Mooresville to vote on national builder’s plans for 111 Lake Norman rental homes
Mooresville commissioners are scheduled to vote Monday on a national builder’s plans for up to 111 rental homes near Lake Norman.
Brentwood Phase 4 by American Homes 4 Rent, or AMH, would spread across 86 acres on Black Angus Lane. That’s off Faith Road, just east of Mount Mourne near the lake.
Commissioners raised concerns about the planned development at an Oct. 15 board meeting, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.
The homes, part of a larger, existing development, would spill only more traffic onto already clogged Faith Road, commissioners said. And the developer planned only one entrance-exit for the latest phase, commissioners said. Having a second way in and out would manage traffic better, they said.
“My challenge is this all dumps into one access point,” commissioner Lisa Qualls said at the Oct. 15 meeting.
Qualls lost to challenger Dana Tucker in her reelection bid Nov. 4, with Tucker capturing 535 votes, or 47.43% of ballots cast, to 365 votes for Qualls, or 32.36%, according to official election results.
Tucker and the rest of the new town board will be sworn into office at 5 p.m. Monday at Town Hall. The regular meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., including votes on the AMH rezoning and other issues.
“More density without a significant something, I’m out,” commissioner Eddie Dingler said at the Oct. 15 meeting, referring to ways to address the impact on nearby roads from cars in the latest Brentwood phase.
The developer also hasn’t shown the town a site plan for the homes, Dingler said.
Residents concerned about planned homes
In August, the Mooresville Planning Board rejected recommending the rezoning to the commissioners, who have final say.
At the Planning Board meeting, residents near the proposed community worried that a road in their subdivision would be used as a cut-through by their new neighbors.
The developer later agreed to block that access, town planning staff told the commissioners.
Neighbor Kristin Hooven said rental homes have “huge turnover” with renters “who won’t respect our speed limit or stop sign.” An American Homes 4 Rent official said its communities offer amenities that keep people living there longer.
Homes feature fenced yards, granite or quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, luxury vinyl plank flooring and attached two- and three-car garages, according to the AMH website.
Amenities include pools, fitness centers, playgrounds, nature trails and dog parks, the website shows.
The Planning Board voted unanimously against the project. The board is an advisory panel that issues recommendations to the Mooresville Board of Commissioners, which has the final say on rezonings.
Corporate landlord concerns
Corporate landlords, including American Homes 4 Rent, own about a quarter of all rental homes in Mecklenburg County and tens of thousands of single-family houses across the state, The Charlotte Observer and News & Observer found in a 2022 investigation, Security for Sale.
About 20 corporate landlords own over 25,000 single-family homes in the Charlotte area, according to Action NC, the Observer reported in January. The Federal Trade Commission sought public comment at the time, saying the increase in corporate landlords hurts homeownership rates and impacts costs for renters and prospective home buyers.
If the commissioners approve the Black Angus Lane rezoning request, a separate public hearing would be held Monday night on a request by land owners Mitchell and Bradley Hager to have their property annexed into the town, and public water and sewer lines extended to the site. The land is currently under Iredell County government zoning control.