Huntersville commissioners green-light hotel project despite traffic, safety concerns
A property adjacent to Birkdale Village will soon become the home of a luxury hotel after the Huntersville Board of Commissioners approved the project, despite concerns from residents.
The plan calls for a three-story, 121-room hotel on a 10-acre property at 8830 Northpointe Executive Park Drive, proposed by developer Hitesh Patel.
Commissioners voted 5-1 on July 16 in favor of a special-use permit to allow the hotel, WSOC reported.
Special-use permits are required for hotels that are less than 250 feet away from residential and mixed-use areas, according to town code.
Commissioners then were evenly split on the rezoning request, with Mayor Christy Clark casting the tie-breaking vote, WSOC reported.
“One of the priorities that I’ve always raised is that we would shift the burden on our taxes from our residents to commercial,” Clark said during the meeting. “As a result of that, I will be voting in favor of this project.”
Commissioner Amanda Dumas, who opposed both measures, said the hotel would not be a useful addition, The Charlotte Business Journal reported.
“I don’t see this as a needed or valuable add,” Dumas said. “I’m completely OK with the land sitting unused until we find the right value-add.”
Concerns from residents
During two community involvement meetings in March, residents voiced concerns about increased traffic, the feasibility of another hotel in the area, and safety, according to planning board documents.
Residents feared that hotel would generate additional traffic on Northcross Drive, which could be exacerbated by the town’s plan to add roundabouts to the road, scheduled for completion in 2026.
Homeowners also suggested guests coming and going at all hours of the night could disrupt traffic patterns.
Residents pointed out there are already a few hotels in the immediate area and doubted that the town could support another hotel. According to Google Maps, there are seven hotels within a half-mile radius of the property.
Attendees also expressed the hotel may attract crime like prostitution and burglaries to the neighborhood.
There were also concerns from residents that the hotel will decrease property values in the adjacent subdivision.
Response from developer
To address traffic concerns, Patel argued that the hotel’s traffic impact would be manageable and would spread traffic throughout the day, unlike office traffic concentrated during rush hours, according to minutes from the community involvement meeting.
He also cited extensive experience and market research supporting the hotel’s potential success.
“The applicant further responded that the Marriott brand keeps a close watch on local markets, and would not have awarded an additional location to the applicant if the brand did not believe the proposed hotel will succeed,” the developer said according to the meeting minutes.
Responding to concerns about safety, the applicant said the hotel will not increase crime rates or attract specific criminal activities. Patel also stated that buffer zones and distance will ensure guest privacy and security.
As for the impact on property values, an appraisal conducted in June determined that there would be “no impact on residential property values resulting from adjoining a hotel property,” according to planning board documents.
