Mayes Road project site plan
Jan. 15. By Dave Vieser. Almost four years since the Town Board approved rezoning for the Mayes Meadows project—a 160-home development on 90 acres in the southeast corner of Cornelius—it appears that site work will be getting under way in the near future.
A pre-construction meeting was held yesterday. Keith Fenn, director of land entitlement at Keystone Custom Homes in Charlotte, expects to start moving dirt at that site in short order. “Moreover, we are aiming to have a model home built and ready for the public to view by the end of the year,” Fenn said.
Background
The developer is Simonini Homes, while Keystone is the builder. The Mayes Meadows project will include a mix of one- and two- story homes, all with master bedrooms on the main floor. At the time of the original rezoning in 2021, the proposal called for single-family homes with prices ranging from the mid $400,000s to the mid $600,000s.
“Price points for homes vary due to the economy so it’s virtually impossible to nail down an exact price range a year out at this time, Fenn added.
The Mayes Road plan calls for over 50 percent of the property to be open space, an unusually high percentage, and the Greenway which goes through the property will be a central part of the development.
Simonini Homes is one of the top names in custom builders in Charlotte, with predecessor companies having built a variety of homes in neighborhoods like The Peninsula and Connor Quay.
Why the project was delayed
The conditional zoning needed for the project, which removed the land from the rural preservation category, was approved in June 2021. However, a major delay surfaced immediately thereafter when Charlotte Water experienced a capacity shortage for water and sewer surfaces in Northeast Mecklenburg County, which included the Mayes Meadow area. The problem was resolved in June 2023 when an updated contract with Cabarrus County to receive and treat up to 7.4 million gallons per day (MGD) of wastewater was established.
What about traffic?
The rezoning approved in 2021 requires the builder to do the following:
±Add 100′ eastbound right turn lane on Mayes Road onto Westmoreland Road
±Add 100′ westbound right turn lane on Mayes Road into site
±Add 50′ eastbound left turn lane on Mayes Road into site
±Add median on Mayes Road at western entrance
±Add 100′ westbound right turn lane on Mayes Road into site at western entrance
As usual there are no plans for further developement of Mayes Road beyond the turning lanes.
I’m sure the road will be able to handle the extra 160 homes worth of traffic!
When are NCDOT and local municipalities going to wake up?
Posted by James Simpson | January 15, 2025, 12:45 pmI have lived in this area my entire life. I have to travel Hwy 73 every day. In the time they have developed it exponentially but nothing has actually been done to the road to handle more traffic. Well they have added traffic lights. Which do a great job at letting more and more cars stack up.
Stop building until the infrastructure can handle the traffic you are causing.
Posted by Omar | January 16, 2025, 5:42 amWhat about Mayes Rd and Rt 115? There often is a backup at that intersection without possibly adding another 100 cars a day to it.
Posted by N Cerimele | January 15, 2025, 12:50 pmWe are sick and tired of the building of these developments and we the existing residents have no choice!! Build some roads and at least fix the roads! You are not paying attention to this horrible infrastructure!
Posted by Anonymous | January 15, 2025, 2:36 pmOnce again there is a development being built without giving any thought to the residents of Cornelius. We cannot make left or right turns out of our developments because of traffic. We cannot travel on Catawba because of traffic. If there are 3 blades of grass, something is built on it. Does anyone else see this as a problem!!
Posted by Carole Bachenheim | January 15, 2025, 3:00 pmDon’t worry I am sure they will solve all the traffic by adding a 2 or three more traffic lights.
That will eliminate all the traffic
Note to anyone in the city or DOT – I am being sarcastic. They don’t help anything.
Posted by Omar | January 16, 2025, 5:39 amAbsolutely! Westmoreland farm and all that destruction for what! 20 years in Cornelius, traffic is a nightmare and 5 accidents all no fault, such a sad state all around. Mayes Road, so beautiful, now lost…
Posted by Chia | January 16, 2025, 1:57 pmIf you don’t want something built on land then buy it and don’t build anything on it! You aren’t paying taxes on that land. The house you live in was probably a farm once too, so after you came we should close the door?
Posted by Nobody | January 16, 2025, 7:42 pmDitto! How many times do the Cornelius citizens have to say no growth until the roads and infrastructure are in place. If it is a state issue, do something about it !!!
Posted by MWS | January 15, 2025, 8:40 pmDid anyone at the meeting ask why the current property owner, Key Cog Holdings NC II, LLC is delinquent in paying taxes on both parcels for 2023 and 2024? Public records show it clearly. Why would they be able to start building while being delinquent on paying property taxes that all other Cornelius residents pay?
Posted by J | January 16, 2025, 7:46 amLack of infrastructure is a consistent theme when new development arises. “North Carolina local governments have limited authority to charge impact fees. North Carolina courts have ruled that impact fees cannot be used to fund general government infrastructure or services.” We, as local leaders, feel the same frustrations and lobby our leaders in Raleigh to give municipalities more local authority. Please direct your energy towards the change agents (state representatives). Cornelius has 6 road projects underway and receives 8-10x investment back into our community compared to what we pay in regarding road infrastructure.
Posted by Todd Sansbury-Town Commissioner | January 16, 2025, 1:05 pmDear Town of Cornelius, The intersection of Mays Rd. and Rte. 115 (Old Statesville Rd.) is not built for the existing and ever-increasing traffic. Please take a look and try it out.
Posted by Suzanne | January 17, 2025, 9:54 am