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Homes in University City's 28269 ZIP code had one of the lowest appreciation rates in Charlotte in 2006 but the area ranked second-highest for incomes, according to one local report.
Claire Green Fallon, president of Legacy at Davis Lake Homeowners Association, decided to take a stand against residential construction that failed to meet the highest standards.
When a developer proposed a new residential community near hers that she believed would include too many units or needed better building materials, she'd invite the developer and other University City residents over for a chat.
"I would have coffee and cake and fruit salad and they would come to my house," Fallon said. "We said, 'Don't build that here. You don't want us to go down in front of City Council and object to it.'"
In most instances, Fallon said, the developer would withdraw, agree to use better materials or, sometimes, lower their project's density.
The average value for homes in 28269 improved by 4.9 percent in 2007, compared with 3.2 percent in 2006, according to an annual report compiled by community activist Jack Brosch.
Equally important, the community began to see more desirable homes built in the area, Fallon said. Buyers didn't have to leave University City for Ballantyne or other parts of Charlotte to find a luxury home.
Fallon also believes there was a benefit for developers.
"If they build what's best, they sell it easier," she said.
This year Fallon sought and won a three-year appointment to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission much the same way she won better development for University City: She sat down with county commissioners face-to-face and asked for their support. Seven of nine commissioners obliged. Fallon was seated in June.
Now she wants to push for high-quality development in neighborhoods throughout Mecklenburg rather than just in University City.
The Planning Commission advises the City Council and county commissioners on a variety of issues, including zoning, land development, transportation and transit, economic development and community facilities.
On these matters, Fallon sees great challenges ahead for Mecklenburg County. If growth in the region resumes after the recession, Fallon expects the City Council to face significant pressure to approve new construction projects in order to increase property tax revenue.
"Once you build something and it's not the right thing, you can't go back," Fallon said.
As a neighborhood advocate, Fallon is a minority on the 14-member Planning Commission. The board is made up of business and real estate services professionals, developers, bankers, and at least one other neighborhood advocate - University City resident Greg Phipps, who joined the commission in 2008 and attended meetings with developers at Fallon's home.
Commissioners questioned Fallon's views on housing, the poor, immigration and other issues before deciding to vote for her.
"I think this one of our most important commissions," county commissioner Harold Codgill said. "Someone who brings a neighborhood perspective and is experienced working with those in the development community is important."
Fallon, who stands 5 feet tall and dodges questions about her age, has a history of shaping communities.
She is president of the NorthEast Coalition of Neighborhoods, which represents more than 20 neighborhood associations. Political candidates have been regular guests at coalition meetings.
She also served on the Committee of 21, a local task force formed in May 2008 to help find solutions to Mecklenburg County's transportation needs. This year Mayor Pat McCrory appointed her to the Housing Trust Fund, which provides financing for affordable housing.
"I have been present on numerous occasions when she has challenged, prodded and offered words of encouragement to people holding or seeking elective office and done so without regard to party or office held," wrote Ned Curran, CEO of The Bissell Companies and former chairman of Committee of 21, in an e-mail last week.
Fallon expects that as a planning commissioner her strategies must evolve. Her responsibilities are much broader now.
Planning commissioners interact with the Board of Education, the Charlotte Housing Authority, the Park and Recreation Commission, the Historic District Commission as well as regional, state and federal agencies.
"It's not just protesting," Fallon said. "You understand things more in-depth. Was I more effective the other way? That is to be seen."
