Neighbors concerned by developers’ plans for new community near Matthews

MATTHEWS, N.C. — A new development proposed for a popular area in Matthews is receiving pushback from the neighbors who already live in the area.

The master-planned community would sit on 82 acres at Stallings Road and Idlewild Road not far from the Interstate 485 interchange.

The land is now mostly undeveloped, but the new proposal would include single-family housing, townhomes and apartments, as well as office, retail and restaurant space.

Locals say the area is already bustling and so busy that opponents of the project argue the roads can’t handle more people living nearby.

“It seems like in Matthews all of a sudden, if there’s land, we must build and it must be high-density,” neighbor Ginger Monette said during a Matthews Town Commission meeting Monday night. “I feel like every time I go on a new road there’s a massive apartment complex. It’s like, I don’t even want to live here anymore.”

On Monday night, the project’s developer -- Pappas Properties -- said it took feedback from a public hearing last month and has hopefully addressed some of the concerns.

A new development proposed for a popular area of Matthews is receiving pushback from the neighbors who already live in the area

The group said it worked with the North Carolina Department of Transportation to incorporate plans for a roundabout at Davis Trace Drive and a relocated Stallings Road. It also proposed plans to widen Idlewild Road.

“I’m scared to death of my wife to go down to the end of Stallings Road and turn at the end of Idlewild (Road),” said Chip McKenzie, a neighbor of the land. “A traffic circle, a traffic circle would make a lot of difference.”

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The developer also said it has adjusted plans to have less apartments and less traffic.

The Matthews Town Commission would need to approve a rezoning of the land before the project can move forward. No decision was made on Monday.

Residents will have to wait until after the new year to find out if the town will approve the rezoning that could pave the way for the development. The town commission chose to continue the discussions in its January meeting.

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