CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte City Council approved a vote, 6-5, Monday night to transform an empty lot into a 260-unit apartment complex with 30,000 square of office space.
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The developer wants to build the apartments with commercial space on Colwick Road, which is behind the Publix and Chick-fil-A on Randolph Road.
“When you try to put in 260 apartments, what are you going to do with the traffic?” resident Sue Eldridge said.
Eldridge and dozens of other neighbors tried to get the Charlotte City Council to oppose the project.
They held signs in the chamber and voiced opposition for months, but their efforts were defeated.
“Very sad,” Eldridge said.
Council member Tariq Bokhari represents District 6 and supported the deal.
He thanked the developer for making changes to the original proposal, which included the building height.
Bokhari also said when the Unified Development Ordinance takes effect in June, the project would have been able to happen anyway.
“And will ultimately put us in the position where not only will they do that, we can no longer get the community benefits we achieved,” Bokhari said.
He called the vote difficult and met with residents after to explain why he cast his vote the way he did.
Council member Renee Johnson, District 4, said the city needs to start making tough decisions when it comes to traffic.
“Our residents are hurting and we can’t keep making the same decisions and expecting a different outcome,” Johnson said.
Bokhari said the city needs to spend more time discussing infrastructure and traffic and not just when controversial rezoning petitions come up for a vote.
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