Rea Road development controversy concerns bald eagles, traffic and 640 homes

Russell Ranson knows a lot about the south Charlotte property that his company, RK Investors, wants to build hundreds of apartments and town homes on.

It sits between Elm Lane and Rea Road, and he grew up in the area fishing, hunting and riding motorcycles on the site.

“I was there when it was country,” he said of the 53 acres where he wants to build the $220 million Sutherland development. It’s south of the Bevington Place neighborhood.

Although the Piper Glen area is less country now, some neighbors want to keep what’s left of the property without changes. They oppose the project and are raising concerns about increased traffic as well as bald eagles and other wildlife being disrupted. They also are concerned about environmental factors such as flooding.

The project has been an ongoing issue since it was presented to city officials back in 2022.

Ranson believes growth is unavoidable.

“There isn’t really an alternative for Charlotte because so many people want to come here,” he said. “We’re trying desperately to be a part of that solution and lean into that future. And there are a lot of people that are clawing, kicking, screaming, and dragging and saying hey ‘I don’t want any more.’ ”

Flying home to the eagles’ nest

As golfers played on the greens at the Piper Glen country club recently, Ellie and Chris McIntire waited for two American bald eagles they named Piper and Glen to swoop in and come back home to their nesting area. Piper started chittering at her mate, Glen.

American bald eagles are a protected species by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, but the McIntires said their nest is too far away to legally stop development. If construction activity is more than 660 feet from a nest, activity is unlikely to bother bald eagles to the degree that causes nest abandonment and cause a permit to potentially be rejected according to the wildlife service.

The McIntires believe that RK Investors’ plans will disrupt the eagles’ way of life since they use the area to hunt and find fish in local ponds. They estimated that the proposed site is more than 900 feet away from their nest, which has been maintained for 16 years.

“Once they clear-cut all of that property, it definitely will be nothing there for the eagles to go to,” Ellie McIntire said.

Chris McIntire started a petition with Change.org in February 2023 to raise awareness about the eagles and to stop development. It has close to 20,000 signatures. “It’s made a big difference, just letting know people that this is here,” he said. “We’re still here a year later trying to convince people to not over-develop the property or perhaps not develop it at all.”

Opponents also are voicing concerns online through a Blogspot for the Rea Road Neighborhood Coalition.

“We are crowding out our wildlife, which is a darn shame,” John Reiter said.

If rezoning is approved this year, RK Investors would add 642 housing units. Up to 500 of them are allowed to be multifamily units, according to Ranson. The previous plan was for up to 1,100 units.

Final rents will be determined by the market, but Ranson anticipates rent of up to $7,500 per month for town homes and one-bedroom apartment units are expected to start at $1,600.

“Charlotte needs housing in a big way and there are very few places left in the city to welcome newcomers,” he said. “This is one of those places.”

Flooding concerns

The McIntires said flooding has gotten worse over the years at the nearby Piper Glen golf course because of water from local creeks and other infrastructure issues. They think the new development will add more.

Ranson said flooding exists in Piper Glen under certain storm conditions and the Sutherland project is downhill from Piper Glen. He said RK Investors will comply with all municipal rules by adding controls to mitigate storm water from its property.

“It is important to understand that, currently, sections of a nearby golf course and other natural areas provide relief from excess storm water and flood on occasion,” Ranson said.

Traffic concerns about the site

Traffic is another matter worrying residents.

A study from the Charlotte Department of Transportation indicates that the development will generate more than 4,000 vehicle trips per day. The annual average daily traffic count near the property for Rea Road and Elm Lane was 22,500 and 11,500 respectively, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

Offsite improvements include intersection upgrades and 14 turning lanes on Rea Road and Elm Lane, which will reduce waiting times by up to a minute, according to Ranson.

He said it’s a better alternative than a plan which gives the owner rights to start development under zoning laws. Instead, RK Investors would like to allow for more tree space by taking up less space with its project instead of building a neighborhood with single-family homes.

And RK Investors is planning to save 15 acres of trees (more than what the local ordinance requires), restore a nearby pond for wildlife and add more than 3 miles of walking trails.

Neighbors still have concerns.

“We’re not against development. We’re not against expanding Charlotte’s housing,” Chris McIntire said. “But we think in this case, since it’s surrounded by three sides by wetlands, Four Mile Creek in a FEMA flood zone, maybe we should step back and say, ‘Wait a minute, how should we really develop that?’ “

Seeking a compromise

Charlotte city council member Ed Driggs, whose district covers the area, said the final decision about the petition may come down to a choice between a final proposal from the developer or another option with fewer units.

Driggs understands that people are upset about the project, and he’s been working with the developer to find something more acceptable.

If RK Investors is not successful with its zoning proposal, the firm has the option to build under rules already in place. That could result in 450 to 500-plus units instead of over 600, according to Ranson. But this also means having fewer trees and a possibility of fewer traffic improvements.

“I will not support this if no solution can be worked out with residents,” Driggs said.

Not a good fit?

Opponents said the proposal does not fit into the identity of the area of single-family homes. But Ranson said RK Investors is designing a village compatible with the Piper Glen neighborhood.

Ranson said the pushback from residents reflects a stigma that comes with renters.

“This is a case of people not listening to the good things and fearing the worst of people,” Ranson said. “That’s sort of sad. That’s not the way Charlotte used to be. Charlotte used to be a much more welcoming place that embraced newcomers. This has become a place of hostility in saying ‘I got mine, you stay away’ .”

Ranson said there haven’t been new apartment complexes built between Fairview Road and Interstate 485, and near Providence Road and South Boulevard, in the last 25 years.

What’s next for the Charlotte site?

A public rezoning hearing for the project is scheduled for March 18 with Charlotte City council.

If ultimately approved, RK Investors would submit engineering plans and construction would take place nine to 12 months later, Ranson said. The project will be built in phases, with the first residents moving in by the summer of 2026.

“We’re now in, what I hope, are the final weeks in trying to figure out what the right thing is to do,” Driggs said.

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