Feb. 16. By Dave Vieser. A stormy night outside proved harmonious inside Monday as the Cornelius Town Board unanimously approved a conditional rezoning request for more senior housing in town. With town board approval in hand, Bluestream Partners can add 103 single-family homes for seniors to the Bailey’s Glen development in the southeast corner of the town.

The meeting, attended by less than a dozen residents, began on an ominous note as Police Chief Bence Hoyle warned everyone that roadways and walkways were becoming very treacherous as freezing rain continued to fall. However, the public hearing on Bluestream’s request was essentially a love fest, with no one voicing opposition to the plan.

With the approval, the Bailey Glen development, near the intersection of Bailey and Barnhart roads, grows to 175 proposed homes. The age restrictions placed on the new homes by the town calls for a minimum of 80 percent to be owned by at least one resident 55 years of age or older, and no school aged children will be permitted.

“Phase 1 for this project was approved last year, and encompassed some 57 acres and 72 lots,” said town planner Will Washam. “The Phase 2 request encompasses approximately 52 acres with 103 proposed single family residential lots, for a total of 109.92 acres with 175 lots.”

The only resident to speak at the meeting was a neighbor to the project, Heather Helms, who lives on Davidson-Concord Road. “I’m not opposed to the project,” said Helms, “but would like to see if the developer could provide more of a buffer between the new homes and our property.” Commissioners asked the builder Jake Palillo to see if the proposed 25-foot buffer could be extended.

The town’s approval was accompanied by a list of 14 conditions, many of which were carried over from the Phase One approval. Palillo had previously indicated it would take about 18 months to start construction after town approval, with tentative plans to start sometime mid-next year. He estimates the homes will encompass from 2000 to 3000 square feet depending upon the model and will be priced in the $350,000 range.

With the approval, the town now has approved a grand total of 1,113 senior age-restricted homes. 631 are, like Bailey’s Glen, single family homes; 154 are townhomes, and the remaining 328 are multi-family/condos. 404 have already been constructed, with 709 remaining.