Antiquity Woods was behind the bridge, toward Davidson

Nov. 5. By Dave Vieser. Plans for Antiquity Woods, a 99-unit housing development on the edge of Davidson—but inside Cornelius—have been withdrawn even though the developer has paid thousands of dollars in fees to extend the application at Town Hall.

Charlotte-based Meeting Street Cos. paid a total of  $7,500 to the town in application and extension fees since May of 2016. The fees doubled every six months thru last April.

HERRON

Meeting Street withdrew the application on Wednesday, according to Assistant Town Manager Wayne Herron.

Under the current neighborhood residential zoning, Meeting Street may erect 50 homes “by right,” without getting a change in zoning. Essentially doubling the size of the planned neighborhood drew the ire of residents in Davidson and Cornelius alike.

Antiquity Woods would have replaced 16 acres of vacant wooded land almost directly across South Street from Davidson Elementary. There is a bend in the road not far from the quaint covered bridge.

Town officials are paying more attention to residents than their predecessors in Town Hall two decades ago. Some of it has to do with traffic, some has to do with a desire to keep things the way they are.

In May 2016, with a strong local economy and the Antiquity neighborhood growing day by day, developer Joe Roy filed a rezoning application with the town for 103 single-family homes (a mixture of attached and detached), a four-bedroom inn, and a 2,500 square foot restaurant.

Roy modified the expanded project, but never gave up until now.

The project generated considerable concern among local residents because the only entrance and exit would be precisely where traffic from Davidson approaches the narrow covered bridge which connects the two towns.,

“If he wants to revisit the project, he must reapply and start over,” Herron said.