TODAY! Please wear RED, BLACK OR WHITE!
Weddington neighbors,
Public Hearing TODAY Toll Brothers "Deal Lake" now "Weddington Crossing"
Monday, April 14, 7:00 PM, Weddington High School, 4901 Weddington Road.
Due to a change in venue, the Public Hearing will NOT be held at Town Hall as previously noticed.
You can park in the front parking lot to access Weddington High School auditorium.
When you walk inside, please find the "Public Hearing Comment Sign Up Sheet" and sign up to speak if you wish.
Some concerns and talking points are:
- Traffic: Increased congestion on Hwy 84 ½ mile from Weddington Schools
Schools: At or near capacity with possible redistricting
- Stormwater: Stormwater management/wetland protection plan not provided required by Weddington Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) Appendix 2B
- Clustered Septic: Half onsite and half offsite clustered engineered panel block septic systems, grinder pumps some with drip irrigation, indicates problematic soils. Panel block more expensive, requiring more maintenance, prone to leaking. Perc testing not completed on each lot per Weddington UDO Appendix 2B
- Groundwater Contamination: Unviable stormwater and septic plans, risking contamination of groundwater with some neighboring wells in close proximity
Degredation Of Lakes and Streams: Erosion, uncontrolled runoff and septic contaminating nearby lakes where neighbors fish and swim; Impacts to Aero Plantation high hazard dam, potential for costly dredging repairs and mitigation due to excessive silt and debris build up
- Environmental Impacts: Full environmental study not provided
Incomplete Application: Missing several items; Complete application is required by Weddington UDO Appendix 2B
- Protection Of Tree Canopy: Diverse range of wildlife depends on the existing tree canopy, including nests of bald eagles, tricolored bats, blue herons, ospreys, red-tailed hawks, Cooper’s hawks, barred owls and great horned owls; squirrels, deer, and foxes also depend on this area’s tree canopy
- Preservation of Environmentally Sensitive Open Space: The 660-foot protected zone for the bald eagles nest, along with protected area for the tricolored bats, underscores the need for a conservation easement to ensure the long-term protection of these vulnerable species and their natural habitats
- Toll Brothers Taking A Toll On Weddington: Stop irresponsible developers!
- Bromley- Uncontrolled stormwater runoff filling the lake with silt and debris, necessitating a costly second dredging
- Enclave at Baxley: Ongoing infrastructure and quality concerns remain unresolved, prompting the HOA to seek assistance from the town
- Luna: Recently clear-cut, including the removal of numerous heritage trees, in apparent disregard of Weddington’s tree ordinance
A Special Meeting Was Called On April 7:
On Monday, April 7, a group of concerned Weddington residents, along with grassroots social media groups, successfully lobbied for a special meeting to change both the date and location of the upcoming public hearing on the “Deal Lake” development.
After rallying fellow Weddington residents to email the Town Council, resulting in hundreds of messages, Mayor Jim Bell listened to our concerns and called a special meeting on April 7 to discuss changing the date and location of the hearing.
One major issue we raised was that Mayor Pro Tem Tom Smith wouldn’t be able to attend the originally scheduled April 14 meeting. That could’ve left us exposed to a 2-1 vote in favor of approving the project. On top of that, we flagged concerns about the hearing being held at Town Hall, which simply can’t hold the size of the crowd expected for this proposal.
At the April 7 meeting, the council agreed to split the public hearing into two nights:
Night One: Monday, April 14 at Weddington High School. This night is for the developer to present and for your public comments to be heard. There will be no vote that night. It's very important you show up and speak up today at 7:00 pm!
Night Two: Monday, May 12 7:00 pm at Weddington Town Hall. This is when the council will vote on the Toll Brothers application. All council members, including Tom Smith, are expected to be present, putting us in a much stronger position for a fair and complete vote. We encourage everyone to come out for the vote. You all have worked hard to get your voices heard on this proposal.
Thank you to everyone who’s supported this effort over the past 16 months. We’re not across the finish line yet, but we’re getting closer and we did this together! Let's continue to protect and preserve beautiful Weddington!
Please SHOW UP and SPEAK UP today! We’ll see you there!