Mooresville delays townhome rezoning vote

Mooresville town commissioners tabled a decision on a proposed 50-townhome development on October 19, opting for a six-month pause to explore plan adjustments and improved road access.

The project, submitted by D.R. Horton, sits on a 6.34-acre parcel in the southwest quadrant of the Interstate 77 and Brawley School Road interchange. The site fronts Brawley School Road west of the southbound Interstate 77 on-ramp and marks the end of North Gibbs Road, a single-family residential street.

Direct access to Brawley School Road is currently unavailable based on previous responses from the N.C. Department of Transportation. The proposal instead calls for an extension of Bentree Lane from the adjacent Sunridge Place development, with an emergency-only tie-in to North Gibbs Road. All current and proposed development in the area relies on a single access road, Silver Hook Drive, which aligns with Rolling Hill Road about one-third of a mile west of Interstate 77.

The property is currently zoned for highway business use, a designation linked to an approved plan for a 120,000-square-foot automobile country club. Developers are seeking a change to Conditional Traditional Neighborhood. Commissioners acknowledged that the townhome proposal is a better fit for the area than the storage facility, though they noted valid concerns regarding limited road access and impacts on surrounding neighborhoods.

Residents spoke in opposition during the meeting, citing traffic and safety issues. Several commissioners described the decision as difficult, emphasizing that the property is among the most valuable in town. Mayor Pro Tem Eddie Dingler stated that the location guarantees development will occur there. Commissioner Gary West added that there are many worse uses that could occupy the land.

Commissioner Eddie Karriker agreed with his colleagues that the owner has the right to develop the property, but he said he was not yet satisfied with the plan as proposed. He and Commissioner Will Aven described an ideal scenario as a handful of single-family houses, a concept Aven called the "Disney version." Aven noted that while he understood that ideal was not practical, he viewed the current townhome proposal as the lesser of the evils.

"I'd love to live in the 'Disney' world, but we live in the real world," Aven said. He moved to approve the rezoning request, a motion seconded by Commissioner Frank Owens. Following questions from the board, including remarks from Commissioner Dana Tucker about potential plan tweaks, the board agreed to table the issue.

Commissioners asked developers to consider including units aligned with the town’s attainable housing standards and to maintain communication with neighboring residents. Dingler directed town staff to contact NCDOT officials again regarding the possibility of a right-in, right-out only connection to Brawley School Road. The issue is tentatively set to return for board consideration in April 2027.