Rendering of Mayes Meadow, courtesy of Bayard Development
May 18. By Dave Vieser. In a 4-1 vote, the Cornelius Town Board last night approved rezoning which will allow160 single-family homes to be built on farmland on Mayes Road.
The only negative vote was cast by Commissioner Jim Duke, who said he would be voting against the rezoning “on principle..not against the proposal itself, but the loss of rural preservation.”
Zoning change vs. expectations
“What do we owe to those who built or purchased homes in this spacious area as we now take the space away from them,” Duke said.
JIM DUKE
A lightning rod
The Mayes Meadow development proposal became a lightning rod for residents as it wound its way through the town’s review process. Initially the Planning Board, while commending the project, recommended denial by a 5-1 margin indicating that it didn’t comply with the town land use plan.
The town soon changed the land use plan to provide for greater density in the rural preservation area; the project then complied with the new parameters.
Positive comments as well
Commissioner Michael Miltich, who voted for Mayes Meadow last night, said he appreciates how the project has preserved open space.
“It’s a conservation subdivision with low density—lower than adjacent properties—50 percent open space, allows for reasonable use of the land by the landowner—the Mayes family—preserves an open vista on Mayes Road and existing woods, and supplies connectivity to the Greenway system. I believe this project will set the bar of expectation for others on Mayes Road in the future,” Miltich said.
MIKE MILTICH
Also at the May 17 meeting, the commissioners:
—Reappointed John Hettwer, Noris Woody, Keith Eicher, Cheryl Crawford and David Dunn to new five year terms on the towns Land Development Code Advisory Board.
—Appointed Mary Issacs to serve the remainder of a two year term on the town’s Architectural Review Board. Her term expires in October 2022. Recah Howard, David Eve and Joseph Harris were also reappointed to the board for terms expiring in October 2022.
