impossible to get in
[2:26:01] and out anywhere on that road without
[2:26:02] about a 15-minute delay. Heaven forbid
[2:26:04] if schools in session. And we want to
[2:26:06] make sure the children are protected as
[2:26:07] they get on and off the bus and in and
[2:26:09] out of those neighborhoods. Um the
[2:26:11] zoning board took about three hours with
[2:26:13] us. Deeply appreciate their time and
[2:26:15] consideration and they asked amazing
[2:26:17] questions. Um please ask those same
[2:26:19] questions. Ask us any you have. Um,
[2:26:21] we're here in and your request not to
[2:26:23] approve this. That's what we're asking
[2:26:24] of you. Um, the traffic, the noise, the
[2:26:27] lights above 10 ft, and the odor. I've
[2:26:29] never been to a gas station where I
[2:26:30] didn't smell gas. That's a new one on
[2:26:32] me, but it's a very clever thing to say.
[2:26:34] The last thing I'd ask, um, I'm a lawyer
[2:26:36] by trade, not by disposition. They use
[2:26:38] the phrase convenience store with gas.
[2:26:40] Couldn't have written it better myself.
[2:26:42] That's a legal term. It's a gas station.
[2:26:44] That's what this is. There's about 12
[2:26:45] ports. This is a gas station. We'd ask
[2:26:47] you deny that approval. Okay, thank you.
[2:26:51] [applause]
[2:26:54] Okay, our next speaker is Jennifer
[2:26:58] Holberg.
[2:27:05] Um, good evening, mayor and members of
[2:27:07] city council. Uh, my name is Jennifer
[2:27:10] Holberg. I live at 1228 Blackstone Court
[2:27:14] Northwest and [snorts] my property sits
[2:27:16] directly behind the land we are
[2:27:18] discussing this evening. In August, the
[2:27:21] advisory board heard our concerns and
[2:27:23] voted unanimously against this resoning.
[2:27:25] Tonight, we ask you to respect that
[2:27:27] recommendation.
[2:27:29] Since that hearing, the applicant has
[2:27:31] added um what he presented tonight, a
[2:27:33] 10-ft wall and a 30 to 60 foot buffer
[2:27:36] between our homes in this 247 open dash
[2:27:40] in convenience store, gas station, and
[2:27:43] car wash. Lastly, um the brand new cedar
[2:27:47] trees that will take multiple multiple
[2:27:49] years to grow. This does not address our
[2:27:52] concerns. in an effort to not beat a
[2:27:55] dead horse. I'll skip over the amount of
[2:27:57] gas stations that are already in this
[2:27:59] vicinity. The amount of car washes that
[2:28:01] are in this vicinity. Um it's a proposed
[2:28:04] sheets. It's already zoned for sheets.
[2:28:07] Um they can build it there. Um it's just
[2:28:09] a matter of when that happens. And then
[2:28:11] we also heard tonight that another
[2:28:13] development residential community of 135
[2:28:16] homes might go directly across the
[2:28:19] street. This is a two-lane road.
[2:28:22] How are we adding so much traffic and
[2:28:24] business and more single family homes to
[2:28:28] this direct area without having the
[2:28:31] appropriate traffic analysis
[2:28:34] done? That also adds that into the
[2:28:37] equation.
[2:28:40] Um, I appreciate um the representative
[2:28:44] for addressing my concerns that were
[2:28:46] around the US, which I brought up in the
[2:28:48] meeting in August. Um, especially about
[2:28:50] the control of benzene exposure. Um, and
[2:28:54] I appreciate, you know, the the dates
[2:28:56] that he gave that the traffic impact
[2:28:59] analysis was done.
[2:29:01] Um, however, the question still stands.
[2:29:04] Um, you know, it's still a huge risk. um
[2:29:08] especially for the homes that are
[2:29:09] directly on Blackstone Court, that
[2:29:11] exposure is still going to be there. Um
[2:29:14] and minimizing it, you know, is is not
[2:29:17] it's still there's still a risk. Um the
[2:29:20] [clears throat] other thing that I would
[2:29:21] like to talk about is I am a realer and
[2:29:24] homeowner uh here in this community. Um
[2:29:27] obviously concerned about property
[2:29:28] values. Um, this is our biggest
[2:29:31] financial investment. Placing this
[2:29:33] commercial fueling operation directly
[2:29:35] behind my home and in this community uh
[2:29:38] raises legitimate concerns about their
[2:29:40] future desire desiraability,
[2:29:42] marketability, and fa uh value. Um, this
[2:29:46] is our financial risk. It's not the
[2:29:47] developers. Council's council members,
[2:29:50] you have w you have also received
[2:29:52] numerous emails opposing this resoning
[2:29:54] and your advisor advisor advisor
[2:29:57] advisory board unanimously recommended
[2:30:00] against it. For a $30 million project
[2:30:03] that needs resoning approval, they seem
[2:30:05] to not want the community's feedback
[2:30:07] that it directly affects. No additional
[2:30:09] communication has been given to us aside
[2:30:11] from our community meeting at the
[2:30:13] beginning of August. If you guys would
[2:30:15] please raise your hands in Sorry, can I
[2:30:18] have like two seconds? Um, anybody that
[2:30:20] is in favor of what I just said, please
[2:30:22] raise your hand.
[2:30:24] [snorts]
[2:30:24] » These are all the people that don't want
[2:30:26] this. Thank you.
[2:30:29] [applause]
[2:30:33] » Okay, we have a next speaker and all I
[2:30:37] can make out is Ed. So, if you'll state
[2:30:39] your name when you come up, please.
[2:30:43] » [clears throat]
[2:30:43] » H
[2:30:48] my last name takes a while so don't
[2:30:50] start to counter yet. Uh first name's
[2:30:52] Ed, last name's inj. It's why you
[2:30:55] couldn't pronounce or read. So good
[2:30:56] evening everybody. Thank you so much. Um
[2:30:58] I spoke last time in front of the city
[2:31:01] council here, but just want to bring a
[2:31:02] couple few points here for everybody. Uh
[2:31:05] was mentioned that there's now 30 feet
[2:31:06] buffer. Um I have a size 14 shoe, so I'm
[2:31:09] going to walk out extra 10 feet. they're
[2:31:11] granting us.
[2:31:17] » This is how much they gave us extra.
[2:31:19] This is their 30 foot buffer. That's how
[2:31:21] much more they're granting us. Wow.
[2:31:23] That's that's 30 ft. It's a lot more
[2:31:25] now. It's not much at all. So, just make
[2:31:27] sure that's clear. The space to pride us
[2:31:29] really isn't that much. We don't talk
[2:31:31] about gas. Uh gas stations release
[2:31:33] benzene, a known human carcinogen. This
[2:31:36] exposure can increase health concerns
[2:31:37] and risk and potential cancers. While
[2:31:40] sometimes there's debate in these
[2:31:41] studies, even if there's a debate, a
[2:31:43] little bit of debate, while we knowingly
[2:31:45] place additional source of emissions and
[2:31:47] benzene next to our homes, near our
[2:31:49] children, and near Weddington Hills
[2:31:50] Elementary School, the EPA schools
[2:31:52] citing guidelines were created because
[2:31:54] children are uniquely vulnerable to
[2:31:56] environmental pollution. The EPA
[2:31:58] specifically recommends avoiding school
[2:32:00] locations that are in close proximity to
[2:32:02] pollution sources whenever alternatives
[2:32:04] exist. Well, why are we putting a gas
[2:32:07] station where a school already exists?
[2:32:09] It's the opposite of what we're doing
[2:32:10] here. I'd like to talk about property
[2:32:13] values. Property values do not add value
[2:32:16] to the local area or the local
[2:32:18] community. We talk about uh
[2:32:20] oversaturation already. We'll continue
[2:32:22] to talk about oversaturation. I think
[2:32:23] it's extremely important. Across the
[2:32:25] street, there is already a BP with a car
[2:32:27] wash. Going across the street where this
[2:32:29] dashing is, there's already approval for
[2:32:30] a sheets, a 24-hour operation with a gas
[2:32:32] station. Up the road there is a Harris
[2:32:34] ter fuel center, an Exxon 7-Eleven, a
[2:32:36] Sicko, and also a QT that was priorly
[2:32:39] prior mentioned as well. The impact in
[2:32:41] the noise, gas stations are not quiet as
[2:32:43] much as they say they drop off at 7 in
[2:32:45] the morning. The previous zoning there,
[2:32:46] there could drop off, you know, packages
[2:32:48] at night. It's not 24 hours there.
