Developer Now Scaling Back Plans For Birkdale Village Expansion

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – Developers are scaling back plans to expand Birkdale Village in Huntersville.

The changes come after outcry in the community over traffic congestion in the area.

There are no longer plans for a hotel and 350 apartments.

But neighbors are still voicing strong opposition to plans for a new office building.

“We live here, we love the way that it looks, we love everything about it from the aesthetic feel and also just the walkability,” says Huntersville resident Peter Romaniello.

Romaniello says he moved from Connecticut to Huntersville in 2019 because of Birkdale Village.

“You automatically fall in love with it, cause it’s so unique,” he says.

But now he and some of his neighbors worry the look and quality of the popular mixed-use development is going away.

“What we’ve seen is a destruction of that over the last couple of years as the developer tries to put more and more into it,” Romaniello says.

Monday night, developers with North American Properties told Huntersville Town Commission they’re dropping plans for a new hotel and 350 apartments after strong opposition from the community.

But developers still want rezoning approval for a 150,000 square foot office building and a new parking garage.

Dozens of neighbors showed up at Monday night’s Town Commission Meeting, saying despite the changes, they’re still opposed.

“To propose a large office building, completely out of character with the rest of the village. It’s just not something that’s fitting for that area,” Romaniello says.

Neighbors like Brian Rice say already-bad traffic will become worse with office workers coming and going.

“Now, with all these extra cars and the same exits, the same two exits it’s going to make traffic even worse,” Rice says.

Developers say the garage will add 450 spots, but neighbors say it will be taken up by office workers outside of nights and weekends.

“We love our city, we love our town, we love Birkdale Village, let’s just make sure that we do this responsibility,” Rice says.

The public will now have a chance to weigh-in on the changes to the plan.

A vote from Huntersville Town Commission is now expected at the March 20th meeting.