March 6. [Opinion] While i understand my fellow residents’ expressed concerns about traffic congestion and lack of parking, I do not share their fear of the results of gross overdevelopment and ultimate destruction of the Birkdale Village neo traditional design concept proposed by Jamestown. I believe they have no intention of building any of the projects proposed in their application.

Why, you ask?
1) They still have minimal “skin in the game”. They re-use bland renderings of generic Atlanta-style offices presented two years ago that resulted in the denial. Are some site specific renderings by a real architect/designer too costly?
2) Inconsistency, vagueness, constantly changing data of project scope. Presentations don’t match verbal descriptions. Is the office building 110 feet or 115 feet high? Does the hotel have one or three levels of parking under?
3) The “win-win” wanted so badly by town commissioners is not possible because a compromise in scope would jeopardize the cash value of the rezoning approval. The vesting is for five years. It’s worth millions!

The only beneficiary is the developer and possibly those parties that expedited the approval.

Vote no on March 18.

—Nick O’Shaughnessy
Owner/Broker-in-Charge
O’Shaughnessy Realty and Development

±The Huntersville Board of Commissioners, which has the final say on the rezoning request, is scheduled to vote on the request on March 18.