[2:32:50] There's going to be tons of doors
[2:32:52] slamming, loud stereos, delivery trucks,
[2:32:54] fuel tankers, garbage pickup, idling
[2:32:56] engines, and people stop in all hours of
[2:32:58] the evening. That's not compatible with
[2:33:00] a quality of life that residents expect
[2:33:02] in the residential community. We
[2:33:04] mentioned about traffic and safety. They
[2:33:06] mentioned they're make a right only out
[2:33:07] of the neighborhood. You make a right
[2:33:09] onto Weddingington Road because you
[2:33:10] can't make a left. So, I'm making a
[2:33:12] right if we need to pull up with the map
[2:33:13] out of Weddington Road. Very, very next
[2:33:15] right is Sheffield Manor. And yes, it's
[2:33:18] only 600 ft ahead. So, what do you think
[2:33:20] most people are going to do? Man, I
[2:33:22] can't make a left out here. It's too
[2:33:23] busy. I can't make a left. Ah, I'll just
[2:33:25] make a right. Uh, where's my quickest
[2:33:27] turnaround? Right in the Sheffield Manor
[2:33:29] they go and they're going to loop back
[2:33:30] around, turn around and try and make a
[2:33:32] left out of Sheffield Manor, causing
[2:33:33] additional traffic for us, which is
[2:33:35] already a challenge enough to get out of
[2:33:36] the neighborhood. Finally, most
[2:33:37] importantly, it doesn't meet the 2030
[2:33:39] plan. The zoning package itself
[2:33:41] acknowledges there's concerns and
[2:33:42] consistency around the zoning goals.
[2:33:45] Concord's long-term vision emphasized
[2:33:47] healthy living, walkability, community
[2:33:49] gathering, and village style
[2:33:51] development. Gas station is not a
[2:33:52] village center. It's not walkability.
[2:33:54] It's not farmtotable. Gas station is not
[2:33:57] the vision residents were promised. So
[2:33:58] tonight, I respectfully ask you vote no
[2:34:00] on reszoning request. Thank you.
[2:34:03] [applause]
[2:34:10] » Okay, that's everyone that has signed up
[2:34:12] to speak and Mr. Monk, you get five
[2:34:15] minutes of rebuttal if you would like.
[2:34:20] Uh the first question I'd like to answer
[2:34:23] is uh why do I think this area needs
[2:34:25] another convenience store? I don't think
[2:34:27] need is finding is is isn't the finding
[2:34:29] before council tonight and this parcel
[2:34:31] has been entitled to commercial since
[2:34:32] 2015. The question is is which use and
[2:34:36] under what conditions. But on the merits
[2:34:38] this isn't another version of what's at
[2:34:39] this intersection. There were already
[2:34:41] grocery stores serving grocery stores
[2:34:43] serving this area when Publix open
[2:34:44] across Georgia aisles and the city still
[2:34:46] approved the lead on this very pars on
[2:34:48] 2015 with all the existing grocery
[2:34:50] stores in the area. Food Line, Harris
[2:34:51] ter, Publix and then Lidle because the
[2:34:54] question was never how many grocery
[2:34:55] stores we had. They had it was what
[2:34:57] kind. Counting fuel canopies tells you
[2:34:59] just as little about whether this
[2:35:00] offering exists here. Those are fueling
[2:35:02] sites with prepackaged food. This is a
[2:35:04] fully staffed made to order kitchen.
[2:35:06] Eggs are cracked f eggs are cracked f
[2:35:08] fresh to order. A bakery case baked in
[2:35:11] store. Produce prepped daily. Eight
[2:35:12] employees on the floor by day with fuel
[2:35:14] outside the building. And the demand
[2:35:16] question is answered by whoever carries
[2:35:17] the risk. This is a century old family
[2:35:19] company putting more than $10 million of
[2:35:21] its own capital into this corner. They
[2:35:23] believe it. This is their this is what
[2:35:24] they do. They've done heavy heavy
[2:35:26] analysis on this area and they know they
[2:35:28] can be successful here. Uh
[2:35:32] the next was uh someone brought up it
[2:35:34] was a 30ft buffer. I think I just want
[2:35:35] to correct that as a 90 foot 90 foot
[2:35:37] buffer. Uh the lighting issue I think
[2:35:39] we've heavily addressed by showing that
[2:35:41] the by how it's designed by the
[2:35:43] engineer. It's 0.0 foot candles for the
[2:35:45] property line. So our light is not
[2:35:46] intruding onto the neighboring
[2:35:47] properties. Uh someone mentioned the
[2:35:49] cedar trees when they're planted they'll
[2:35:51] be 10t tall from the get-go. So we're
[2:35:53] not planting little tiny shrubs. We're
[2:35:55] planting we're planting 10 foot tall
[2:35:57] trees from the start. And those trees
[2:35:58] will end up growing to 40 50 and
[2:36:00] sometimes 80 feet tall if they're left
[2:36:02] alone long enough. So when that's said
[2:36:03] and done, it will be a a full uh uh
[2:36:07] buffer and and visual block for the
[2:36:10] neighborhood. Um on the traffic study,
[2:36:12] again, that that was an independent
[2:36:14] study. It was a rep approved and
[2:36:16] reviewed by NC DOT. It's not just us
[2:36:18] saying it. So um I don't know how it can
[2:36:20] get a little any more objective than uh
[2:36:23] than that. And then uh the last was the
[2:36:26] Weddington Road. Uh I drive a lot
[2:36:29] because of what I do for for work. I can
[2:36:31] tell you if I was leaving that the gas
[2:36:33] station to go back on the other way, I
[2:36:35] would not turn on Weddington. I just go
[2:36:37] back to the exist the right in right out
[2:36:38] that's going to be on George Liles. It
[2:36:39] makes no sense to make a right and then
[2:36:41] do a U-turn when you can just go in and
[2:36:43] do the the right turn on to George
[2:36:45] Lyles. Um
[2:36:51] again, I think we've answered most of
[2:36:53] the concerns uh throughout this process.
[2:36:55] I I think tonight it's just an
[2:36:57] opportunity to work with a development
[2:36:58] that's willing to put in the protections
[2:37:00] for the neighborhood and also allow a
[2:37:02] high quality operator to continue to
[2:37:04] invest in the city of Concord. Thank
[2:37:06] you.
[2:37:07] » Thank you.
[2:37:09] » All right, Valerie, I'll let you lead us
[2:37:11] through the process from here.
[2:37:15] » Well, to begin with, the [laughter] I
[2:37:17] thought I thought maybe so the um
[2:37:20] opponents get an opportunity to rebut
[2:37:23] the rebuttal. I
[2:37:24] » I assume you're Yes.
[2:37:26] » Very very briefly. Um
[2:37:28] » Oh, are we having two
[2:37:29] » Got three as well with our five minutes?
[2:37:31] We share five minutes. Correct.
[2:37:32] » I'll be quick.
[2:37:33] » Yes.
[2:37:34] » Five minutes total.
[2:37:35] » First and foremost, we're not opposed to
[2:37:37] development. We are opposed to this
[2:37:40] development. There are so many great
[2:37:41] uses for this land. Our community needs
[2:37:43] so many things in that land. A daycare,
[2:37:45] a coffee house, a boutique, another I
[2:37:48] mean, even another smaller grocery store
[2:37:49] across from Publix would be fine.
[2:37:50] There's so many good options that do not
[2:37:52] intrude onto this level as a 24-hour gas
[2:37:55] station would. Second thing I want to
[2:37:56] point out, people coming off George
[2:37:57] Lyles are going 55, 65, sometimes 75.
[2:38:00] They shouldn't, but they do. Miles an
[2:38:02] hour through that green light. Um,
[2:38:04] slowing if it's red. Um, but that that's
[2:38:06] just going to make it an impract
[2:38:08] impracticability, excuse me, for people
[2:38:10] to turn right off of that. Um, so I'd
[2:38:12] ask you consider those two things. I
[2:38:14] want to reemphasize we are not opposed
[2:38:16] to development. That is a great thing.
[2:38:18] this this city is is hugely booming is
[2:38:21] wonderful opposed to this development.
[2:38:29] » Thank you. So the gentleman said who's
[2:38:31] going to be here in 20 years from now?
[2:38:33] Well, I can guarantee that I'm most
[2:38:35] likely going to be here in this
[2:38:36] community still living in that
[2:38:37] community. Can't guarantee you he's
[2:38:39] going to be in the area after this
[2:38:40] meeting this afternoon for the next 25
[2:38:42] more minutes after this time period. So
[2:38:45] we talk about the right. I'd love to use
[2:38:46] the clicker if I could to go back. Can I
[2:38:48] go back to the presentation to show the
[2:38:50] actual um roadways? Is that possible?
