CHARLOTTE — With one of Charlotte’s best views and coolest murals, Peculiar Rabbit sits in the heart of Plaza Midwood. It closed for good last year, and the land it sits on was sold to a developer who wants to turn it into a housing development.
That worries some nearby business owners.
“It only takes one neighbor to regret their decision to live in such close proximity to an area of entertainment,” said Scott McCannell, owner of Snug Harbor. “This could begin a never-ending cycle of complaints, fines and litigation.”
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The Charlotte City Council is considering a rezoning petition for the half-acre home of Peculiar Rabbit, Jackalope Jacks, The Rabbit Hole and Smooth Monkey. Housing is allowed on the property site by right, which means if the Charlotte City Council votes against the project in the coming months, it can still be built there.
But as the project goes through the rezoning process to have the land classified as a transit-oriented development, Snug Harbor and other Plaza Midwood businesses want to have a seat at the table.
“The community that is going to have to live with the developer’s decisions should have some say in what is going to be developed,” McCannell said.
McCannell and the Plaza Midwood Merchants Association spoke in opposition to the project at the Charlotte City Council’s meeting Tuesday night.
The lack of their inclusion to this point is a red flag for Plaza Midwood’s Rep. Larken Egleston.
“The neighborhood has not historically acted like the sky is falling every time there is a rezoning,” he said. “For them to come forward with concerns that they feel like are not only not being addressed but are not being properly heard, I think is a bit of a red flag.”
Some council members said they share the community’s skepticism on whether housing is appropriate for that spot.
“Charlotte struggles to find its identity. I can tell you what is not going to be a noteworthy identity is more apartments,” Mayor Pro Tem Julie Eiselt said. “We have got to have some parts of town that have character and identity. Plaza Midwood is one of those areas.”
It is unclear whether the housing will be for-sale units or rentals. For more information on the project at the Peculiar Rabbit site, click here.
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