Sept. 13. By Dave Yochum. Developer Jake Palillo and Bi-Part Development are pulling the plug on the 263-acre Lagoona Bay/Waterside project on either side of Hwy. 73 east of Hwy. 115.

The property, currently farmland, is expected to go back on the market. Its hallmark feature was the “Crystal Lagoon” as well as commercial, retail and residential components just west of Mayes Road.

The development was valued at $800 million.

“As the Lagoona Bay/Waterside project comes to an end, our love for Huntersville and wanting to make it better doesn’t. The Lake Norman area is home to me and my family,” said Palillo, the developer of the highly successful Bailey’s Glen active adult community and Symphony Park, a luxury independent living complex on Hwy. 73 that opens early next year.

It was first reported by Cornelius Today and Business Today last October that Palillo planned the Lagoona Bay mixed-use project to cap off a long career as an entrepreneur and developer. It had the support of the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce.

Opposition and social media

But after a year-long struggle to seek rezoning—amidst opposition from some members of the community during an election year—Palillo said the project does not financially work with a scaled-back plan to meet the current zoning.

“Our passion for Huntersville has not changed,” said Palillo, who is also the owner of Cornelius-based South Creek Construction.

Both the town’s planning staff and planning board had recommended denial of Palillo’s rezoning request because it was not consistent with the 2040 Community Plan.

Calling Huntersville an “amazing community,” he said the town “is at a point where they need to finally realize they are no longer a small rural community and figure out what they want to be.”

He said the days of sketching out zoning plans on a white board with casual input from ordinary citizens should come to an end.

Quotable

“They need to bring in experts and properly plan for the future. They need to understand North Carolina’s growth plan is no pain, no gain, meaning you don’t get new roads or schools until you really feel the pain. Allowing social media to create this plan will end poorly for the Town and its residents,” Palillo said, explaining that impact fees—which are not allowed in North Carolina—would solve the problems caused by rapid growth.

“Sadly that is in the hands of the Realtor and builder lobbyist hands,” he said.