[2:38:53] Can someone pull that up where it shows
[2:38:55] the actual strip of George Walls Parkway
[2:38:57] and Weddingington Road? That would be
[2:38:58] really helpful.
[2:39:09] Let me go back again. Sorry about that.
[2:39:11] So, you'll see if I can put a pointer on
[2:39:13] here. I cannot. But in this area here
[2:39:15] where we're talking about where we're
[2:39:16] exiting out, there is going to be no
[2:39:18] right-hand turn into that space. You're
[2:39:20] going to be literally coming off George
[2:39:21] Law Parkway and diving right into
[2:39:23] Dashen. That is the first space right
[2:39:25] through here. So if you imagine if you
[2:39:27] ever pulled out of George Law Parkway
[2:39:29] where the current Harris ter is on
[2:39:30] George Law Parkway about 2 miles up the
[2:39:32] road, if you're pulling out of there to
[2:39:35] get all the way to the right hand lane,
[2:39:37] you're going across this right this
[2:39:39] right hand. Oh, let me make this mouse
[2:39:41] work. You're going across this
[2:39:42] right-hand lane here that's going to be
[2:39:44] turning this way. You're going to have
[2:39:46] traffic making the left going this way
[2:39:48] into this intersection. And also up
[2:39:50] here, you have a median up in this area
[2:39:52] where two people, two cars are going to
[2:39:54] be going double lanes here to get to
[2:39:56] your lefthand turn lane to turn down to
[2:39:58] Wington Road. So, what we're explaining
[2:40:00] to me is that why would I come out here
[2:40:02] and make a right? Why would I go over
[2:40:04] this way to make a right and go into
[2:40:05] Uturn? Well, because it's going to be
[2:40:07] feasibly impossible to make a right-hand
[2:40:09] turn lane all the way out of here to go
[2:40:11] this way to make my left. What will be
[2:40:13] easier is I come out here because people
[2:40:15] will learn you can't do that when I'm
[2:40:17] trying to come back down this way.
[2:40:18] People will make a right out of here, go
[2:40:20] 600 ft right here to our entrance. Turn
[2:40:23] to our entrance, you turn back around,
[2:40:25] make the left, and come down this way.
[2:40:27] This is what most people are going to
[2:40:28] do. People have common sense. I do
[2:40:30] whatever by 45 by exit 23C over 45 is I
[2:40:34] go down and turn around little apartment
[2:40:35] complex come back around. It's what
[2:40:37] people do. The apartment complex must
[2:40:38] not like me because that's what I do all
[2:40:40] the time. So people do this. So that's
[2:40:42] the first piece there. And also um just
[2:40:45] talk about the buffer and the trees. I
[2:40:46] mean a 10-ft tree that is a a a root
[2:40:49] base or a a um trunk 10-ft tree will be
[2:40:52] about this big. So while I'll be here
[2:40:54] for 20 years to see those trees grow, my
[2:40:57] friends from Dashian will not be. And
[2:40:58] lastly would be they can promise us that
[2:41:00] they've been here for 100 years. We've
[2:41:02] had three gas stations in the last last
[2:41:05] two years change over name usage. Why is
[2:41:08] that? Well, if they were successful,
[2:41:09] they'd continue with that same name
[2:41:11] usage. They won't be bought out. They
[2:41:13] wouldn't be closing. They wouldn't be
[2:41:14] turning over. We've got consistent
[2:41:15] turnover. There's still a gas station on
[2:41:17] 29 that is still sitting vacant. It is
[2:41:19] something that can happen. And once we
[2:41:21] have that, we have blight. Then we have
[2:41:22] challenges. And then after that, what
[2:41:24] comes in next to use that gas station?
[2:41:26] So, just want to provide that
[2:41:27] information as a rebuff to the comments
[2:41:29] provided. Thank you.
[2:41:31] [applause]
[2:41:38] » Okay. Um,
[2:41:39] » Of course, we still have the public
[2:41:41] hearing open.
[2:41:42] » Yes. I was just going to say, um,
[2:41:43] » Yes,
[2:41:44] » Council members, any questions before we
[2:41:46] close the public hearing?
[2:41:48] » All right. The public hearing is now
[2:41:50] closed.
[2:41:51] » Oh, you did. I'm sorry. Turn your green
[2:41:53] light on. [laughter]
[2:41:56] I'm sorry.
[2:41:58] » Yeah. Yeah. Just open the hearing again.
[2:42:00] » Sorry.
[2:42:01] » Okay. The hearing is open.
[2:42:03] » Sorry. [clears throat]
[2:42:04] » I tried to catch you. Um Fred, questions
[2:42:07] for you, sir. Please.
[2:42:13] » Boy, I circled them in all of this. And
[2:42:16] okay, here's my first question. Uh, it
[2:42:19] was referenced. So, thank you for the
[2:42:21] history. I think I told you that
[2:42:22] Tuesday. I I never knew that the George
[2:42:24] Law was bisecting this property. I
[2:42:26] always wondered why we ended up with
[2:42:28] this funky corner of there. So why go
[2:42:33] from C1 to C2? I understand the
[2:42:36] conditional use and I'm going to ask
[2:42:37] about that in a minute, but uh I think
[2:42:39] the our our gentleman referenced full
[2:42:42] fuel and car wash. Is that the only two
[2:42:45] or is it size store as well? Like is
[2:42:48] there anything? I have the use chart
[2:42:50] here, but I
[2:42:51] » Yes, ma'am. Pursuant to 8.3.6
[2:42:54] I want to say H in dealing with
[2:42:56] convenience stores there's a maximum
[2:42:59] size requirement okay for C1 and I think
[2:43:01] that that's if I'm not mistaken 2,000
[2:43:03] square ft. I mean here we're talking
[2:43:05] 5600 ft ergo we're going with C2 where
[2:43:09] there is no maximum requirement there.
[2:43:12] » Okay. My other question is
[2:43:16] uh can you expound a little bit on the
[2:43:18] development of the parcel? I know it was
[2:43:20] mentioned that there's does that scare
[2:43:22] us that there's not, but can you explain
[2:43:24] since it's a conditional use on the
[2:43:27] second parcel that is showing
[2:43:28] undeveloped right now, can you explain
[2:43:31] what that process would be?
[2:43:33] » Um, yes, ma'am.
[2:43:34] » For that to be developed one year from
[2:43:36] now, 20 years from now.
[2:43:38] » Yes, ma'am. Uh, any change to the site
[2:43:40] plan [clears throat] that's been
[2:43:41] presented to you tonight would be would
[2:43:42] be required to come back to planning and
[2:43:44] zoning commission for uh, you know, an
[2:43:46] amendment to the conditional reszoning.
[2:43:48] So the conditional resoning is bound by
[2:43:51] site plan. The site plan that we have in
[2:43:52] front of us and the uses that are
[2:43:54] proposed are what are to be decided
[2:43:56] upon. Anything future would have to be
[2:43:59] uh relitigated for lack of a better term
[2:44:01] looked at again um for an amendment an
[2:44:03] amended um conditional resoning.
[2:44:05] » Hence the conditional
[2:44:06] » That's correct district. Okay. Yes
[2:44:08] ma'am.
[2:44:08] » Here's my final question. Um, let's say
[2:44:12] this reszone gets turned down and Monday
[2:44:14] morning, uh, Lidle knocks on the city's
[2:44:17] front door and says, "We would like to
[2:44:19] build our 36,000 square foot store with
[2:44:24] I'm going to I'm going to go off the
[2:44:25] site plan because I have not looked at
[2:44:26] the site plan, the 35 planted buffer,
[2:44:29] which does mean that every tree could be
[2:44:31] torn down. I would assume that site plan
[2:44:34] being a little older, there would be
[2:44:36] revisions that may have to be made or
[2:44:40] would there be revisions that had to be
[2:44:42] made?
[2:44:43] » Depending on if there were many
[2:44:44] ordinance changes between, you know,
[2:44:46] that time and now. Correct. However, I
[2:44:48] mean, in all likelihood, if they made it
[2:44:50] through the the civil review process or
[2:44:52] the permitting process, I mean, whatever
[2:44:54] is was approved previously could be
[2:44:56] constructed.
[2:44:57] » Okay.
