Sept. 25. By Dave Vieser. The final public hearing on the Catawba Commons retail project, planned for West Catawba just east of Chick-fil-A, will be held at 6 pm Oct. 7 in Cornelius Town Hall.

This project has already received a recommendation for approval from the Town Planning Board but will also need Town Board approval to proceed.

About Catawba Commons

Proposed commercial project on W. Catawba

FHNC of Charlotte wants to amend the zoning at 20151 W. Catawba Ave., for a 6,700 square foot building. The 4.3 acre property is the site of a former First Community Bank office.

The new structure will likely have two restaurants, one on each end, and retail or medical offices between the two restaurants. The proposed development plan also includes a second building farther away from Catawba, also about 6,700 square feet.

Conditions from the Planning Board

After review by town planners, a number of conditions were added to the application.

Of particular interest: “All significant trees within the property wooded area, as identified on the rezoning plan, MUST be retained. Any trees requiring removal due to utility installations or similar improvements are to be replaced at a 3:1 ratio. All tree removals must be approved by the town.”

About traffic

Concerns have been expressed regarding the additional traffic this project could generate. The planning board recommendation stated that the DOT will make final recommendations on whether a turning lane is needed on West Catawba.

The hearing will be held at Town Hall. It will also be live streamed on www.cornelius.org and the town Facebook page.