What is RZ2022-02?
RZ2022-02 is a rezoning request in Elon NC that will increase the size of the mostly unusable Village Center (VC) zoning district at the corner of University Drive and Shallowford Church Road to create a new community called Parc Northwest. Its success is dependent on using conditional zoning to dramatically alter the Land Zoning Ordinance rules for the property. The conditions, once approved, cannot be amended without another rezoning process.
The timeline for this proposal is as follows:
- 05/23/2022 Rezoning Notice Letter
- 06/09/2022 Community Information Meeting
- 06/21/2022 Elon Planning Board Meeting
- 06/27/2022 Elon Town Council Meeting
- 07/12/2022 Final Town Council Vote on Rezoning Request
Why do we want to stop RZ2022-02?
The Amendment
The rezoning request utilizes a Land Development Ordinance (LDO) amendment that was passed in March of 2022 to create conditional zoning rules. These rules are far reaching and allow this development to deviate dramatically from the existing rules. This amendment is vague enough that any reasonable person would struggle to understand what it allows and most citizens would not have known to object at the time. It was proposed by the team developing Parc Northwest with this specific use in mind. Once it is used here, it can be used similarly elsewhere in Elon.
By using this amendment, the existing Village Center (VC) district will become a Conditional Village District which is a de facto Town Center (TC) district. RZ2022-02 has over 40 conditions and many are not minor variations to the LDO as written. It has been stated that ‘The land is already zoned this way and we’re not changing it.’ This is a misrepresentation of facts to achieve an intended outcome.
The conditions added during the rezoning process cannot be altered by amending the LDO, cannot be controlled by the master plan, and cannot be removed without another rezoning process. Conditional zoning's intended purpose is to address community and town concerns. It isn't just to benefit landowners and developers.
The Precedent
The intention of RZ2022-02 is to pass 40 conditions into this property that become permanent rules of the zoning. They vary greatly with the current LDO and do not expire. Should the current Parc Northwest project not go forwards, another developer can use the conditions as well.
The existing zoning proposes a maximum of 275 single family homes. The conditions allow for 200 single family homes, 200 multi-family homes, 100,000 square feet of commercial space, and all of the parking to support this. This plan includes three four-story, mixed-use buildings that will tower over existing homesteads, sub-urban residents, and the new village center. This is a far greater density than the existing zoning and sets the precedent that this can be done anywhere in Elon with conditional zoning.
The Town Planning office contends this is not an increase of density (people per acre). We do not agree with this assessment. The existing VC zone, due to the stream contained within it, is simply not able to support the land use the developer and Town Planning office 'suggests' it can due to the current zoning. This is all on paper. In reality this is a substantial increase of density.
The Traffic
The intersection of University Drive and N. Williamson Ave is problematic. These roads already experience high traffic and congestion and will need upgrades to support Parc Northwest. The NCDOT Traffic Impact Analysis must be reviewed by the town and all of those upgrades must be planned and budgeted for. This cannot be done in the narrow time schedule RZ2022-02 is on.
Was There an Alternative?
Yes, there are two major ways this could have been handled.
- The Town of Elon could have followed the traditional process of amending the Land Development Ordinance for Village Center (VC) and Neighborhood Residential (NR) zones to align better with the Future Comprehensive Land Use Plans. The landowner, developer, and community could work together through that process to reach equitable agreement. This is a slower process with more community input and likely is the reason why the team behind Parc Northwest proposed adding the Conditional Zoning Amendment to our town's LDO and then proposed a rezoning with over 40 deviations from the existing zoning district.
- The town of Elon could still use conditional zoning but at a much smaller scale. The town could have offered public hearings to gather community concerns and then included those concerns in the negotiations with the landowner and developer. That was not done. There is not a single major community-driven condition in the current RZ2022-02 proposal.
Does This Impact Me?
If you live in the Town of Elon, absolutely, yes! If you review the Town Future Land Use Plan you'll get a picture for what the vision is. It is a vision for a far more urban, compact, and busy place with parking lots, traffic, and fewer trees. Your neighborhood may be the next one near a rezoning project, and there are already future areas identified in the Land Use Plan for this kind of growth.
As a citizen of Elon, if these projects aren't handled in a careful and considerate manner, you can also expect more traffic, more congestion, and more accidents. We need the developers and the town to focus on the impact to the community by engaging the community, not making assumptions and excluding us from the condition process.
If RZ2022-02 is approved, it will encourage rezoning to be done through conditions even when the variations are large enough that the traditional zoning processes is more appropriate.
What Are The Deviations?
In total, we count over 40 deviations that will be introduced as part of the change to conditional zoning. The ones we find most objectionable include:
100,000 sq.ft. of workplace/non-residential buildings - The standard for Village Center is 6,000 sq.ft. The proposal lists workplace and non-residential separately for a potential total of 200,000 sq.ft. Either number is an egregious increase.
Maximum 250 resident units in Village Center AND 200 resident units in Neighborhood Residential - The proferred condition lists 200 units, but the development standards as presented are inconsistent with this, resulting in an apparent 450 units across both zones.
40% of buildings in VC are multi-family dwellings above commercial - The standard for Village Center is 5-20%.
3,000 sq.ft. lot sizes - This will halve the lot sizes from the standard minimum of 6,000 sq.ft.
VWe have collected all of the deviations as presented in the Parc Northwest plan proposal and highlighted the ones that we personally find issue with. We encourage everyone to view the documents for themselves, which we have listed below.
Be Informed
Review the relevant documents at your leisure, for your own knowledge and education on this critical issue.
What do we want?
We would like a seat at the table prior to the approval of RZ2022-02 to propose some community conditions to the Town Council. Examples of this include a reduction of total density, the restoration of the 3-story building height limitation, deeper buffers that include some of the existing woodland, and speed mitigation measures on impacted roads.
We request that the Town Council reviews the TIA and supporting data and shares it with the community prior to the approval of the zoning request. It would also ease community concerns if a plan could be presented to show how the existing road systems will handle this large increase in density.
We request that the Town Council reviews what small-town charm truly means to community members as is laid out in the LDO.
Prior to the consideration to approve RZ2022-02, we wish to see the town do further research on developments constructed by Greenhawk and gather feedback from their community leaders. Once RZ2022-02 is approved, the conditions become a permanent part of the land's use. There is no controlling that with a master plan, the LDO, or any other means. The only way back is rezoning again, and why would the landowner do that?
How can you help?
Sign the Petition
We have both an in-person petition as well as a petition on Change.org. Signing one would be great, both would be amazing! The Town Council will take a physical signature more seriously than an online one.
You can reach out to us via email petition@stopparcnorthwest.com and we can work out a time and place to make that happen.
Call the Board
The members of the Board of Aldermen are publicly elected officials. Please consider taking the time to call or send an email to them to express your concerns against this rezoning.
Information on how to contact each official is available on the Town of Elon website.
Attend the Meetings
The next meeting will take place on Monday, June 27th at 6:00pm. Show up. Even if you don't speak up, showing up makes a statement on its own. The more people we have at this and following meetings, the better chance we have of being heard as a community.
You can view the Town of Elon calendar with when and where upcoming meetings will take place.
Tell your Neighbors
It is difficult to stay on top of all the local events, especially when notice is delivered via vague communication. It's up to us to make sure we are informed about what's going on in our town.
All citizens of the Town of Elon have a voice and they should be allowed to use it. Please tell your neighbors. Please ask them to tell their neighbors.