[2:44:58] Um, I think that's my question cuz I
[2:45:00] just I we have been here before and I'm
[2:45:02] letting you guys know there was a
[2:45:04] Walmart that was proposed with a 100
[2:45:06] foot buffer. The reason was turned down
[2:45:09] and the first call I got Monday morning
[2:45:11] was from a person that wanted to know
[2:45:13] where their 100 foot buffer was. I just
[2:45:16] and I say that just to say I think this
[2:45:19] is a really complicated process and I
[2:45:22] just want to ensure that you guys
[2:45:23] understand that lle could turn dirt on
[2:45:26] Tuesday. Now, I don't know. Some of you
[2:45:28] have said, "I don't care. I just don't
[2:45:30] want this. I just need to my I'm gonna
[2:45:33] end it with this." If you say no to
[2:45:35] something, you are always saying yes to
[2:45:38] something else. Always. Always. And in
[2:45:41] this case, and in most cases, you just
[2:45:43] don't know what that is. Right? In this
[2:45:45] case, it could be the legal. I don't I
[2:45:47] don't know that, right? But there will
[2:45:50] be this land will be developed, right?
[2:45:52] It's just a matter of what will be
[2:45:53] developed on it. I just want to make
[2:45:55] sure that's my duty to ensure you guys
[2:45:57] understand that the only way it cannot
[2:45:59] be developed is if you purchase it and
[2:46:02] then you develop it with whatever you
[2:46:04] want to do. So thank you Fred
[2:46:07] » John.
[2:46:08] » Yes. Um about the same thing. So little
[2:46:12] comes up next week wants to do it. Is
[2:46:14] there sewer approved or do they still
[2:46:16] have to go through that process again?
[2:46:18] » Uh I think their sewer is still if I'm
[2:46:20] not mistaken I think it's still uh
[2:46:23] valid. It should be still valid.
[2:46:25] » Okay. So, um
[2:46:27] » Okay.
[2:46:27] » So, it's valid for that type of
[2:46:29] situation. Okay. Um
[2:46:32] » Last thing I just want to clarify and I
[2:46:33] think Jennifer may cover. I just want
[2:46:35] from my understanding that additional
[2:46:37] lot we're talking about still has to go
[2:46:38] through the whole process we're talking
[2:46:39] about right now. It can't just be turned
[2:46:41] dirt and put an extra parking lot. It
[2:46:43] has to come through all these processes,
[2:46:45] approvals again for uh planning and
[2:46:48] zoning then to us if if not.
[2:46:50] » That's correct. Yes, sir.
[2:46:51] » Yeah. Great. Lori,
[2:46:53] » I I don't have a quest a question for
[2:46:55] you, but I do have one for you, John.
[2:46:58] Just out of curiosity,
[2:47:00] how can you guarantee these neighbors
[2:47:02] that deliveries would only be between 7
[2:47:04] and 8:00 at night? I mean,
[2:47:07] » Well, we can make it into the condition
[2:47:09] similarly how we can and it just be up
[2:47:12] to code enforcement to enforce it, but
[2:47:13] it's also written into the vendor
[2:47:14] agreements that they can't show up
[2:47:16] before 7 a.m.
[2:47:17] » Because, you know, it's easier to ask
[2:47:18] forgiveness
[2:47:20] » De definitely. But it's it's written to
[2:47:21] the into the vendor agreements
[2:47:22] currently. I mean, even on the the store
[2:47:24] in Vine Haven, they're not showing up in
[2:47:25] the middle of the night now.
[2:47:26] » Okay. Thank you. I I just was curious
[2:47:28] how you would
[2:47:30] » Make that good on that promise. So,
[2:47:33] thank you.
[2:47:35] » Okay. Any additional questions before we
[2:47:38] close the public hearing?
[2:47:41] I don't see any lights. And John, yours
[2:47:43] is down so low I can't see it anyway.
[2:47:47] » All right. hearing. Hearing none, we
[2:47:50] will close the public hearing uh and
[2:47:53] Valerie will guide us through the
[2:47:55] process.
[2:47:56] » Okay, if we could get the statements of
[2:47:58] consistency back up, please. Thank you.
[2:48:00] Um so here are your suggested statements
[2:48:03] of consistency staff drafted for you. We
[2:48:06] have the one supporting approval with
[2:48:08] the green caption and the one supporting
[2:48:11] denial with the red caption. and we
[2:48:14] would need a motion to adopt one or the
[2:48:17] other of these.
[2:48:19] » So, council, what is your pleasure?
[2:48:23] » So, I will I'm happy to kick it off. Um,
[2:48:26] my decision is solely based on this not
[2:48:30] does not currently line up with the land
[2:48:32] use plan. We just had this discussion
[2:48:34] before. Um, I do want to commend the
[2:48:36] developer. Uh, this is why this is
[2:48:39] supposed this is how this process is
[2:48:40] supposed to work. you give feedback, the
[2:48:43] developer responds. I got to be honest
[2:48:45] with you guys, I hadn't seen a lot of
[2:48:46] developers that have responded in this
[2:48:48] way. So, I just I I need to put that out
[2:48:50] there. Um, but my my decision is solely
[2:48:54] based on land use and also just similar
[2:48:57] projects. I do think that was mentioned
[2:48:59] and that's where mine is. So, my uh I
[2:49:02] would say to support the denial would be
[2:49:05] what my my recommendation would be.
[2:49:08] » Is that a motion? Is is that a motion,
[2:49:09] Jennifer?
[2:49:11] Jennifer. Uh, that's a motion to adopt
[2:49:14] the statement of consistency supporting
[2:49:16] denial.
[2:49:17] » And we do have a second on that motion.
[2:49:21] » Okay. Is there further discussion, Lori?
[2:49:23] » No, I I do not. I'm sorry.
[2:49:26] » Okay. Any other discussion?
[2:49:29] All right. We do have a motion on the
[2:49:31] floor supporting denial. Uh, so all in
[2:49:36] favor, please say I.
[2:49:38] All oppose, please say no.
[2:49:40] » No.
[2:49:42] » Okay, that motion passes. Uh, four to
[2:49:46] two.
[2:49:48] Five to two, excuse me.
[2:49:52] » Excellent. So, next step.
[2:49:54] » So, now the next step is to approve or
[2:49:56] deny the zoning map amendment. Um,
[2:49:59] obviously if you're approving, you need
[2:50:01] your conditions. If you're denying, you
[2:50:03] do not need your conditions.
[2:50:06] » Okay. Council, do I hear a motion?
[2:50:11] » Mayor, I'll I'll make a motion to deny
[2:50:13] the zoning map a zoning map amendment
[2:50:16] with condition.
[2:50:17] » I'll second that.
[2:50:18] » Okay, we have a motion and a second to
[2:50:22] deny the zoning map amendment. Is there
[2:50:26] discussion?
[2:50:28] Okay. All in favor, please say I.
[2:50:31] » All opposed, please say no.
[2:50:34] » No.
[2:50:36] » Okay. same vote, five to two. Uh so that
[2:50:40] motion uh does not pass
[2:50:43] » And because the map amendment was not
[2:50:45] passed, there's no need for a land use
[2:50:47] plan amendment.
[2:50:49] » Great. Thank you.
[2:50:53] All right, we move to the next item,
[2:50:56] which is item four, which is also a
[2:50:59] public hearing.
[2:51:05] And I will open the public hearing and
[2:51:08] ask Fred to explain this item.
[2:51:16] Make a question.
[2:51:34] Take care.
[2:51:39] All right, sir.
[2:51:40] » All right. Good evening again, uh, Mayor
[2:51:43] Morris, members of council, uh, Mr.
[2:51:44] Payne, Miss Kchinsky, Miss Jenkins. The
[2:51:49] item before you is a volunteer
[2:51:51] annexation petition for a single parcel
[2:51:54] consisting of 32 approximately 32.927
[2:51:57] acres uh, located at 9511 Benjamin
[2:52:01] Walker Lane. on the property is owned by
[2:52:03] the city of Concord and the applicant
[2:52:05] for this re uh for this annexation is
[2:52:07] the city's parks and recck department.
[2:52:10] Um the proposed annexation would be for
[2:52:12] the construction of a greenway uh to
[2:52:14] connect the J Ramsur Park uh to the
[2:52:16] nearby neighborhood.
[2:52:19] The zoning map shows a property uh in
[2:52:21] the Red Cross hatched area um that it's
[2:52:24] currently zoned Cabaris County LDR which
[2:52:27] is low density residential and if the
[2:52:29] annexation is approved the request for
[2:52:31] zoning would be to city of Concord
[2:52:34] office institutional uh for the proposed
[2:52:36] greenway use
[2:52:39] regards to the 2030 land use plan. The
[2:52:42] proposed office and institutional zoning
[2:52:44] is consistent with the suburban
[2:52:45] neighborhoods land use category. Um and
[2:52:48] the park and greenway use is a
[2:52:49] compatible use within uh in regards to
[2:52:52] the surrounding zoning.
