19400 Statesville Road: Upfit coming
Oct. 15. By Dave Vieser. In a year where many rezonings have resulted in controversy through the addition of hundreds of residential units, two public hearings coming up on Monday should be far more tranquil. Van-Zen LLC of Cornelius seeks to rezone approximately 6.7 acres of vacant land on Chartown Drive with plans to build a luxury car club facility at that site. And applicant Jay Montazerz is seeking permission to spruce up his nonconforming retail strip mall on Highway 21.
Car club on Chartown
The first rezoning, if approved, would change the zoning for 20410 Chartown Drive and an adjacent parcel to the north from Industrial Campus and Business Campus to conditional zoning. Applicant Eric Nichols plans to build a 40,000 square foot clubhouse and 105 garage storage units in four buildings totaling 64,000 square feet.
The luxury car club, if approved, will join other auto and boat sales businesses which are relocating to this vacant area of town just south of the Life Fellowship Church. A mixed use project was planned for the site at one time, but those plans never materialized.
Upfit on Hwy. 21
The second hearing would permit Montazerz to complete an exterior upfit to the building located at 19400 Statesville Road/Highway 21. There are no changes proposed to the site and the building size is proposed to stay the same.
Wayne Herron
The commercial, retail, and offices uses within the existing building are currently considered non-conforming uses. Deputy Town Manager Wayne Herron explained that non-conforming cannot be expanded, changed, or enlarged.
“By requesting a zoning change, it is the applicant’s goal to make the uses on the site compatible with the zoning district and to enhance the appearance of the building,” Herron said.
Details
The public hearings will be held at Cornelius Town Hall on Catawba Avenue starting at 5 pm. Those wishing to speak can do so in person or may submit comments via email at TownofCornelius.org. All emails must be received by noon Monday.
The town board meeting can be viewed on the town web site: www.cornelius.org, then link to “watch meetings online.”
The commissioners may render a decision on each of the cases that evening once the public hearings have been closed.
