HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — North American Properties, which bought Birkdale Village in Huntersville in 2020, had to go back to square one after a town council squashed plans to build a 110-foot building and a parking deck for 450 spots.
An original plan at the beginning of 2022 called for 350 apartments, as well as a hotel. However, after hearing about concerns about traffic, the developer took the apartment complex and hotel off the table.
A final vote on Monday yielded a vote against the rezoning plans.
"We did expect it to go in our favor. We've spent months now working with, we've had 22 meetings with, with members and groups in the community, with the neighborhood next door. We spent months meeting with the commissioners that would meet with us, which was not all of them to go through, and address concerns,” Tim Perry, managing partner of North American Properties, told WCNC Charlotte.
Concerns centered mostly around traffic, which Perry said would be alleviated with their proposed Class A building and parking deck.
Nearby residents, like Maryann Turetsky, went to the public meetings the last several months and was satisfied with Monday night's outcome.
“I’m very happy. It was David and Goliath. And we won,” Turetsky said.
A Birkdale Village resident since 2010, she said was concerned with traffic, which is already an issue.
"Traffic is terrible. When we get out, it takes three changes of the light to get out to Sam Furr Road," Turetsky said.
Another neighbor, David Platt, said he's in favor of filling vacant store fronts, though not necessarily an office building.
“I think there's some room to have more things to be done here," Platt said. "Continue to have get those store fronts freshened up some. New tenants are always good to come in.”
North American Properties said they'll have to wait a year before being allowed to resubmit any new plans.
“That'll give us some time to kind of reevaluate the plans," Perry said. "What we'll probably do is resubmit something that is the is the ultimate solution.”
Jane Monreal: Contact Jane Monreal at jmonreal@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.