[2:52:55] If council approves the annexation
[2:52:57] petition, the property will become a
[2:52:58] part of uh district 4 as shown on this
[2:53:01] map here.
[2:53:03] Um and as with all annexations, both
[2:53:05] internal and external entities um were
[2:53:08] notified and given the opportunity to
[2:53:10] comment or provide feedback um on the
[2:53:12] proposal and no comments were returned.
[2:53:15] Um additionally, adjacent property
[2:53:17] owners and recognized neighborhoods and
[2:53:19] HOAs were notified via mail um of the
[2:53:21] annexation u by planning staff with
[2:53:24] letters dated August 24th of this year
[2:53:27] and as well as with an advertisement run
[2:53:28] in the indep independent tribune on
[2:53:30] August the 29th of this year.
[2:53:33] In regards to council's next steps are
[2:53:35] to consider the annexation request to
[2:53:38] adopt or deny the annexation and if
[2:53:40] adopted um consideration uh before
[2:53:43] planning and zoning commission for the
[2:53:44] recommendation for the resoning will be
[2:53:46] held at their October 20th meeting.
[2:53:48] [snorts] I'll gladly take any questions
[2:53:49] the council may have at this time.
[2:53:52] » Any questions for Fred?
[2:53:56] All right. Thank you. We do not have
[2:53:59] anyone signed up to speak. uh in this
[2:54:03] public hearing. Council members, do you
[2:54:05] have questions before we close? Terry?
[2:54:10] » None. Uh we will close the public
[2:54:12] hearing.
[2:54:14] Um and so our option here is to
[2:54:20] move to adopt the annexation ordinance
[2:54:23] and set an effective date for September
[2:54:27] 10th, 2026
[2:54:29] or not. Mayor, I move we adopt the
[2:54:32] ordinance and set that date of September
[2:54:33] 10th.
[2:54:35] » I second.
[2:54:36] » Okay, we have a motion and a second to
[2:54:40] adopt the annexation ordinance and set
[2:54:44] the effective date. Any discussion?
[2:54:48] Hearing none. All in favor, please say
[2:54:50] I.
[2:54:51] » All oppose? No. That motion passes
[2:54:55] unanimously.
[2:54:56] Uh we now go to presentations of
[2:54:59] petitions and request. Uh we heard from
[2:55:02] Jeff and Alex on item number one on
[2:55:05] Tuesday night authorizing the city
[2:55:07] manager to execute multiple change
[2:55:09] orders with Wesco for the electric and
[2:55:13] water resources meter replacement and
[2:55:15] AMI project. Does anybody have any
[2:55:18] additional questions for them?
[2:55:21] Um, if not, I would entertain a motion
[2:55:25] to authorize the city manager to execute
[2:55:28] multiple change orders with Wesco for
[2:55:31] the electric and water resources meter
[2:55:33] replacement and AMI project in the
[2:55:36] amount of $234,02047
[2:55:43] and authorize the city manager to
[2:55:45] approve an additional $250,000
[2:55:48] in future change orders as needed.
[2:55:55] » Okay, we have a motion and a second. Any
[2:55:57] discussion?
[2:56:00] All in favor, please say I.
[2:56:02] » All oppose? No. That motion passes. Uh,
[2:56:07] next up we heard on item number two from
[2:56:10] Eric uh regarding um negotiating and
[2:56:15] executing a contract with JD Goodram for
[2:56:17] the construction of the hanger in common
[2:56:20] at the Concord Pageant Regional Airport
[2:56:22] in the amount of 13,229,824.96.
[2:56:30] Does anybody have additional questions
[2:56:32] for Eric?
[2:56:35] Uh if not, uh I would entertain a motion
[2:56:39] to authorize the city manager to
[2:56:42] negotiate and execute a contract with JD
[2:56:45] Goodram for construction of the hanger
[2:56:48] in common.
[2:56:50] » So move, sir.
[2:56:51] » I'll second it.
[2:56:52] » Okay, we have a motion and a second. Is
[2:56:54] there discussion?
[2:56:56] All in favor, please say I.
[2:56:59] » All oppose, no. That motion passes. Uh
[2:57:03] next up also uh from the airport uh
[2:57:07] which Eric talked with us about
[2:57:10] approving the selection of Talbert
[2:57:11] Brighton Ellington as the selected firm
[2:57:14] for professional airport architect
[2:57:17] engineering consulting services for
[2:57:20] development projects and special
[2:57:22] services at the Concord Padet Regional
[2:57:25] Airport as required for federal federal
[2:57:29] aviation administration compliance for a
[2:57:33] five-year period and to authorize the
[2:57:35] city manager to negotiate and execute
[2:57:37] the contract with Talbert Brightite and
[2:57:39] Ellington Incorporated. Any additional
[2:57:42] questions on that one? Uh then I would
[2:57:46] entertain a motion to approve the
[2:57:47] selection of TBE as the professional AE
[2:57:51] for Concord Pageant Regional Airport as
[2:57:54] required by FAA compliance and authorize
[2:57:57] the city manager to negotiate and
[2:57:59] execute contract with Talbert Bright and
[2:58:02] Ellington Incorporated.
[2:58:06] » Mayor.
[2:58:08] » Okay, we have a motion and a second. Any
[2:58:10] discussion?
[2:58:12] All in favor, please say I.
[2:58:15] » All oppose, no. That motion passes. Uh,
[2:58:19] item number four, uh, Jessica talked
[2:58:22] with us on Tuesday. Consider adopting a
[2:58:25] resolution concerning the approval of
[2:58:28] the execution and delivery of an
[2:58:30] installment financing contract with
[2:58:32] Flagstar Public Funding Corporation.
[2:58:36] Does anybody have additional questions
[2:58:38] on that one?
[2:58:40] Uh if not, I would entertain a motion to
[2:58:43] adopt a resolution concerning the
[2:58:46] approval of the execution and delivery
[2:58:49] of a installment financing contract with
[2:58:51] Flagstar Public Funding Corporation in
[2:58:55] order to obtain funds to pay the cost of
[2:58:58] constructing, equipping, and furnishing
[2:59:01] a new facility designed to support the
[2:59:04] city's communications and emergency
[2:59:06] management operations and the granting
[2:59:09] of a security interest and allowing the
[2:59:12] officers of the city to execute the
[2:59:15] installment financing contract and take
[2:59:18] other actions to implement the
[2:59:21] financing.
[2:59:24] » Okay, we have a motion and a second. Is
[2:59:26] there discussion?
[2:59:28] All in favor, please say I.
[2:59:31] » All oppose? No. That motion passes. Uh,
[2:59:35] next up, uh, item five, Rick talked to
[2:59:39] us about con, uh, authorizing the city
[2:59:42] manager to negotiate and execute a
[2:59:44] contract with Edifice Construction for
[2:59:48] the construction of the city of Concord
[2:59:51] Communications and Emergency Operations
[2:59:55] Center. Does anybody have any additional
[2:59:58] questions on that one?
[3:00:01] Uh, hearing none, I would entertain a
[3:00:04] motion to authorize the city manager to
[3:00:06] negotiate and execute a contract with
[3:00:09] Edifice Construction Incorporated for
[3:00:11] the construction of the city of Concord
[3:00:14] Communication and Emergency Operations
[3:00:17] Center in an amount not to exceed
[3:00:20] 7,523,869.
[3:00:29] » Okay, we have a motion and a second. Any
[3:00:31] discussion?
[3:00:32] All in favor, please say I.
[3:00:35] » All oppose? No. That motion passes. And
[3:00:39] we move to item six. Uh Valerie talked
[3:00:43] with us about consider adopting a
[3:00:46] resolution authorizing the transfer by
[3:00:49] private sale of 91 Coral Drive Southwest
[3:00:53] and 515 Honduras Street Northwest to
[3:00:56] Habitat for Humanity of Cabaris County
[3:00:59] Incorporated for the purpose of
[3:01:02] development of affordable housing. Any
[3:01:06] additional questions on that one? Uh
[3:01:09] hearing none, I would entertain a motion
[3:01:12] to adopt a resolution authorizing the
[3:01:14] transfer of 91 Crow Drive Southwest and
[3:01:19] 515 Honduras Street Northwest to Habitat
[3:01:23] for Humanity of Cabaris County
[3:01:25] Incorporated for the purpose of
[3:01:28] development of affordable housing and
[3:01:30] directing the city manager, city clerk,
[3:01:33] and city attorney to take all necessary
[3:01:36] steps and to execute ute the necessary
[3:01:39] documents in order to affect the
[3:01:42] conveyance of the property.
