WEDDINGTON, N.C. — The debate continued Monday over whether or not 80 acres of land in Weddington should be developed into new homes, shops, and parks.
Ultimately, the town council voted 3-2 in favor of denying the Weddington Green project from moving forward.
Developers intended to bring new homes, retail, restaurants, and open green space, including an amphitheater, to the acreage, which sites near the corner of Providence Road and Weddington Road.
The mixed-use development, which would have been located in the heart of the small Union County town, had some residents on the fence about whether or not to support the project. The majority of the community came out to express their opposition to the town council and their concerns were heard.
“The council basically abided by the will of the people which is basically what democracy is about and I applaud them for doing it," resident Kelly Meyers said.
Those opposed to the development said the traffic congestion will take away the small-town feel. They're fighting to keep Weddington's identity, which they say is quiet and rural.
“There’s the hustle and bustle of the city and then there’s the peace and quiet of Weddington so it’s kind of like a refuge from the rest of the city," Meyers said.
The developers, Provident Land Services and its owner Tom Waters, made numerous changes to the original plans after hearing community feedback at previous highly-attended town meetings. But Monday night's outcome is not what they had hoped for.
“It’s very disappointing to me personally because again I don’t get to see the vision of what we’ve been working on for so long," Waters said.
Their updated proposal, which was presented and discussed Monday evening, reduced the number of proposed homes from 306 to 157.
The developers said for now they plan to take a step back before deciding what their next steps might be.
The population of Weddington, located south of Charlotte along Providence road, was approximately 13,000 in 2021, according to census data.