To the Charlotte City Council:

We, the undersigned members of the Kuykendall Coalition, urge you to vote against Rezoning Petition 2023-074. This petition seeks to rezone approximately 14 acres of land between Country Lane and Kuykendall Road from the current N1-A zoning to the much higher density N2-C designation.  This new development is proposed to build over 600 new housing units and will include a 7-story high-rise apartment complex.

Our Coalition strongly opposes this rezoning for the following reasons:

1. Incompatible Density: The 14-acre land in question was previously allowed to have a total of seven homes built on it. However, due to a neighborhood density covenant being stricken down and the implementation of the City's new Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), by-right development can now place 61 housing structures on the same area. This allows for approximately 200 living units - nearly a thirty-fold increase in density.  Now, Rezoning Petition 2023-074 threatens to further exacerbate this situation.  If approved, it will allow rezoning to N2-C, which would permit over 600 units on this land - an alarming eighty-six times increase in density!  This is an extreme increase in density that is out of character for an area surrounded by established single-family home neighborhoods.
2. Discord with City Policy: Charlotte's own policy map designates this area as appropriate for N1 zoning, which corresponds to lower-density residential development.  Rezoning to the higher-density N2-C category goes against the City's own vision for appropriate land use in our community.
3. Insufficient Infrastructure: The existing roads, utilities, and public services in our area are simply not equipped to handle the influx of hundreds of new residents that an N2-C development would bring. This would exacerbate traffic, strain public amenities, and decrease the quality of life for current residents.
4. Precedent for Future Encroachment: Approving this N2 rezoning would set a dangerous precedent, signaling to other developers that they can target our neighborhood for high-density projects that do not align with the City's own land use policies. This would open the door to further encroachment and undermine the very zoning framework meant to protect the integrity of established residential areas like ours.

For these reasons, we urge the Charlotte City Council to reject Rezoning Petition 2023-074 and maintain the current N1-A zoning designation for this 14-acre site.  We ask that you protect the integrity and livability of our community by voting against this proposal.  N2 is the wrong land use for this area.

We understand that growth is inevitable, but it must be responsible and respectful towards existing residents.  We urge Charlotte City Council members to vote NO on Rezoning Petition 2023-074 and protect previously established neighborhoods from developers seeking to maximize profits at the expense of your constituents.  Prioritize people over profit.