[3:01:47] » Okay, we have a motion and a second. Any
[3:01:49] discussion?
[3:01:51] All in favor, please say I.
[3:01:54] » All oppose? No. That motion passes. Uh,
[3:01:59] next Jackie talk with us about item
[3:02:01] seven considering a preliminary
[3:02:04] application from Daniel and I I'm sure I
[3:02:07] pronounced this correctly. Sir, Sergey
[3:02:10] Ser,
[3:02:12] where is
[3:02:14] » That's close enough. Okay, good, good,
[3:02:15] good, good. So, does anybody have any
[3:02:18] additional uh questions on that item? Uh
[3:02:22] hearing none, I would entertain a motion
[3:02:24] to accept the preliminary application
[3:02:27] and have the owner proceed to the final
[3:02:30] application phase excluding annexation.
[3:02:34] And this is for water service outside
[3:02:37] city limits.
[3:02:40] » Second.
[3:02:41] » Okay, we have a motion and a second. Any
[3:02:44] discussion?
[3:02:46] All in favor, please say I.
[3:02:48] » All oppose? No. That motion passes. Uh,
[3:02:53] next we move to item number eight, uh,
[3:02:56] which I spoke about on Tuesday night,
[3:02:58] and that is to appoint Carl Stuminger to
[3:03:03] the atlarge vacancy on the public art
[3:03:05] commission with the term ending 91029.
[3:03:10] Uh, and I would entertain the motion to
[3:03:13] do so.
[3:03:14] » I'll make that motion, please.
[3:03:16] » I'll second.
[3:03:17] » All right, we have a motion and a
[3:03:19] second. Any discussion?
[3:03:21] All in favor, please say I.
[3:03:24] » All oppose? No. That motion passes. Uh
[3:03:28] we move now to the consent agenda. Uh no
[3:03:31] one has made me aware of any concern or
[3:03:34] anything that anyone wanted to pull off.
[3:03:37] Uh so I would entertain a motion to
[3:03:40] approve the consent agenda as presented.
[3:03:47] Okay, we have a motion and a second. Any
[3:03:50] discussion?
[3:03:52] Uh, all in favor, please say I.
[3:03:56] All oppose? No. That motion passes. And
[3:04:00] we move now to advisory boards and
[3:04:03] partner reports. Uh, first up we have
[3:04:07] Patrick from Web Build.
[3:04:18] Welcome.
[3:04:19] » Thank you. Good evening,
[3:04:22] Mayor Morris,
[3:04:25] to city council,
[3:04:28] Mr. Pay, Miss Kinsky, Miss Jenkins.
[3:04:32] I'm going to try to go through this as
[3:04:35] quickly as possible. I know it's been a
[3:04:36] long night for you all.
[3:04:42] But I want to just draw your attention
[3:04:44] to a couple of
[3:04:48] of data points
[3:04:51] from FY26. As you know that our fiscal
[3:04:54] year like yours is from July 1 through
[3:04:58] June 30th. And so what I'm about to
[3:05:01] present you is also based on audited
[3:05:04] numbers.
[3:05:06] If you look on slide three, you'll see
[3:05:08] that this year
[3:05:11] we had 16 homes sold or under contract,
[3:05:14] which resulted in $4.2 million of new
[3:05:18] homeowner assets.
[3:05:21] Those individuals now have those assets
[3:05:23] in this community and they own them and
[3:05:28] they are now taxpaying citizens of the
[3:05:31] city of Concord.
[3:05:33] The average We Build resident saves now
[3:05:36] over $360 per month by living in or
[3:05:39] owning a Wei Bill home. And so what we
[3:05:43] do is that we compare where they were
[3:05:46] before they were placed in housing
[3:05:48] either in rental or in ownership and
[3:05:51] then look at where they are after
[3:05:54] placement. So I'll give you an example.
[3:05:58] Many of you attended
[3:06:00] um two of our sisters who both at homes
[3:06:06] live side by side. Well, she spends now
[3:06:10] less than $1,000 a month all in on her
[3:06:13] mortgage. That includes taxes and
[3:06:15] everything.
[3:06:17] She was spending around $1250 for a
[3:06:20] onebedroom.
[3:06:21] I remind you too that she was actually
[3:06:23] having a child three days before
[3:06:26] closing. Um that child was born and our
[3:06:29] lawyers went over to the hospital and
[3:06:31] did her closing there. Um but she's an
[3:06:36] example of those type of savings that
[3:06:39] come with um ownership but come with
[3:06:42] affordability.
[3:06:44] The average age of a we homeowner now is
[3:06:46] 36. That means through our entire
[3:06:49] history. This is about four years
[3:06:51] younger than the national average for a
[3:06:53] firsttime home buyer. First-time home
[3:06:56] buyers are averaging about 40 years old.
[3:06:59] And as of FY26,
[3:07:02] we have built 55 homes with 27 under
[3:07:05] development and several prospective
[3:07:07] developments.
[3:07:11] Economic impacts.
[3:07:14] During FY26, over 240 employees worked
[3:07:18] at Web Build sites. This is confirmed
[3:07:21] through the subcontractors themselves.
[3:07:24] FY26, the overall economic impact of
[3:07:27] projects and housing developments was
[3:07:30] 15.2 million according to the formulas
[3:07:33] of the National Homebuilders
[3:07:35] Association.
[3:07:36] So
[3:07:38] what this really equates to is for
[3:07:40] example the city your investment last
[3:07:42] year of 1.8 million actually uh equals
[3:07:47] about 15.2 two, which means for every
[3:07:49] dollar that you invest, $845
[3:07:53] goes out in economic development.
[3:07:56] And this is one of the ways that we
[3:07:58] measure our return on investment. Uh
[3:08:00] when we are trying to develop housing
[3:08:04] and over the last three years, we build
[3:08:07] developed, sold, or held over $28
[3:08:10] million in assets.
[3:08:14] Neighborhood impact
[3:08:21] In FY26, over 50% of new we homeowners
[3:08:25] are 33 years old or younger, creating
[3:08:29] new generations for neighborhoods.
[3:08:32] I think that's very important
[3:08:35] uh given the fact that it's becoming
[3:08:37] very hard for young people to own.
[3:08:40] But this year, our average over 50% of
[3:08:43] our homeowners actually were under the
[3:08:45] age of 33.
[3:08:47] Lincoln Street Town Homes and the
[3:08:49] Sanctuary. And I want to thank you all,
[3:08:51] many of you who attended uh that opening
[3:08:54] influence new development in the Logan
[3:08:56] and Gibson neighborhoods.
[3:09:00] When I was at Lincoln Street a few weeks
[3:09:02] ago, gentleman across the street was
[3:09:04] building some town homes. Um I believe
[3:09:07] it's one of the workers made the comment
[3:09:11] um when he found out who I was and when
[3:09:14] I approached them that a lot of their
[3:09:17] decision was also made by the fact that
[3:09:19] they saw the Lincoln Street town homes
[3:09:20] there that they had this desire but
[3:09:23] decided they would move forward
[3:09:26] um with it because they saw a new
[3:09:28] development in that community. So I
[3:09:31] think that that's an important part. So,
[3:09:34] as you probably noted at the beginning
[3:09:36] on our first side slide, we're talking
[3:09:38] about building people, but we're also
[3:09:40] talking about reimagining neighborhoods.
[3:09:43] How you reimagine them and with the
[3:09:45] upcoming developments like the cottages
[3:09:47] at Corbin. We build would create greater
[3:09:50] access and be beautify corridors to
[3:09:53] downtown Concord.
[3:09:55] want you to think about the fact if you
[3:09:57] go down church street
[3:10:00] it tells you something as you're coming
[3:10:02] into downtown Concord right is a
[3:10:04] business court
[3:10:06] you see that if you come down Union
[3:10:10] it gives you a sense of grander old
[3:10:12] Concord larger homes canopies of trees
[3:10:17] right into the center of downtown but
[3:10:20] when you come down Corbett
[3:10:22] into downtown it doesn't have that same
[3:10:25] view.
[3:10:27] And so this project, I feel, will begin
[3:10:31] the beginning of changing how that
[3:10:34] corridor looks as you're entering into
[3:10:36] it. I think what's more important or
[3:10:40] just as important is that the people
[3:10:42] that will live there will be within
[3:10:45] walking distance of economic
[3:10:47] development, of amenities,
[3:10:49] of things that they can enjoy. And I
[3:10:53] think that that's important when we talk
[3:10:55] about affordability.
[3:10:57] People need to have access to some
[3:10:58] things um to even the playing field a
[3:11:02] little bit for them too and give them
[3:11:04] opportunities. And so that's what this
[3:11:07] development can do.
