Another infill development proposed for Washam Potts

Staff photo

By Dave Vieser–The two-mile, two-lane road connecting Old Statesville Road to Bailey Road in Cornelius is officially known as Washam Potts Road, named for several well-known and influential families in the town.

Some residents, however, suggest it might be more accurately called Washam Potts Infill Road, because developers have found vacant land along the road ideal for small subdivisions, often called infill development.

“Infill development” refers to building on unused or underutilized land within existing development patterns.

Another infill project is now being considered on the south side of the road, on a primarily vacant parcel about a quarter-mile northeast of the Westmoreland Road intersection.

The address is 9910 Washam Potts Road. County tax records show it is a seven-acre parcel containing one private home, owned by Rachel Anne Potts of Huntersville, with an assessed tax value of $1.33 million.

The proposed subdivision would include up to 16 single-family homes on approximately five of the seven acres. The existing home, built in 1924, will remain.

The Bowman Development Group of Huntersville is proposing the development. To proceed, the zoning on the land, currently listed as NR, or Neighborhood Residential, must be changed to conditional zoning.

That requires a public hearing process, including two town board hearings and a planning board hearing with a recommendation. No dates for those meetings have been set.

Under Cornelius regulations, the first step is a presentation to the town’s predevelopment review committee, which occurred March 5.

At the meeting, staff and attendees raised several issues: buffering and tree protection, accessibility to the nearby greenway, and the potential traffic generated by 16 new homes. There was also interest in community input, which the town’s hearing process will provide.

The project appears to qualify as infill development.

“The available inventory of lots is decreasing every year, and infill will be the only opportunities left for new residential homes in a very short period of time,” said Deputy Town Manager Wayne Herron.

Much of today’s Cornelius was carved from farmland, and some parcels are now available for new homes. Another proposed infill development is less than half a mile away.

Landowners often hope for town approval so they can use proceeds from sales to finance living and retirement expenses.