Neighbors push back against affordable housing for seniors

CHARLOTTE — A developer wants to build affordable apartments and townhomes in east Charlotte on property, which belongs to Calvary Church of the Nazarene, but some residents are concerned about the proposal.

One of the city’s goals is to build affordable housing on church land, because they typically have a lot of it. However, neighbors are pushing back on the proposal because they say traffic on Sharon Amity Road is already out of control.

North Sharon Amity Road is in the city’s high-injury network and neighbors worry traffic is only going to increase if a developer gets to build more housing nearby.

Crosland Southeast wants to build 125 apartments and 14 townhomes on Calvary Church of Nazarene’s land, which would be an affordable housing project for seniors.

Some neighbors are not onboard.

“Our concern is the density and the safety,” said resident Bobbi Almond. “There’s been so many accidents.”

Crosland Southeast is the developer of Eastland Yards, which is under construction a short distance away. The developer is going through the rezoning process now so it can be eligible for tax dollars from Charlotte’s Housing Trust Fund.

The project and its four-story density have the attention of the community and Councilman J.D. Mazuera Arias, D-District 5, who represents the area.

“There are real concerns,” Arias said. “Density, traffic, a two-lane road, infrastructure gaps and this being a high-injury network.”

Charlotte City Council is holding a public hearing Tuesday night and will take a vote in the coming months.

Neighbors say they will continue to raise concerns about the project.

“It seems a little rushed,” Almond said. “I’m sure that it wasn’t by their standard means of what they have to go by, but it just seemed a little rushed.”

There will be another community meeting next Thursday at the Calvary Church of the Nazarene.

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