[3:11:11] We have some current projects as well.
[3:11:13] So, we are as of next week, you will see
[3:11:17] from us a um RFP come out for the Malurn
[3:11:22] subdivision. So, those will be four
[3:11:24] homes. These are homes that you are
[3:11:26] familiar with because we've used them
[3:11:28] before. Um
[3:11:32] I like to call the first one um they
[3:11:34] call it the curb plan. I always call it
[3:11:36] the Sheree. Uh Sheree Allen lives in
[3:11:39] that home. [laughter]
[3:11:41] And the other one's called the Phoenix.
[3:11:43] And that's only because it was the first
[3:11:45] home we ever built and it was on
[3:11:47] Finenix. So we call it the Phoenix. Um
[3:11:50] and so you'll have the two Phoenix and
[3:11:55] two Shares on the book ends. And we will
[3:11:59] also take some of the old brick from the
[3:12:01] existing structure that's there and do a
[3:12:04] small monument to what was there to tell
[3:12:07] some history around that um form of
[3:12:10] development.
[3:12:14] Cottages at Corbin.
[3:12:17] I think what you'll notice most about um
[3:12:20] these is that they're slightly bigger
[3:12:22] than tiny homes. They are cottages. What
[3:12:24] I what I think is also interesting is
[3:12:28] that folks who buy homes under 1,200
[3:12:31] square feet about 41% of them are for
[3:12:34] under the age of 40 40 and under. But on
[3:12:38] the flip side of that the next group
[3:12:41] around 39% are actually over 50. So we
[3:12:45] have the opportunity to create also an
[3:12:48] intergenerational mix um in a community
[3:12:51] like that and again change the corridor
[3:12:54] and you can see
[3:12:56] um what they look like. So this first
[3:12:58] one it's around 820 square ft and that
[3:13:02] is there'll be two of those flats. They
[3:13:04] will be 88 compliant.
[3:13:06] Um, and you can see they come with very
[3:13:08] open floor plans.
[3:13:11] And it's amazing what you can do when
[3:13:12] you change floor plans in a place um
[3:13:16] that size. I was actually surprised how
[3:13:18] many cottages we actually have already
[3:13:22] in Concord.
[3:13:24] And then the other is a twostory. And
[3:13:28] you can see how that looks. um very
[3:13:31] attractive plan uh that comes with um a
[3:13:37] porch both lower and upper.
[3:13:40] Um and what I like about it too is that
[3:13:44] it also provides an open plan. You see
[3:13:47] where the two bedrooms are upstairs. So
[3:13:49] this will be the first to really test
[3:13:51] that ordinance. I'm actually happy to
[3:13:54] see some of the changes too. It does
[3:13:56] help us a little bit with with a site
[3:13:58] like that. Um, and so there's some other
[3:14:02] things that we want to talk about uh
[3:14:05] within Lord. I'd like to reach out to
[3:14:07] you about that development.
[3:14:10] And we have some others in the mills.
[3:14:12] There's four homes. Uh we're trying to
[3:14:14] decide on how those would look. So we're
[3:14:17] currently looking um around some of our
[3:14:20] current uh developments as well as
[3:14:23] architecture. The Weddington Town Homes
[3:14:26] should be closing soon. And if you
[3:14:28] remember, that's a development, a
[3:14:30] private developer who um provided eight
[3:14:34] uh of those lots at no cost. And of
[3:14:37] course, it also helps us sort of um
[3:14:40] place affordability in areas that
[3:14:43] normally don't have it. Um popular tent
[3:14:47] will be our first metal home. Remember
[3:14:49] that this originally was going to be the
[3:14:52] site that we were going to take the home
[3:14:56] at Ramser, the Rams home that if you
[3:15:00] remember contractually was supposed to
[3:15:02] be the home that we would use as a
[3:15:04] development project and those proceeds
[3:15:06] would go towards Corbin.
[3:15:09] We are still going to honor that. So,
[3:15:11] we're just doing it with a different
[3:15:13] building or a different structure. Um,
[3:15:15] we were also able to get that property
[3:15:19] as well as the mills through private
[3:15:21] partnerships at
[3:15:23] 50,000 for all five lots.
[3:15:28] Other single family homes that are
[3:15:29] coming and of course the repositioning
[3:15:31] project we still have reserved are 1
[3:15:34] million. And
[3:15:37] why I think that's important
[3:15:40] is that I want to remind us
[3:15:44] that we bill is your sister
[3:15:46] organization.
[3:15:49] We are actually on your audit
[3:15:53] which is important to remember.
[3:15:56] We are um
[3:15:59] here to also look out
[3:16:02] as an organization even for the interest
[3:16:04] of the city.
[3:16:07] One of the reasons um
[3:16:11] that we came up with the idea to have a
[3:16:15] policy around private developers that
[3:16:19] when they say they would build something
[3:16:20] affordable too, right? There's sometimes
[3:16:25] not a real way for you to enforce it if
[3:16:27] they reig,
[3:16:30] but we can and we've done that through
[3:16:33] contracts already. But it wasn't because
[3:16:37] we wanted land from them. That's
[3:16:39] actually a nice second thing to come
[3:16:43] along with it. It was because we felt we
[3:16:46] had to find a way to protect the city
[3:16:49] itself.
[3:16:51] Why? because we're your sister
[3:16:54] organization.
[3:16:58] We're probably the only nonprofit, too,
[3:17:00] that finds a way to get a million
[3:17:01] dollars back to you. Do you know how
[3:17:04] that came about?
[3:17:06] Came about because
[3:17:08] when you had some earmarks
[3:17:11] from Congress,
[3:17:14] they wouldn't allow the city to access
[3:17:16] some of that.
[3:17:19] So we said we can use some of that for
[3:17:21] affordable development,
[3:17:24] but we can also
[3:17:27] work some of it back to the city for the
[3:17:29] same purpose.
[3:17:32] That's how that came about. And when
[3:17:35] things sort of took a little bit longer,
[3:17:36] what we said was, well, we'll take a
[3:17:38] loan out on Kerr
[3:17:41] and go ahead and proceed to use those
[3:17:45] funds somewhere else, but still honor
[3:17:47] the commitment. And now it will come
[3:17:50] with no strings at all.
[3:17:54] We have never stopped
[3:17:57] knowing who we are and what our
[3:17:59] relationship is.
[3:18:02] I have never forgot that.
[3:18:07] So, as we move forward in fiscal year
[3:18:10] 27,
[3:18:13] we're going to make land acquisition and
[3:18:17] rehab properties
[3:18:19] a priority for us because now we are
[3:18:23] getting close to where we will be
[3:18:25] running out of land for projects and
[3:18:28] this environment is very tough to find
[3:18:30] land. So, we're going to be needing some
[3:18:33] support with you there. Single family
[3:18:37] home developments, we've heard it loud
[3:18:39] and clear. Um, we're going to slow down
[3:18:42] on town homes. We've been actually
[3:18:44] approached about town homes with private
[3:18:46] developers and we influence one so far
[3:18:48] to change the whole plan to single
[3:18:50] family and then we can approach you
[3:18:51] together. So we are going to go into
[3:18:54] single family currently and we would
[3:18:56] like to also look at some mixed use
[3:19:00] development
[3:19:02] identify private partnerships for
[3:19:04] lowincome housing tax credits or other
[3:19:07] models. We've had some conversation we
[3:19:10] want to increase the visibility of the
[3:19:11] North Carolina that missing an there
[3:19:14] community land trust coalition. One of
[3:19:16] the things that we helped do is do do is
[3:19:19] that we co-led the starting of a new
[3:19:24] statewide organization around land trust
[3:19:28] to help with permanent affordability
[3:19:31] not just in urban areas but also in
[3:19:34] suburban and rural areas. Um and we feel
[3:19:38] that that can bring some resource back
[3:19:41] to
[3:19:43] Concord and Cabaris and revolving fund
[3:19:46] and housing development campaign. We'll
[3:19:48] be making an announcement during the
[3:19:50] annual breakfast. We have a supporter
[3:19:52] now who will be helping us run a
[3:19:56] campaign
[3:19:57] uh to raise even more dollars for what
[3:20:00] is very important,
[3:20:04] hardest thing that we deal with. so that
[3:20:06] you know is when you're trying to build
[3:20:10] homes that are permanent.
[3:20:14] Can't just do them in one place.
[3:20:17] They're going to be all over and they
[3:20:19] all can't look the same
[3:20:22] because communities have different
[3:20:25] taste.
[3:20:27] They have different aspirations.
