BY STACIE LETT CAIN
The Mooresville Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to deny a rezoning request that would have allowed EPCON to develop a 55-and-over residential project at d at 1304 Oakridge Farm Highway on Monday.
It was second failed attempt by EPCON and property owner June Staton Goodman for the site.
Commissioners again cited concerns about the feasibility of providing a safe entrance and exit from the development.
“This was originally denied in October and the only change I see is the inclusion of the U-turn bulb allowing for better access,” Commissioner Lisa Qualls said. “I don’t see that changing a lot.”
The proposed Courtyard @ Brumley Farm development, located at 1304 Oakridge Farm Highway, is on approximately 54 acres and is currently zoned Iredell County Residential Agricultural (RA) and Neighborhood Business (NB). By right, the developer can build 54 units on the land without town board involvement.
But EPCON wants the town to annex the property and provide utilities for the proposed 108-unit development.
The Planning Board and town staff recommended the rezoning and subsequent annexation, but commissioners said they could not get past the traffic challenges associated with the project.
“I agree with Commissioner Qualls that EPCON does a tremendous job. But my biggest issue is how do we make it safe to make a left turn out of there to get back to Mooresville,” Commissioner Gary West said.
The proposed plan includes locating the main entrance to the development off Oakridge Farm Highway. Even though it was a full access point, the majority of traffic would need to cross the highway with a left turn to head back toward the town. When the concern was brought up in October, planners came up with the proposal of putting a U-turn bulb about three-fourths of a mile from the development, allowing a right turn onto Oakridge Farm Highway, a U-turn, and then back three-fourths of a mile to continue onto Mooresville.
But that solution didn’t sway the board.
“Most people will not go three-quarters of a mile down the road to do a U-turn and then come back three-quarters of a mile to go back the way you came,” West advised. “Left turns, if allowed, would be the most chosen direction and left turns are the most dangerous. If one person chooses to make a left turn out there and dies, that’s on my conscience.”
The danger of that intersection was also pointed out during the public hearing for the project.
“Older adult drivers have slower mental reaction, situational awareness and motor controls,” Jennifer Natchez explained. “Driving in heavy traffic makes that even more of a challenge.”
Citing the National Traffic Safety Board statistics, Natchez advised the board that accidents involving drivers over the age of 65 were up 42 percent.
“Changing this zoning and allowing this development is adding an entire development of these statistics,” Natchez said. “This is putting their safety and the safety of others at risk.”
Steven Wall, also of Mooresville, called attention to the deaths that have occurred on that highway and warned of the increase in those numbers if this development was allowed.
“A 21-year-old girl was killed in August just twenty yards from where this intersection would be,” he stated. “There are memorials up and down this highway of people who have died in traffic accidents in that area. This intersection would just be located in a terrible place. It’s one of North Carolina’s most accident-prone areas.”
Fearing that people would choose to cut through the nearby Dollar General parking lot instead of using the U-tun bulb, Wall shared his opinion on the development.
“We just don’t think this area is right for this kind of development,” he said.
Qualls suggested continuing the public hearing and delaying the vote until a January meeting to allow the developer time to explore other options but that suggestion was met with some resistance.
“I understand what we are trying to do here but we have listened to this thing for years,” Commissioner Eddie Dingler explained. “What is going to change in January that we haven’t heard tonight and at previous meetings? Are we going to hear something different or are we just delaying the inevitable?”
Ultimately, the board decided to vote on the issue, striking down the rezoning request unanimously.
“This is a beautiful project. It’s just in the wrong place,” Qualls said.
After the rezoning request was denied, the request for annexation was withdrawn.