MINT HILL, NC – The Board of Commissioners and Mayor Brad Simmons held their monthly Town Hall meeting recently. The meeting was attended by Town Manager Brian Welch, members from the town government, including the Police and Fire departments, and the general public.

The Consent Agenda was approved unanimously by the Commissioners. The elected officials accepted the following items for public notice.

• Audit extension contract with Rowell, Craven and Short.
• Adoption of ordinance related to alarms, under chapter 14, article III, section 14-63 and 14-65.
• Town Clerk to investigate the sufficiency of the petition of property located at 14333 Idlewild Road, Tax Parcel number 195-231-01, filed by Epcon Mint Hill, LLC, to be considered for annexation by the Town of Mint Hill.
• Treasurer’s reports and financials.
• June tax collector’s report.
• Adoption of Farm Animal Control of Charlotte recommendations.

Other key points of interest discussed include the City of Charlotte Water rezoning for a new elevated water tank tower on Palomino Drive.  A decision on the proposed project has been delayed until August 12, 2021.

The previously reported rezoning request by Souder Properties to develop a new small business park on Blair Road has been deferred until August 12, 2021, by the Town and Commissioners for further review.

The new church proposal by Richard A. Peniston located at 5345 Wilgrove-Mint Hill Road has been deferred to August 12, 2021, for a decision.

A discussion and decision filed by the Town of Mint Hill to allow a text amendment to update unified development ordinance to comply with the 160D appointments to the Planning Board was approved by the Commissioners.

The primary issue of discussion at this particular meeting focused on the proposal filed by MHIP, LLC to allow rezoning to change the buffer conditions at Mint Hill Business Park from the current 100′ to 50′ at the site on all remaining parcels.

The applicant requested the remaining portions of the buffer perimeter at the Business Park be reduced by 50 feet. The 100′ buffer perimeter was originally applied in 1999. However, there have been several rezoning applications that have successfully reduced the buffer zone from 100′ to 50′. The applicant is requesting all the remaining sections of the 100′ buffer be reduced. Therefore, a precedent has been established for future consideration of any new proposals.

However, there was a split by the Commissioners regarding the approval of this proposal. Commissioner Dale Dalton was in favor and presented his case based primarily on precedent to deal with this proposal now instead of addressing other new proposals in the future.  Commissioner Patrick Holton expressed concerns about the local residents in the area who currently have the 100′ buffer in place. He also expressed the buffer should be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, not a blanket approval, on all remaining properties located at the Business Park as presented by MHIP, LLC.

The final outcome was a recommendation made by the Planning Board and approved by the Board of Commissioners. The remaining vacant properties in the Mint Hill Business Park shall obtain Conditional Zoning approval for each proposed development. If the 100′ buffer condition is amended with this application, the Board of Commissioners may reinstate the 100′ buffer to require supplemental landscaping if deemed necessary through the rezoning process.

The approval was granted under the above conditions outlined and approved by the Planning Board by a favorable recommendation from Chip Todd, seconded by Eric Tyson, and the Board unanimously agreed to send the Board of Commissioners their approval of docket #ZC21-7, filed by MHIP, LLC to request the proposed changes under these conditions.