Birkdale Village Expansion Rejected By Huntersville Town Commissioners

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – Huntersville Town Commissioners have rejected plans to expand Birkdale Village.

It comes after outcry in the community over traffic congestion in the area.

Developers said it would have turned Birkdale into a true mixed-use development, by adding office space.

But commissioners heard neighbors’ concerns, rejecting the plan by a 4 to 2 vote.

“Birkdale Village has a quaint vibe about it. And we want to maintain that,” says Huntersville resident Brian Rice.

Rice and his neighbors spent six months pushing back against the proposed canges.

The plan had called for a new 150,000 sq. foot office building and a new parking garage that could be used by the public after hours.

It would have replaced the current Barnes & Noble.

“We don’t want big buildings and big infrastructure, we don’t need it to look like another mini-Charlotte,” Rice says.

Neighbors said already-bad traffic would have become worse with office workers coming and going.

“We only have two entrances and exits, so when you have something with approximately 500 cars added to come in, in the morning and at night, it’s beyond gridlock,” says Huntersville resident David Schurr.

But representatives for developers with North American Properties told Commissioners that Birkdale Village needed a Class A office building to bring more foot traffic and the funding for parking.

“In order to do that you’ve got to have a signature office building. It’s very expensive. That pays for that parking garage,” attorney Susan Irvin told Commissioners on Monday night.

The developer previously dropped plans for a new hotel and 350 apartments.

Neighbors say they don’t have a problem with development but didn’t want the proposed plan.

“Folks like us are for responsible rezoning, right now we don’t believe this is the best zoning proposal that’s there, as it is,” Rice says.