Developer cuts number of homes in planned Lake Norman community after public outcry
A Lake Norman developer that faced public opposition over its planned 660-home community at the lake last year will try again to get the project approved Monday, this time with far fewer homes.
Proposed by Mooresville-based Southwest 33 Associates LLC, the community would cover 52 largely wooded acres in the 400 block of the narrow, two-lane Alcove Road.
Alcove Road runs north-south between two Interstate 77 exits in Mooresville: Langtree Road exit 31 to the south and U.S. 21-Williamson Road exit 33 to the north.
The developer submitted revised plans this week that cut the number of homes to 350, all of them town homes, instead of the originally proposed mix of housing types, said Erika Martin, Mooresville director of Planning & Community Development.
And 5% of the homes would now be attainable housing, Martin told the Mooresville Board of Commissioners at a board meeting Wednesday morning. The term refers to non-subsidized housing that’s affordable to households with low to moderate incomes. The original proposal called for no such homes.
The development also would include 10,000 square feet of commercial-retail space and 25,000 square feet of public space, according to Mooresville Planning Department documents.
At their meeting Wednesday, commissioners reviewed but didn’t vote on items that will be on the agenda during the next meeting, 6 p.m. Monday, June 17, at Town Hall, 413 N. Main St. The items include a rezoning and annexation request for the Alcove Road project.
Some commissioners last year criticized the project over traffic, fire response and other concerns, but said Wednesday that the developer has worked to address the issues.
Fairview Flyover road
The development construction would be tied to when the town secures land for a nearby fire station, Mooresville Planning Department documents state.
A planned second phase of the development won’t start until the state Department of Transportation starts construction of a long-planned road nearby known as the Fairview Flyover. The road is so named because it would connect Alcove Road on one side of I-77 with Fairview Road on the other side of the interstate.
In its zoning application, the developer said it has worked closely with NCDOT on plans for the road. Construction of the Flyover is scheduled to begin in 2025.
Dog park, open recreational space
A dog park and multiple open-space park areas also are planned, along with a club house, swimming pool and walking trails.
The developer promises a 30-foot vegetative buffer along Alcove Road and a pedestrian connection across a realigned Fairview Road.
The development’s landscaping will make the road “far more friendly to the eye than what otherwise would be displayed should (the Flyover) be built on its own,” according to the developer’s rezoning application.
In its zoning application, the developer said its project will enhance the tax base, provide more housing for seniors and others and offer more retail to Mooresville.
