Gillespie Property Developer Continues Re-Zoning Push

Charlotte City Council member Ed Driggs email regarding the Gillespie Property:

This week petitioners for petition 2022-121 responded to opposition from area residents, City staff and myself to their development plan by discussing a new plan with me and the staff.  

The latest draft proposal reduces the number of residential units from originally about 1,100, subsequently reduced to 980, now down to 636 units.  

The staff and I have indicated that this latest proposal is within a range we can discuss, subject to feedback from residents and the many other tests the City applies to rezoning petitions.  

The current timeline suggests a hearing in November, with a decision in December or January.  

The petitioner will give the required timely notice of an official Community Meeting and intends to host other meetings with residents as development of the plan continues. 

I will follow up with further information as it becomes available.

Ed Driggs

Charlotte City Council District 7

(704) 432-7077

Ed.Driggs@charlottenc.gov and ed@eddriggs.com

Commentary:

As we have seen from Council Member Driggs in the past, his efforts and communications are nothing beyond self-serving and contemptuous. While to the casual observer the reduction from 1,100 units to 636 would appear to be a major victory, and something Driggs will claim to be at his demand, nothing could be further from the truth.

The developer obviously overstated his request knowing that it would be shot down and hopeful that a smaller project would clear all the required hurdles. But the multi-family project is not in keeping with character of the Piper Glen Community. Further our city / county infrastructure is ill-suited to the demands of even a smaller multi-family project. Finally the environmental damage to our watershed and natural resources is unacceptable. 

In short any form rezoning is unacceptable and would simply invalidate the city's major zoning revision spelled out in the comprehensive Charlotte 2040 Plan.

Juvenile Eagles enjoying the long Summer Days

We will continue to keep concerned citizens up to date on future developments. Your input is needed and welcome.

Rea Road Gillespie Property Rezoning Update No. 9

It has been a month since we last updated our Rea Road page and thought we'd take a moment to tell you what we know.

First our Eagles "Piper" and "Glen" seem to be enjoying the summer weather and being free of 24/7 eaglet raising. 

Speaking of eaglets both juveniles are very active and can be seen frequently soaring over the TPC Clubhouse and 18th Green then winging their way across Rea Road to the Gillespie Pond. They can easily be mistaken for large crows or even Black Vultures, but a close look you will notice the distinct features of an American Bald Eagle in the making most notably their profile. 

We expect that the children will continue to remain in the area until late fall.

Sadly that's where the good news stops.

As we pointed out on May 5th, Charlotte City Council Member Ed Driggs' optimistic email claiming to have advance knowledge that the Gillespie ReZoning petition was dead in the water was nothing more than hubris speculation. 

As we now know the developer has openly stated his plans to continue to build a 1,100 unit complex and may consider to limit the rezoning to allow a lesser 980 unit apartment complex on the property.

Below is an email regarding a meeting that was held on June 26th, with the six Old Course Homeowners who have property that backs up to the Gillespie property.

I attended the petitioner sponsored meeting tonight. Basically it was an update to the six (6) or so homeowners that live in Piper Glenn backing up to where the apartment complex would be built. 

At the meeting representing the petitioner were Russell Ranson with RK Investments, Matt Langston with Landworks Design Group (the developer) and Mac McKellen a retired attorney from the Parker Poe group here in Charlotte. 

The petitioner said they were getting a lot of resistance from the city on the density of the project. 

The city wants the developer to scale down the project to 650 units max. 

The petitioner plans to go back to the city with a 980 unit proposal. The petitioner group showed the attendees details of the 980 unit proposal that included some road improvements paid for by them – stop light at entrance off Rea Road, left turn lane into complex off Elm Lane and a crosswalk stop light on Bevington between the green way & the Trader Joes strip plaza. 

The petitioner said if the city stands their ground on 650 units many planned complex amenities would be omitted and there would be issues of getting bank financing for the project. 

The petitioner told the Piper Glen homeowners in attendance that they would do anything they wanted to assure their happiness with the project if only they would support the 980 unit petitioner proposal.

I spoke up to the point we have only six impacted homeowners at the meeting and the real point is over 10,000 of their neighbors had signed a petition against the project and re-zoning. 

Furthermore I said these 10,000 folks do not want 2,000+ more cars on Rea Road & Elm Lane every day.  

Additionally, I mentioned our nearby shopping stores are already overcrowded (Trader Joes complex as an example) and its unthinkable that an additional 2,000 people could shop these. 

Last, I mentioned that our schools are already maxed out with students in trailers and adding 350 to 450 more kids just does not make sense.

After the meeting the six Piper Glen homeowners in attendance had a mini meeting outside the library. I did not attend but felt they were talking about how to get their best deal from the petitioner for none of them spoke up loudly against the rezoning at the meeting.

The petitioner stated next steps were a community meeting, a revised proposal to the city and public hearing in September.

Obviously given the false information from Ed Driggs, and Charlotte City Council's intent to approve the Pineville Matthews Road Legacy Arboretum Apartments expansion as well as other projects we can expect more grid-lock and massive traffic jams will absolutely zero consideration given to citizens concerns regarding even infrastructure or public safety. 

Proposed Legacy Arboretum Apartments 

Finally if you're buying into the developer's "we will protect the tree canopy and do whatever homeowner associations want us to do", just take a look at the Elm Lane and 485 job site.

Every tree on the property has been removed. This is what the Gillespie Property will look like.

And if you think this is bad you should have a look at the new high school property not a single tree was spared.

Our Petition is active and needs your signature here.