[3:20:30] And we believe in what we call a seven
[3:20:32] touch rule. If we touch you seven times,
[3:20:34] that tells us something about you, what
[3:20:36] the desires are, and we do that. So,
[3:20:40] we'll be approaching you for
[3:20:43] uh financial support as well as for
[3:20:45] partnerships around some of these type
[3:20:47] of developments
[3:20:50] because we have a lot in front of us and
[3:20:52] we're moving pretty fast. 55 homes
[3:20:56] actually in three years. We almost made
[3:20:58] it to that 20 a year. Um, and I want us
[3:21:02] to keep pressing that because at the end
[3:21:03] of the day,
[3:21:05] um,
[3:21:07] we can't do it at two and three homes a
[3:21:09] time if we're going to make a dent in
[3:21:11] this issue. We're going to have to find
[3:21:14] a way to increase it um, more and more.
[3:21:17] So, with that, if you have any questions
[3:21:20] for me, um, I know you got to be tired
[3:21:22] by now. I am, too. I've been up since 5.
[3:21:25] Um,
[3:21:26] » But I'm hanging there with you. I don't
[3:21:28] have any questions and I want to make it
[3:21:29] quick because I equally know some people
[3:21:31] here and it's probably past their
[3:21:32] bedtime just like mine. But um I just
[3:21:36] want to say I see all the stats and all
[3:21:38] the numbers that you consistently bring
[3:21:40] before this council and it's amazing,
[3:21:44] impressive, but I also feel honored that
[3:21:46] one the council before me has actively
[3:21:49] participated in ensuring that there's
[3:21:52] adequate housing for all of our
[3:21:54] residents and just the active
[3:21:55] participation now to know that that's
[3:21:57] still of support. I am humbled to even
[3:22:00] know the the stats and that we are
[3:22:02] actually superseding national averages
[3:22:05] and that shows the work that you have
[3:22:07] done that your team has done but also
[3:22:09] the commitment of the community in which
[3:22:11] you are in and to me what I see that as
[3:22:15] it's a possibility for Concord to even
[3:22:17] become a model at the national level and
[3:22:20] to be able to showcase what are the
[3:22:22] success points what is it doing in order
[3:22:24] to to have younger homeowners because a
[3:22:27] lot of people that is their path
[3:22:28] pathway. That is their dream to become a
[3:22:31] homeowner. So, I'm incredibly proud of
[3:22:33] you and what's been done and I really
[3:22:36] look forward to the continuous
[3:22:37] commitment and I'm sure whichever the
[3:22:40] discussion you're you're going to have
[3:22:42] uh our leader as the mayor of this
[3:22:44] council, he'll make sure to have that
[3:22:45] with you. But I'm just I'm just proud to
[3:22:48] have an organization like we build as
[3:22:50] part of our community. I thank you for
[3:22:53] that and I also thank you all for your
[3:22:56] support
[3:22:58] as you said being a model we are
[3:23:01] speaking at four conferences between
[3:23:03] September and October one more in
[3:23:07] November actually that's five on this
[3:23:10] model our land trust um and that's
[3:23:13] because of your support it's because of
[3:23:17] this community
[3:23:19] and if you look over the last six months
[3:23:23] We have been in the news
[3:23:26] more than any of the larger developments
[3:23:28] even in Charlotte for the work that's
[3:23:31] going on here. I had one reporter tell
[3:23:33] me about Kur Street. He said it's the
[3:23:36] smallest biggest development I've seen
[3:23:40] because of the attention that it
[3:23:42] garnered. And that's because of you all
[3:23:46] in in the imagination of a town that is
[3:23:50] um big enough to make a little noise but
[3:23:52] yet small enough to to pivot and make
[3:23:55] some moves.
[3:23:59] » Well, thank you all.
[3:24:01] » Yes, sir. Thank you.
[3:24:03] Okay, we are happy to have Brad Stevens
[3:24:08] from the Public Art Commission who has
[3:24:10] very patiently hung in here with us and
[3:24:13] probably didn't anticipate speaking
[3:24:16] quite this late, but welcome.
[3:24:19] » It's okay. Uh, thank you very much. Uh,
[3:24:22] good evening, Mr. Mayor and members of
[3:24:24] council. Good evening, Miss Mr. Payne,
[3:24:26] Miss uh, Miss Kazinski, and Miss
[3:24:28] Jenkins. Again, my name is Brad Stevens.
[3:24:30] the new um chairman of the public arts
[3:24:32] commission. And um before I get started
[3:24:35] on our little update, uh I want to thank
[3:24:37] Doyle Jussi who has um had this role
[3:24:39] previously uh for the past three years.
[3:24:41] So incredible job that he has done. I'll
[3:24:44] be quick as I can as I go through this.
[3:24:48] Uh want to talk about our uh recent bus
[3:24:50] wrap project. Um this was a successful
[3:24:53] installation and completion of uh buses
[3:24:56] for three three buses that are now um
[3:24:58] actively running around the city. Um,
[3:25:00] these were three Concord artists that
[3:25:03] were selected for this. Um, there's been
[3:25:05] a great um, positive social media
[3:25:08] presence and and social media response
[3:25:10] for these. So, we're excited to uh to
[3:25:13] see that and to to have that momentum.
[3:25:15] U, and we're commission right now
[3:25:17] exploring some possible little
[3:25:19] recognition for those artist. Uh, still
[3:25:21] TBD. Um, but we'll send you an update
[3:25:23] once that happens.
[3:25:25] Uh we're also looking at our uh our
[3:25:27] fiscal year 27 budget. Um we've we've
[3:25:31] got some items that we've sort of
[3:25:32] delineated out um including art artist
[3:25:34] stipens and installation for the new
[3:25:37] signal box project which I'll talk about
[3:25:39] here in a moment. Um also um
[3:25:41] continuation of the um the
[3:25:45] sculptures on um the Union Street u the
[3:25:48] streetscape which is a two-year term. Um
[3:25:51] there's a contest that will run this
[3:25:52] fall and so there's a there's a budget
[3:25:54] line item for that as well. Also one new
[3:25:57] uh mural whose location is still to be
[3:26:00] determined. Uh we have yet to vote on
[3:26:03] the final budget that will take place in
[3:26:04] our September meeting.
[3:26:08] Moving on to the signal box wraps. Um so
[3:26:12] so if for anyone's not familiar we're we
[3:26:14] have a project where we're um recruiting
[3:26:16] artists to to wrap projects uh wrap uh
[3:26:19] excuse me signal boxes across the city.
[3:26:23] Uh we have 10 locations selected. Seven
[3:26:26] of them are representative from each
[3:26:28] district as well as three uh where that
[3:26:31] are specific to school sites. So we have
[3:26:34] um and we're working to partner with
[3:26:36] right now Arbrell Mallister, Central
[3:26:38] Cabaris, and West Cabaris to potentially
[3:26:40] partner with their art departments to
[3:26:42] wrap those specific u signal boxes. Um
[3:26:46] let's see. Right now we have um an
[3:26:49] artist selection committee established
[3:26:51] um that includes three members of
[3:26:53] council. So look forward to working with
[3:26:54] you guys on that. Um we have over 50
[3:26:58] plus artists from Concord and
[3:27:00] surrounding areas that have submitted
[3:27:01] designs um and will be um we'll be
[3:27:04] making that decision over the course of
[3:27:07] September and um installation I believe
[3:27:10] happens over the course of the next
[3:27:12] following months after that.
[3:27:16] » Any questions?
[3:27:20] » All right. Thank you very much.
[3:27:22] » Thank you very much. We appreciate you
[3:27:24] being with us tonight.
[3:27:26] Okay. Does anybody have any general
[3:27:29] comments
[3:27:31] that they would like to make?
[3:27:37] » That was a heavy lift on that one. And I
[3:27:40] I don't know if that was your first one,
[3:27:41] but you did well and every person that I
[3:27:43] talked to that talked to you loved you.
[3:27:45] So, thank you. Professionalism is key
[3:27:49] when emotions are high.
[3:27:53] » Great. We do have need of a close
[3:27:56] session tonight. So, at this time, I
[3:28:00] would entertain a motion that we go into
[3:28:03] close session pursuant to North Carolina
[3:28:06] General Statute 143-
[3:28:10] 318.11
[3:28:12] A4 and 6 in order to discuss the
[3:28:17] location or expansion of industries or
[3:28:20] other businesses in the area served by
[3:28:22] this public body.
[3:28:33] So, we have a motion.
[3:28:36] » We have a second.
[3:28:39] Uh, any discussion?
[3:28:41] All in favor, please say I.
[3:28:44] » All oppose? No. We are now in close
[3:28:46] session. Thank you.
[3:28:55] » So,