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Housing Partnership Withdraws from Berewick Rezoning (May 4, 2009) The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Housing Partnership has been removed from Rezoning petition 2009-037 and will no longer be involved with plans to build 108 apartments on an 8.3-acre property on Dixie River Road on the northern edges of Berewick. Peter Pappas, President of Pappas Properties, the developer of Berewick, announced at a community meeting this evening that an amendment was filed with the Planning Commission today to name Dixie River Land Company (a Pappas Properties subsidiary) as the petitioner. Currently, one section of the property is zoned MX-1 and another section is zoned CC. Current zoning allows the property to be developed with a mixture of housing and commercial uses, and it could contain up to 104 units. These would be concentrated towards the southern end of the property in the part currently zoned CC. The petition seeks to rezone the entire 8.3 acre property to R-17MF(CD). The conditions allow up to 108 units, but they could be more dispersed across the property. The intent is to locate the housing close to Dixie River Road and the side road leading into the Berewick Regional Park. Parking would be towards the center, and the northern corner would be a tree save area. The specific type of housing is not specified and could be rental apartments, condominiums, townhouses, or senior housing. The property would not have any commercial development. If it is developed with rental apartments, the complex will pay an assessment for grounds maintenance along Dixie River Road to keep it consistent with other areas of Berewick. Residents would not have access to the Manor House or other Berewick amenities. If it is developed as condominiums or townhouses for sale, the owners may have an opportunity to pay a higher assessment and have access to amenities. The property would continue to fall under the restrictions of the Lower Lake Wylie Protection Area. Area residents had protested workforce housing being built by the Housing Partnership through petitions, picketing, and other means. Many at the meeting called for further restrictions that would prevent rental housing to be built. There currently is no specific plan to develop the property. Nor is there a timetable. Mr. Pappas stated that he could not predict what housing would be built there in the future and could not preclude any development consistent with the zoning. Plans will be market driven. But he said "We want Berewick to be successful" and pledged not to begin negotiations with the Housing Partnership or similar entity without notifying the residents. The rezoning petition also has been amended to include a separate parcel adjacent to the Berewick Town Center. The previous alignment of the new Dixie River Road placed this parcel on the north side of the planned road, and it was not included in the plans for the Town Center. The road alignment has now been straightened, placing this parcel on the south side of the road. The rezoning would change this area from R-3 to CC and allow it to be included with the commercial development of the Town Center. Construction on the the new Dixie River Road section to Steele Creek Road adjacent to the Town Center site is expected to begin this summer or fall. Construction would take approximately 14 months. The public hearing on the petition is scheduled for May 18 and may be viewed on Time-Warner Cable Channel 16. The petition is available on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission web site here: Rezoning Petition 2009-037. To comment on this story, please go to the Steele Creek Residents Association Message Board. |
