River District development plans meeting April 26 in Charlotte

There’s a date set for community members to learn more about the proposed development that could reshape Steele Creek.

Crescent Communities and Lincoln Harris have submitted to rezone more than 1,320 acres. The properties sit between Interstate 485, Mt. Olive Church and Sadler Roads, Lochfoot Drive, Bracebridge Court and Garrison Road.

A community meeting is required for rezonings in Mecklenburg County, and one for the latest project is at 7 p.m. April 26 at the Harris Conference Center at Central Piedmont Community College.

A public hearing date for the rezoning hasn’t been set. County planning staff hasn’t completed its analysis, and the zoning committee hasn’t rendered a recommendation.

The land now is a mix of residential and industrial zoning. Developers began meeting with county planning staff in December. Developers want the maximum five-year vesting period.

The plan breaks down into five main districts. The residential and town center districts fall to the west, with mostly residential near Lake Wylie. The employment district sits to the east, along I-485 across from Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The transitional and gateway districts fall in the center.

Allowed development under the new plan for each district would include:

▪ Residential: Up to 1,700 single-family homes, 300 townhomes or apartments, 75,000 square feet of retail or restaurant space, 200 units of continuing care retirement community.

▪ Employment: Up to 4.5 million square feet of office space, 50,000 square feet of retail or restaurant, 250 hotel rooms and 500 apartments or townhomes.

▪ Town Center: Up to 2 million square feet of office space, 300,000 square feet of retail or restaurant, 500 hotel rooms and 1,700 apartments, townhomes or single-family homes.

▪ Transitional: Up to 1 million square feet of office space, 25,000 square feet of retail or restaurant, 300 apartments, townhomes or single-family homes.

▪ Gateway: Up to 500,000 square feet of office space, 50,000 square feet of retail or restaurant and 250 hotel rooms.

The overall plan will include a public riverfront park and extensive trail system, four new traffic signals and a host of road upgrades and extensions in the area. There would be two road crossings over Beaverdam Creek, but also pedestrian bridges over creeks and greenways.

The plan calls for 528 acres of open space, 40 percent of the total land area. A wildlife preserve at more than 75 acres is proposed, as is tree save at 110 total acres.

Announcement of the River District plan drew wide response from Steele Creek leaders, from excitement for the potential economic impacts to concern for the environmental impact. Some have concern with construction near Lake Wylie, while others see potential with major roadways and an international airport nearby.

“The location of the 1,300-acre mixed use development will certainly benefit from its closeness to the interstates,” said Karl Froelich, president of the Steele Creek Resident Association.

Froelich and others welcomed the opportunity to meet with developers and find out firsthand what is being considered, and how the project can avoid environmental, road congestion and other problems associated with the significant growth.

This story was originally published April 19, 2016 at 12:58 PM with the headline "River District development plans meeting April 26 in Charlotte."