For the past nine months Haw Creek residents have lived with uncertainty regarding the proposed development of 767 New Haw Creek Road. In response, we formed a 767 Working Group and attended multiple public meetings. We've educated ourselves and written dozens of letters-to-the editor. We've petitioned, we've emailed city leaders, and engaged with media.
The good news is that our combined community efforts have made a difference. The original development plan has been changed to reflect community concerns. Is it perfect? No. But it is substantially better than the original plan.
With a City Council public hearing and vote scheduled for July 23, HCCA is hosting a community meeting at the library on July 19 at 6 pm to review and discuss the current proposed options for the 767 property. Our goal is to engage residents, answer questions, provide context, and hopefully obtain consensus for the final proposal that is ultimately negotiated.
After many iterations (review previous design options), we have ended up with three possible options.
Use by right: With this option the developer would not need rezoning approval by City Council to build 49 homes on the east side. There would be minimal buffers with no forest preserved and 500' of retaining walls up to 15' high spanning most of the frontage of the 767 property. There would be bridge access from NHC Road. Nothing could be built on the west side for at least one year, then the developer would need to get rezoning approval to build townhouses there. It's worth noting that City Council has been supportive of the integration of townhouses into traditionally single-family home neighborhoods.
Option 6: This option includes 57 homes and 35 townhouses with 3.3 acres of forest preserved on the east side and 500' of retaining walls up to 15' high spanning most of the frontage of the 767 property. There would be bridge access from NHC Road. We do not support this option as it is not a significant compromise to obtain conditional zoning for this project.
Option 5: This option includes 49 homes and 35 townhouses with 4.3 acres of forest preserved on the east side and no/minimal retaining walls. There would be no bridge and access would be from Sleepy Hollow Drive, before the first house. There would be larger buffers for adjacent properties on Sleepy Hollow. On the west side tree preservation would increase from 1.26 acres in the initial draft of this option to about 2 acres. Substantial privacy screening would be added along the backside of the townhouses and a combination of fencing and privacy screening would be added to the entrance road.
HCCA is prepared to support option 5 as the best "worst" option – it's significantly better than what the developer could build by right without City Council's approval.
Please plan to attend Friday's meeting to share your comments and participate in this important process. We hope you will also attend the July 23 City Council Public Hearing, where the Council will vote on the proposed rezoning for the property. This meeting will be at Harrah’s Cherokee Center Banquet Hall, 87 Haywood Road, beginning at 5:00 pm. Additional event details, including how to access free parking, are here.
