Proposed ‘Cornelius Business Park’ on Bailey Road near Hwy. 115 intersection

July 12. By Dave Yochum. The would-be developer of Cornelius Business Park on Bailey Road has asked the Planning Dept. for a one-month delay in the vote on the controversial Greenberg Gibbons project opposite Bailey Road Park.

The Cornelius Planning Board has recommended that the Town Board deny a rezoning for what was previously called the Cornelius Business Park by a 3-2 margin.

The continuance means the 36-acre project will not be voted on at the Town Board meeting July 17. The new date is Aug. 21.

What the developer says

Drew Thigpen

“Greenberg Gibbons strives to be a good citizen in every community in which we work,” said Drew Thigpen, vice president of developer Greenberg Gibbons. “We have already held four community meetings with both large and small groups, and, in seeking out feedback from our neighbors we need a bit more time to ensure we can address all of their questions.”

The company is known for higher-end commercial projects with a sensitivity toward the contemporary employee environment.

Bailey Road: A challenge

Bailey Road is host to multiple uses, beyond a large town park: Bailey Middle School, Hough High, the Bailey’s Glen active living development and several upscale neighborhoods. It is also an alternate route from Hwy. 73 to Hwy. 115 where it crosses largely unused  railroad tracks that present a challenge to tractor trailers.

The business side

Cornelius Business Park property outlined in red

Greenberg Gibbons’ proposed flex office project, comprised of five single-story buildings in 198,720 square feet, is a highly targeted speculative commercial development that fills a particular need in the local real estate market, Thigpen said.

Indeed, the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce has come out in favor of the project which sits amidst an area the Cornelius Land Use Plan identified for future business campus development.

The property, which has been farmland for generations, is zoned rural preservation. Greenberg Gibbons is seeking Conditional Zoning.

Suzanne Fulton

Bailey’s Glen resident Suzanne Fulton said the area gets “terribly backed up” at times because of school traffic. Coupled with an unusual for Cornelius steep hill, the warehouses that are planned pose a safety hazard, she said.

There is an online petition opposing the project with more than 600 signatures.