Council Quickies: Manor Theatre Redevelopment, Mission City Townhomes
Zoning meeting
Charlotte City Council held its monthly zoning meeting on Monday night, with no big fireworks or drawn-out discussions but a few significant petitions.
Zoning meetings are split into two parts: zoning decisions, in which they vote on whether to approve or deny petitions; and hearings, during which developers are able to present their plans, residents are able to speak in support or opposition, and council members are able to discuss before the decision is scheduled for a later date.
Below we take a look at some of the notable decisions and discussions held during Monday night’s meeting.
On the Agenda:
- Manor Theatre redevelopment and other decisions
- Mission City townhomes and other hearings
What’s next:
Charlotte City Council’s next meeting is a public forum and business meeting scheduled for Tuesday, May 26.
Manor Theatre redevelopment and other decisions
Council approved a petition from local business owner Zhi Zhang to open a coffee and wine shop in a small building in front of the Miller and York Apartments on Verbena Street near Nations Crossing Road in LoSo.
Council unanimously approved a petition for the property behind the Manor Shops on Providence Road. The parcel will be included in a mixed-use development that District 6 rep Kimberly Owens called a “reimagining” of the former Manor Theatre space, comparing it to similar projects at historic sites like Carolina Theatre and Excelsior Club.
As reported by Charlotte Ledger in January, the development is expected to include 120-130 residential units and 35,000 square feet of ground-floor retail at the site. Owens joined council members Dante Anderson and JD Mazuera-Arias, a Queens University grad, in reminiscing about how the art-house theater played a role in shaping their love for film.
The Manor Theatre closed its doors in 2020 after 73 years of screening films. The folks who managed it have since opened Independent Picture House on Raleigh Street near NoDa.
Mission City townhomes and other hearings
American Tower, the petitioners behind a controversial proposed data center on 58 acres off Hood Road near Reedy Creek, have deferred their public hearing for a second time, moving it back to June 15.
Charlotte City Council is scheduled to hold a public hearing regarding a potential moratorium on data center construction during its May 26 meeting then vote on the moratorium at its June 8 meeting, which would take the petition off the table for the length of that moratorium (currently proposed for 150 days).
Council was presented with a revised petition from Mission City Church to build a community of 49 townhomes, all of which will be deed-restricted as affordable for-sale homes with no rentals allowed, off Summerville Road in the Coulwood area of northwest Charlotte.
One neighbor spoke in opposition, citing concerns about adding traffic to the surrounding roads.
Developers first brought the petition in front of council last summer but pulled it to make revisions based on concerns with the entry point on Valleydale Road. New concerns have now arisen about the entry point on Summerville Road, with Malcolm Graham comparing the process to a game of Whack-a-Mole.
Listen: Nooze Hounds: JD Mazuera Arias on Toll Lanes, Data Centers and More
JD Mazuera Arias asked why the deed covenants commit to just seven years of affordability. A rep with True Homes responded that the seven-year deed restriction is to allow for the first owner to build generational wealth and potentially sell the home at market price when they are ready to do so.
“Having this many units in this location would be a burden on not only homes but the small businesses, the gas station and the corner store,” said LaWana Mayfield of the Mission City townhome development. “You have a lot of individuals who are walking on the side of the road that are accessing whatever they need to access. It would be very concerning to have this particular type of development.”
Graham said he would continue to work with the petitioners and community members to find a compromise, though he warned of the difficulties when churches try to build dense affordable housing communities in neighborhoods where they are embedded but may not make good locations for more density.
The final petition of the night came from the Charlotte Hornets, who are requesting a modification to signage regulations so as to replace the current 324-square-foot electronic sign along East Trade Street with a new 2,200-square-foot sign. There was no discussion from council.
