May 7. By Dave Vieser. The Cornelius Planning Board will conduct a public hearing tonight Town Hall on a controversial proposal which, if approved, would permit a four-building business park on Bailey Road just east of Hwy. 115.

The vacant property where the business center would go is currently zoned for rural preservation.  The town’s Planning Department has already recommended that the board deny the necessary rezoning application.

In their denial, the planners state that the proposal from Greenberg Gibbons is not consistent with the goals of the town’s land use plan nor with the town’s parks and greenways master plan.

Drew Thigpen

Developer Drew Thigpen from Greenberg Gibbons has previously stated that the 36-acre parcel is not likely to remain in the rural preservation category of zoning because it will be sold at some time in the future.

Thigpen has already reduced the size of his original project from five to four buildings and added 4,600 feet of walking trails and sidewalks, all at no cost to the town.

Previous community meetings have attracted hundreds of residents, most of whom were against the rezoning request. A big stumbling block for the proposal is Bailey Road traffic. The town recently received a comprehensive report which suggested there are no easy solutions.

Whether that will—or should be—a factor in the rezoning decision remains to be seen.

The planning board has several options:

—Recommend approval to the town board

—Recommend denial to the town board.

—Recommend approval with specific changes to the town board.

—Continue the meeting to a future date for further discussion and consideration

The meeting will begin at 6 pm in Town Hall on Catawba Avenue. It will also be live streamed on the town website: www.cornelius.org.