Many oppose plan to put town homes on Sharon Lane

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — More than a thousand people are opposed to a controversial plan to put town homes on Sharon Lane.

A developer is asking the Charlotte City Council to rezone 6 acres on Sharon Lane, south of St. Gabriel's Catholic Church, to allow 24 town homes to be built.

The developer is scaling back the project after neighbors rallied against it.

The original plans called for 38 town homes.

The new plan will have green space enclosed in the town homes.

“This doesn't fit into the tradition of higher density development, which causes a lot of anxiety and change," said Jeff Brown, attorney for the project.

Five homes are affected by the potential construction.

One homeowner told the City Council on Monday night that he plans on moving into one of the new town homes.

The townhomes are projected to cost more than $1 dollar.

Brown said he is surprised at the controversy over the project.

“We remain surprised at the intensity this project has received," Brown said.

Neighbors said the project will violate deed restrictions, increase traffic, cut down trees and jeopardize the character of the neighborhood.

"This is not what this neighborhood really wants," said Bridget-Anne Hampden, who lives in the area.

Neighbor residents have been fighting the project for the past 18 months and said they will continue to do so. They purchased signs protesting the project and recruited more than 1,000 people to sign a petition against it

[LINK: Petition Against Sharon Lane Rezoning]

They also said that if the area is rezoned to allow the town homes, city leaders will use it as an example for other neighborhoods that are fighting development

"They're going to hold this project up and use it for the next group of residents that try to fight this in the neighborhood," Christa Lineberger said.

The City Council will likely vote on this next month.

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