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Update 9-4-2025

  URGENT  
 
 THE VOTE MONDAY NIGHT COULD BE CLOSE!  
 
Show up and speak up Monday September 8 7:00 PM - Weddington Town Hall. Town Council wants us to SHOW them we are opposed by speaking up!
 
  EMAIL WEDDINGTON TOWN COUNCIL NOW!
jbell@townofweddington.com
tsmith@townofweddington.com
jperryman@townofweddington.com
bhowie@townofweddington.com
dladner@townofweddington.com
 
*See flier in comments for talking points!
 
They can’t just reset the clock and pretend our voices don’t matter 
 
For the past two months, citizens have packed Town Hall and sent email after email opposing expansion of the commercial overlay. Twice, Council Member Jeff Perryman pulled this amendment off the agenda when town hall was packed with Weddington citizens who showed up to speak up.
 
The opposition has been CLEAR! Now it’s back and we’re being told Council is counting “oppose” emails this month as if the past two months emails don’t exist 
 
Do our emails not count, Weddington? 
 
 On Monday, Perryman is presenting a text amendment to expand Weddington’s commercial district across Providence Road for the Polivka “Perry South” project.
 
This is a precedent-setting step that could open the door to commercial sprawl up and down Providence Road.
 
 Make sure your email your opposition AGAIN or email for the first time! Please email Council before Monday’s vote!

 

Please Show Up and Speak Up At Weddington's Town Council Meeting

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No means no! 

Monday, August 11, 7:00 PM!

Weddington Town Hall - 1924 Weddington Rd.

❗️Take Action Now:❗️
📧 EMAIL TOWN COUNCIL - Tell them NO to Commercial Overlay Expansion in Weddington, including the "Perry South" Polivka property.

jbell@townofweddington.com
jperryman@townofweddington.com
bhowie@townofweddington.com
tsmith@townofweddington.com
dladner@townofweddington.com

📢 SHOW UP & SPEAK OUT at the August 11 Town Council Meeting

Why is this coming up again for "Perry South"? Wasn't this just denied!?

Yes! On January 13, 2025, Polivka's "Perry South" was denied a request for two additional mixed-use (MX) buildings on their property. Weddington's Town Council kept their campaign promises not to expand our commercial district and voted it down citing multiple reasons from our land use plan.

Shortly after the vote, Basil Polivka, CEO of Polivka International and owner of the "Perry South" property approached Council Member Jeff Perryman to request a text amendment that would add "Perry South" into Weddington’s existing commercial overlay district. This would require expanding the overlay across Highway 16/Providence Road, a significant shift in our town’s commercial boundaries. In March, Perryman and Polivka initiated the process, with Perryman publicly announcing at the Town Council retreat that he planned to bring the text amendment forward on Polivka’s behalf.

NOW IT'S TIME TO RALLY! 🛑 NO MEANS NO!

 BACKGROUND:

January 2025:

• Town Council denied Polivka’s conditional zoning request to add 2 mixed commercial (MX) buildings to his "Perry South" property.
• Currently: Polivka's "Perry South" is located outside Weddington's commercial overlay (across Providence Road).
• To reapply in 2026, Polivka needs Weddington's overlay expanded now! That’s what this current text amendment is about.
• Expanding the overlay violates campaign promises made by some current Council Members (Mayor Bell, Tom Smith, and Darcey Ladner) to limit commercial growth to existing commercial zones. Expanding the commercial overlay district would also go against the wishes of the majority of Weddington residents, as indicated in surveys over the past decades. 

 
🚫 WHY WE OPPOSE THIS:
- Increased traffic
- Increased crime
- Unsafe pedestrian crossings
- Commercial SPRAWL down Providence Road and into other areas

 HISTORY OF POLIVKA’S "PERRY SOUTH" REZONING ATTEMPTS:

2007: Bought the property zoned residential 
2010: Requested 5 commercial mixed-use (MX) buildings (DENIED) 
2012: Requested 3 MX buildings  → 1 approved (DENIED for 2) amid strong opposition. *All three council members who voted in favor of the one building proposal were subsequently voted out in the next election.
2025: Requested 2 additional MX buildings (DENIED). We verified the Polivka property was for sale during the time his rezoning application was being reviewed. A rezoning approval would have meant the zoning goes with the sale of the land $$. The property was quickly taken off the market when we shared this information. 
2026: Plans to reapply if the overlay is expanded now.

*Throughout 15 years of these denied rezoning requests for additional buildings,  Jeff Perryman has shown consistent support for the project, having served on both the Weddington Planning Board and now the Town Council. Former Weddington Mayor Nancy Anderson, who currently sits on the Planning Board, recused herself from voting on the Polivka project, citing a “conflict of interest” as an adjacent property owner of Hunter Farms. Despite her recusal, Anderson has publicly supported the proposal, speaking in favor of it at both community meetings held by Polivka, while being an active member of the Planning Board. 

