HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93011_1135LOCATION: 294 Houston Road (2.98 acres) and adjacent vacant parcel (19.5
acres), more specifically identified as PIN# 4750-16-2272 and 4750-06-8409.
Directions: South from Troutman on Charlotte Highway, turn left onto
Houston Road; property on right past I-77 overpass.
REQUESTED ACTIONS: 1) Amend the Exit 42 Small -Area Plan; and 2)
Rezone subject parcels from RA, Residential Agricultural to HB, Highway
Business.
PROPOSED USE: Any and all Highway -Business uses.
SIZE: 22.48 total acres.
EXISTING LAND USE: Vacant and Residential.
SURROUNDING LAND USE: Residential & Agricultural
WATERSHED REGULATIONS: The subject parcel is not located within a
Watershed area.
TRAFFIC: In 2004, this end of Houston Road had an average of 770 vehicles
per day.
ZONING HISTORY: The subject parcels have been zoned RA since county-
wide zoning took effect in 1990. The applicants have submitted this request
with the intention of the parcels becoming part of a commercial development in
the Exit 42 vicinity. During 2005, several parcels totaling approximately 40
acres were zoned commercially (HB) pursuant to the Exit 42 Small -Area Plan
objectives for the interchange area.
STAFF COMMENTS: The present request seeks to rezone the subject
parcels along Houston Road in the same fashion as those mentioned above.
Superior Properties has acquired ownership in most of the previously -zoned
properties and intends to continue this assembly of parcels for purposes of
development; however, the subject parcels are not part of the Small -Area Plan.
Therefore, a strong justification will be needed to recommend an amendment to
the Small -Area Plan as well as any rezoning. With the addition of the Houston
Road parcels, the developers have explored the opportunity to provide a road
connecting Houston Road with Charlotte Highway just south of the I-77
overpass. NCDOT has advised staff that Superior Properties has submitted an
access plan for the Charlotte Highway side of the development. At this time,
however, no plans have been submitted for connection to Houston Road.
Similarly, no site -plans have been submitted to the County Planning
Department on the proposed development or its traffic management measures;
it is staff s understanding that the developer wishes to keep site plans
confidential at this time due to ongoing negotiations with potential tenants.
Without site -plan information and specific conditions, however, staff feels it
would be inappropriate to recommend in favor of a Land -Use Plan amendment
and the rezoning request. Staff cannot make a judgment as to the amount of
traffic generated onto Houston Road, not are there any conditions on the
request that would guarantee interconnectivity between parcels. In addition, if
the parcels are not developed under the same ownership there is no guarantee
that the subject properties will be part of the overall development; thus there is
potential to have HB -zoned tracts with no conditions along a very rural portion
of Houston Road. Without stipulations on the property that would help provide
certainty as to the use and development of these particular parcels in terms of
their connection to the planned development and traffic facilitation, staff
recommends against this request.
STATEMENT OF LAND -USE PLAN CONSISTENCY: This request is not
consistent with the objectives of the Exit 42 Small -Area Plan.
PLANNING BOARD ACTION: On April 5, 2006 the Planning Board voted 9-
1 to recommend against both the rezoning and Land -Use Plan amendment
requests, citing the Statement of Land -Use Plan Consistency as written.
.t*aa