Despite pushback, plans approved for two new CMS schools, apartments in South Charlotte
South Charlotte will be getting two new schools — and plenty of new apartments.
Two rezoning petitions from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and developer Woodfield Development were approved by the City Council Monday night. It paves the way for a new elementary school to open by next year across the street from Ardrey Kell High School and a new high school to be built about 3 miles away near Ballantyne, expected to open in 2024.
Both are intended to relieve overcrowding issues of schools in the area and provide housing options close-by for teachers and staff.
Both petitions included the construction of several hundred residential units, including apartments and townhomes.
The large number of residential units tied to the elementary school petition drew opposition from some neighbors and a council member representing the district. CMS and Woodfield initially proposed building 475 residential with that petition.
Councilman Ed Driggs and some neighbors voiced concerns about the impacts that large number of homes would have on the surrounding area, especially Ardrey Kell Road. “It’s one of the most crowded roads in Charlotte,” Driggs said Monday night.
CMS and Woodfield have since reduced their original plan to include 349 units — 299 apartments and 50 townhomes. They have also included plans for a 14,000-square-foot recreation center in partnership with the county as well as two parks.
It’s unclear when the residential project will be completed. Collin Brown, an attorney representing both CMS and Woodfield, said the intention is to move forward as quickly as possible.
The petitioners also increased the number of affordable units from 10% of the total to 15%. There were other improvements, including wider sidewalks and a reduction in building height.
There is a time constraint tied to both petitions. Construction of the high school and possibly the elementary school could be delayed by a year, and the window is tight to open in time for the start of the scheduled school year, school district representatives have said.
Driggs was the only council member to vote against the elementary school petition.
Without providing details during Monday’s meeting, Driggs said a proposal he brought to CMS and Woodfield that would have made him vote yes was not accepted. He also said CMS should not make City Council responsible for the timely delivery of schools.
‘Checks the boxes’ for affordable housing
Councilwoman Renee Johnson said the petitions “checks the boxes” when it comes to bringing affordable housing to an area where there might not otherwise be any, while building schools to deal with overcrowding.
Some council members voiced frustration over the petition because they felt pitted against the schools while dealing with a project that could have an impact on congestion.
Mayor Pro Tem Julie Eiselt said she ultimately supported the petition for the elementary school because the city needs to alleviate overcrowding.
Charlotte needs to create neighborhoods that are more pedestrian friendly as opposed to car centric, Councilman Braxton Winston said during Monday’s meeting.
Winston said the more people can walk to school, the less traffic there will be. “People do not create congestion,” he said. “Cars create congestion.”
The new CMS high school
There was far less controversy over CMS and Woodfield’s plan for the new high school.
That petition calls for a maximum 311,000-square-foot high school and 420 apartments just north of Interstate 485, close to Ballantyne. The site is on about 74 acres, just northeast of North Community House Road.
Council members unanimously approved the high school petition Monday night.
This story was originally published February 22, 2022 at 12:45 PM.