For decades, Nancy Anderson and her family have actively advocated for expanding Weddington’s commercial overlay and increasing commercial development within the town.

It seems early to discuss the upcoming election, but it's not. The candidates who are running for Weddington Town Council have filed. 

Nancy Anderson's daughter, Anne Marie Anderson Cruz, recently announced her candidacy for Weddington Town Council in District 1, where she will run against Ellen McLaughlin, an active and engaged Weddington citizen.  Ellen McLaughlin's platform fully aligns with our views to protect and preserve Weddington's rural character and identity while restricting commercial development to the existing downtown commercial overlay. 

Clayton Jones, will be running in District 3, unopposed and  will be a wonderful asset to Weddington as he is a retired assistant district attorney former JAG officer. 

Mayor Jim Bell recently announced he will be seeking re-election. In May, he cast the tie-breaking vote to deny Toll Brothers’ Deal Lake proposal, a decision for which we, along with many Weddington residents, are truly grateful. Christopher Neve who previously ran against Bell in the last election is opposing Bell again. 

We are counting on Mayor Bell, Tom Smith, and Darcey Ladner to stand firm in opposing any expansion of Weddington’s downtown overlay to include the "Perry South" property and/or other parcels. We sincerely appreciate the time and dedication they have given in service to our town! 

To keep up to date with Weddington development, events and the upcoming town council election, please join us at our Facebook page "Stewards of Weddington" https://www.facebook.com/groups/stewardsofweddington 

✅ Preserve our community! Stop the expansion. Be heard.

We need you to speak at public comments. Town Council is asking that the public come out and speak on this!

Emails are also very important! They helped get Polivka denied in January as many of you sent emails to the town council opposing their plans. January 2025 Town Council Meeting Polivka Proposal - https://www.youtube.com/live/UdqXXdTrPWQ?si=2OiwSafxx0nZyigs&t=5482

SPEAK UP AUGUST 11 | 7:00 PM | WEDDINGTON TOWN HALL

📝 SIGN & SHARE the petition

 

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*** Update: At the July 14 Town Council meeting, Council Member Jeff Perryman announced that he plans to bring forward a text amendment for discussion and vote at the August 11 Weddington Town Council meeting. This amendment would expand the current Downtown Core Overlay (our designated commercial district) to include the Polivka “Perry South” property, located directly across from the Weddington Corners Shopping Center.

Expanding the commercial overlay would open the door to more commercial growth and sprawl in Weddington.

The Town Council is urging residents to attend the August 11 meeting and speak up if you are opposed to this change.

Please continue to share this petition with your Weddington neighbors, friends, and coworkers. Now is the time to make your voice heard! 

***Update On Monday July 14 7:00pm Weddington Town Hall, Council Member Jeff Perryman will bring up a discussion regarding the downtown overlay and adding Polivka "Perry South" into the overlay, creating an expansion of our commercial district. The majority of Weddington Town Council Members campaigned on not increasing or expanding the downtown commercial overlay district, including councilman Perryman. 

Please SHOW UP AND SPEAK UP at public comments and state you are opposed to this to move forward in writing a new text amendment to expand our commercial overlay. 

Please email Weddington Town Council that you are opposed. See emails below. 

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Say NO to Expanding Weddington’s Downtown Commercial Overlay!

Please sign and share our petition to protect Weddington from more commercial sprall! 

At the Weddington Town Retreat on March 27, 2025, Town Council Member Jeff Perryman said he planned to propose expanding the town’s downtown commercial overlay district which would include the Polivka “Perry South” property at 13700 Providence Road, located on Highway 16/ Providence Road, across from Weddington Corners Shopping Center. 

On January 9, 2025, Perryman again shared his intentions to push this expansion and said he’d bring it to the council within 30 days.

But let’s not forget, just this past January, Weddington residents spoke out loud and clear against a plan to build two mixed-use commercial buildings on that same “Perry South” site. After hearing from many concerned residents, the Town Council voted to reject it.

Now Perryman is trying to revive the same idea by changing the zoning rules , which would open the door for the developer (Polivka) to come back with the same commercial plan all over again.

Weddington Residents Already Said NO!

Last year, Weddington adopted a new land use plan, and the message from residents was clear: do not expand the downtown commercial district.

Many residents feel that Council Member Jeff Perryman is not listening. 

It's time to speak up again.

 
Help Stop the Sprawl! Please email the Town Council!

Tell the Town Council you’re against expanding the downtown overlay to include the Polivka “Perry South” property. This would lead to more unwanted commercial development on the other side of Hwy 16,  something the community has already rejected.

📧 Email the Council Now:

jbell@townofweddington.com
jperryman@townofweddington.com
bhowie@townofweddington.com
tsmith@townofweddington.com
dladner@townofweddington.com
 
Perryman’s council term ends in December 2025, and residents are watching.

Make your voice heard before decisions are made without community support.