Residents worry about new 380-home development in Huntersville

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Huntersville leaders will vote Tuesday night on the first phase of a plan that would make way for hundreds of new homes.

The developer wants to rezone the area northeast of Ervin Cook Road and Gilead Road.

But some neighbors told Channel 9 anchor Blaine Tolison that they are concerned about the major project, which would feature 380 new homes on a 200-acre farmland off Gilead Road.

"I think that we are sacrificing that for this quick growth rate," resident Jacob Hunt said.

The town's planning board will vote Tuesday to rezone the piece of land to allow homebuilder Crescent Commuties to develop.

The plan calls for several turn lanes and through lanes to be added along Gilead road from Ervin Cook to McCoy roads.

There is already a lot of construction going on in Huntersville, including a development just down the street featuring 400 homes off Bud Henderson Road.

The town's mayor, John Anarella, admits it's a challenge to keep up with the growth.

"We’re trying to creative ways of trying to mitigate some of the impact from some of that growth,” Anarella said.

Anarella hopes to eventually give developers incentives to make bigger and better improvements to area roads.

But it's not just roads. Schools will see an influx in students. According to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ documents, only one area middle school will be replaced in the next few years.

Locals worry that none of it is enough, and question if Huntersville is growing in the right direction.

"How we can keep our green space, keep the aesthetics of our community and start to build character that is going to attract all sorts of people, businesses, residents and visitors?" Hunt said.

There's one other rezoning request on Tuesday’s planning board agenda for 85 homes. If both requests are approved, they will go before town council next month for another vote.

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