After passionate debate, Charlotte City Council to revisit duplex and triplex rules

CHARLOTTE — What’s old is new again.

Despite going into effect in less than a week, the Charlotte City Council voted, 6-5, to have a committee review a key part of the Unified Development Ordinance. The policy, which faced intense scrutiny before being passed by the prior council, allows duplexes and triplexes to be built on all single-family lots not bound by HOAs or covenants. The goal of the policy is to make it easier for developers to build so-called “missing-middle housing,” according to the city. The hope is that increased supply will bring down prices.

The motion made by Councilman James Mitchell was to ask staff to recommend “alternative options, including a schedule, for potential changes to the UDO for allowing duplexes and triplexes in larger projects developing by-right in residential subdivisions.”

City staffers are trying to determine what the motion means and what to present to the city’s transportation, planning and development committee on June 5.

Councilmembers Anderson, Driggs, Johnson, Mitchell, Slack-Mayfield, and Watlington voted in favor of the motion.

Prior to the vote, there was a passionate and intense debate.

Councilman Braxton Winston sharply criticized the motion. He accused the council of trying to reimplement “exclusionary zoning to the UDO.”

“It is ridiculous, ridiculous that this motion was made, and you guys should be ashamed of yourselves if you vote this in,” he said. “It would be embarrassing to sit on a body that is going to blatantly champion segregation.”

Watlington fiercely disagreed. She said council members are trying to protect neighborhoods vulnerable to displacement.

“I call B.S. on everything Mr. Winston just said,” she said. “For you to sit here in my face and to tell me that you are ashamed because I am voting against something that I think is disproportionately impacting people negatively, too bad. Because I am not stupid.”

Councilman Malcolm Graham cautioned the Charlotte City Council on making major changes to the UDO. The UDO goes into effect on June 1.

“Confusing residents and neighborhood associations, the development community, the public, and the council,” he said.

Concerns about by-right development policies in the UDO were raised last week by neighbors opposed to a townhome project off Mallard Creek Road.

“It is going to radically change how this city is going to look over the next 20 years,” resident Jordan Boyd said.

A developer wants to build 186 townhomes. The townhomes would be for sale with brick facades, a fence along the property, open space, and a pool and amenity area. If rejected, starting June 1, the developer would be able to build up to 116 townhomes with no commitments for a for-sale product or any promises about architecture, amenities, or buffers.

“What’s been frustrating to us is the builder said if you don’t agree to our concessions, we’ll just come back after June 1 and we’ll build what we want to build,” Boyd said.

VIDEO: Charlotte City Council passes new rules on development

Charlotte City Council passes new rules on development

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