Alexander property at Westmoreland and Catawba
March 9. By Dave Vieser. Modifications continue on the proposed $110 million Alexander Farm mixed-use development at Westmoreland and West Catawba. The latest changes include reducing the number of detached single-family homes to 77, as well as the elimination of any age limit for buyers.
Plans for the 130-room resort style residential age-restricted apartment complex are apparently unchanged.
There is also a likelihood that a pharmacy and food drive-through facility included in the original plan’s retail section will also be dropped.
“There appears to be waning interest in the pharmacy, and the town’s restrictions on Catawba Avenue drive-through facilities makes them less likely to be included in the final development,” said Susan Irvin, an attorney representing WIN Development LLC. She spoke at a recent meeting of the town’s pre-development review committee.
Eliminating the private home age limit opens up the buyers to more families with school-aged children—and more potential local traffic issues.
Previously, the developer had removed a convenience store/gas station from their plans after numerous community concerns were expressed about the need for yet another convenience store along the West Catawba corridor.
The developer has also agreed to donate land for a fire station.
The development still includes the multi-story senior residences, as well as numerous retail on the northwest corner and five acres dedicated for open space/park land close to the east end of the site.
HERRON
Normally, developers of approved projects don’t do a second presentation for the pre-development committee, but Deputy Town Manager Wayne Herron said an exception would be appropriate.
“The site plan has been changed since [the] last summer/fall round of public input and comment, so we decided it may be good to go back before the pre-development committee again, especially since we have both new and returning commissioners. This allowed the applicant to touch on the changes and talk about the project in general just to educate and provide information as we review the most recent site plan,” Herron said.
The required Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) for the project has begun and will take several months to complete, after which it will be reviewed in detail by NCDOT. No construction work is anticipated to begin this year on the project, according to town officials.
