Event space and future homes | Source: Griffin Family
April 7. By Dave Vieser. A community meeting to outline the “Sunset Cove” event venue proposed for Nantz Road will be held on Tuesday April 15 at 6 pm in Town Hall.
Project applicant Larry Griffin Jr. seeks rezoning for 8.6 acres of trophy waterfront property at 18311/18323 Nantz Road. If approved, the proposal would convert two existing single-family homes into an event space for weddings and corporate events.
Also included in the plans is a 6,000 square foot tent space.
The current zoning on the site is general residential and Griffin is asking for conditional zoning.
If the name Griffin name sounds familiar, it is. Griffin family businesses in the area include Griffin Brothers Acquisitions, Pine Island Country Club and landfills as well as ZoomUp Investments, an enterprise that holds a stake in small growth companies.
The Griffins have also received approval to build a second Royal Bliss Brewery in Cornelius.
They sold a long-time family business, Griffin Tire, in 2016.
The Sunset Cove proposal will also be presented to the Cornelius Town Board at the April 21 meeting. However, no decision will be made on the rezoning request that evening.
As a Nantz Rd resident living on “the other side of the park” I can tell you it is a difference experience with traffic and parking issues than faced by the residents toward the end of the road. I was told by one of the residents up the road that the sidewalk ends before the Griffin’s property to keep the park types from walking to the end and disturbing the rich folk. It is zoned residential for a reason and there are probably only a couple of people in town that could get such a variance to build this on their property and people who are friends with the mayor like the Griffins are some of them. They are certainly by all accounts embedded in the town and have been very hard working people but if I wanted to put a business on my property on Nantz it would get laughed out of the room. My experience as a reporter tells me this will pass no matter what we do and they will have a venue and a very convenient way to reduce their property tax as a result. We received an invite to their home so they could convince us all in the neighborhood to be on board but I personally am not. I like a lot of people in the neighborhood on both sides of the park but the time to be neighborly was before this. Long private driveways to homes hundreds of feet from the road and “private driveway” signs are pretty good indicators you want little to do with your neighbors.
Posted by James Retarides | April 7, 2025, 11:53 amThis Proposal/Variance should not be allowed for several reasons:
First, It’s a business in the middle of our Neighborhood that will create more cars on top of the massive headache that is already Ramsey Creek Park Beach.
Secondly, it sounds like a “Private Bailout ” for the Griffin Family. Allowing such an ordinance so that they can “preserve their property” and cut their taxes or assist in paying these very high property taxes without actually living in the massive houses that they originally bought the dirt and built their mansions on in the first place. This sounds like “Having your cake and eating it too!”. Also, sounds a little like buyer’s remorse considering the heavy tax burden of these iconic homes!
They are asking a lot in my opinion of the community without “Any Benefit” to us neighbors or Cornelius in general! There is only one Winner if this gets approved and it’s the Griffin family!
I would also point out that the Griffins also purchased the additional adjacent neighboring property from their neighbors years ago. That signals a plan in the “works” for some time to fulfill their investment.
I promise very few on Nantz could get such an “Ask” approved. The commissioners need to reject their request to secure and protect our very old, relatively small, desired community! It’s only a 1 mile peninsula with one way in, one way out!We are so over trafficked already!
Please take note of the upcoming Town Board meetings and please sign up to voice your dis-pleasure and concerns before the meeting: Tuesday , April 15th @ 6;00pm sharp. You must sign up on a roll call sheet prior to the meeting beginning to be able to speak your opinion. Here is a link to the rules of decorum for meeting participants: Cornelius, NC
Let’s hope the Town Council has the Nantz Rd. Communities benefit at the forefront for once, but I doubt it! They never have before!
That is why it is imperative that If you disagree with this proposal, you show up and voice your opinion to the Town Board!
Lee Fleming – Yachtman Shores
Posted by Lee Fleming | April 9, 2025, 10:45 amI dont see a problem with the Griffins’ plan, if they follow through to live beside the venue. There is enough AirBnB activity in this area already whether we like it or not.
I really think we need to sort out the sidewalk situation before any zoning changes happen. The road curves sharply right at the Griffins’ driveway and the sidewalk just stops there. With more out-of-town visitors coming for the weddings, it is bound to become a real hazard. I’d suggest extending the sidewalk along at least one side of Nantz until the end.
Posted by Anonymous | April 12, 2025, 12:35 amSo your argument is “there is already AirBNB” traffic so lets’ make it worse? No way this is coming from someone who has to use Nantz for ingress and egress at peak hours during peak season. While I agree that the sidewalk should be extended (as I walk up to Largo myself) that will not be approved. They are already moving dirt on the Griffin’s property so I would imagine they know that Tuesday will just be a formality as the notion of “representative government” has become just another punchline in these perilous times. Since you posted anonymously I hope your comments are taken with the grain of salt they deserve.
Posted by James Retarides | April 12, 2025, 5:44 pmTraffic on Nantz because of the park is a separate issue—I only encounter backups during a few weekends a year, which isn’t too bad, when compared to the mess which is Catawba.
Everyone in town, including you, is already allowed to rent out their residential homes on Airbnb. The town collects extra lodging taxes from these rentals and is fine with it. So, your argument that your home can’t be used the same way is false. The town can’t stop you because the Cornelius block on vacation rentals has lapsed, and state law now gives you all the rights you need—no town permission is required to advertise your home as a wedding-friendly vacation rental.
Even if the town denies the conditional zoning application, which I think is the right course of action just like you do, they can still run the wedding venue out of their homes.
Posted by ANONYMOUS | April 14, 2025, 2:04 amIt’s unfortunate the City Council has even let it come to this point. This is step one of a well thought out strategy from the Griffin Family that is clear for every resident of Nantz Rd to see.
If this variance is allowed, within 10 years, there will be additional neighboring properties purchased by the family, those homes developed into higher density short term rentals to support the venue, a private marina built out, a restaurant added, and so on….We all know it won’t stop with this 1st variance.
There is one question I hope gets asked at the meeting: Has the Griffin Family, or their businesses, made any type of political contribution or financial gift/investment to any member of the city council and the Mayor?
For the sake of keeping Nantz Rd a pleasant place to live for years to come, please make your voices heard.
Posted by Nantz Rd Family | April 13, 2025, 1:21 amI agree. Granting a zoning change from residential status will deprive residents of their rights under state vacation rental rules, which allow us to file complaints if residential homes used as vacation rentals exhibit noise issues or other violations, such as increased crime. The rental will have to be shut down if more than two violations occur in a year or if the character of the residential community changes drastically, meaning the venue must operate more carefully under the higher standard imposed by these rules.
I believe their request for conditional zoning is not intended to secure permission to operate a wedding venue but rather to shield them from future complaints under state vacation rental rules if violations occur. We need to accept that we cannot prevent them from operating a wedding venue—whether they receive this variance or not—but we must make it clear to the town council that it should not intervene in this matter. Instead, it should simply require them to operate their wedding venue under residential zoning and comply with state vacation rental rules, just like every other Airbnb host in the area.
Posted by ANONYMOUS | April 14, 2025, 1:55 pm