Cornelius Inn Proposal Heads to Town Board

Rendering of the Cornelius Inn

By Dave Vieser — The Cornelius Planning Board on Monday recommended approval of the Cornelius Inn, a proposed hotel planned for a vacant lot at the southeast corner of town at the intersection of Mayes Road and N.C. 73.

Developer Jake Palillo is seeking to rezone about 6.3 acres of vacant property to construct a 45,000-square-foot, 40-room hotel. The proposal also includes seven cottages and a 4,500-square-foot spa and clubhouse.

Town planning staff recommended approval of the project with conditions, saying a low-intensity commercial use such as a residentially scaled inn and spa would be appropriate because of the site’s location at the intersection of N.C. 73 and Mayes Road and the changing character of the area. Staff also said the project would provide a transition between higher-intensity commercial uses nearby and existing homes on Mayes Road.

Full house at Monday’s Planning Board meeting

After a 90-minute presentation, public hearing and deliberation, planning board members said they were conflicted by the proposal but ultimately decided to depart from the town’s land use plan, which designates the property as Rural Preservation.

Board members cited the changing nature of the N.C. 73 corridor, which is scheduled to be widened to four lanes and includes numerous planned apartment buildings and retail complexes on the Huntersville side of the thoroughfare.

More than 65 people, including a Town Board member, attended the public hearing at Town Hall. During the hearing, eight residents of either Davidson or Huntersville spoke against the plan, while one Cornelius resident spoke in favor of it.

Those opposed to the proposal expressed concerns about increased traffic and safety concerns. Audience members opposed to the approval appeared unhappy with the board’s decision and said they planned to attend the Town Board hearing.

The board voted 5-3 to recommend the rezoning request. The proposal will now go before the Town Board for a final decision on a date to be determined.

Westmoreland Road Rezoning

A request to rezone 0.51 acres at 9427 Westmoreland Rd from Neighborhood Residential to Highway Commercial was denied by the Planning Board, which spoke out against the possibility of retail and commercial uses such as fast food restaurants and big box retail in close proximity to JV Washam Elementary and neighboring homes.

As suggested by the town staff, the board instead recommended the Town Board consider a change in zoning to Neighborhood Mixed Use to match the property’s designation in the Land Use Plan.

With additional reporting from Jon Show.