We need your voice!
Over the past few months, NAIOP Charlotte, in conjunction with REBIC and other real estate associations, has spent considerable time and energy reviewing the proposed 2040 Comprehensive Plan from the City of Charlotte (the Comp Plan).
It is a hefty document coming in at 320 pages and is a visionary document for how Charlotte will grow and develop over the next 20 years. Charlotte Planning created the document with considerable community input, and it will be used as the guide for creating the Unified Development Ordinance (a replacement for our existing zoning code), so there is a lot riding on the proper execution of the Comp Plan.
The Comp Plan rightfully addresses many concerns the community has, especially around equity and inclusivity We fully support these goals, yet we want to be able to include goals to create a thriving community into the plan as well. It is hard to distill such a large document into a few points, but the following are highlights of our concerns with the plan and the process to create it:
Even though there has been large community involvement, the real estate community has largely been absent from the process. We heard this from NAIOP’s members, as well as members of CRCBR (the Commercial Board), Canopy (the residential board) and Charlotte Homebuilders. In addition, the schedule currently shows a City Council public hearing on March 22 and a vote the following month on April 26.
We are requesting City Council delay the process until more feedback from the real estate and business community is incorporated into the Comp Plan.
Other concerns to highlight include:
- Economic Development is largely absent from the plan. Charlotte has been blessed with growth and the plan assumes continued growth without a specific vision on how to achieve that growth.
- It is imperative an economic impact analysis be conducted to obtain data on how the adoption of the Comp Plan would impact the local economy. This should include, at a minimum, any assessment of potential job impacts, changes in property values, and limitations on the ability to pursue future economic development opportunities.
- The plan includes a number of illegal policies, under North Carolina law, including impact fees, mandatory inclusionary zoning (for affordable housing), and community benefits agreements (CBAs). CBAs are an extension of a mechanism formerly known as the Protest Petition which NAIOP fought hard to be declared illegal in the North Carolina General Assembly several years ago. CBAs allow private groups to extract additional concessions from developers over and above what statutes require, and it opens up additional risks as to how these groups are formed and who they truly represent.
We have already met with most of the City Council and are attempting to meet with everyone else from the Mayor, to members of the Planning Department, and the City Manager. We are asking for time to address the Comp Plan and also pledging to have our members meet as much as needed to help create a robust document that will help lead Charlotte for the next 20 years.
Now is time we are asking for your help. We strongly recommend you reach out to: Charlotte City Council members, key staff at the City of Charlotte (Marcus Jones, City Manager; Taiwo Jaiyeoba, Planning Director/Assistant City Manager; Alyson Craig, Deputy Planning Director; and Alysia Osborne, Division Manager-Long Range & Strategic Planning), as well as provide input on the Comp Plan website at https://cltfuture2040.com/.
Please ask them to allow time for additional feedback and for a meaningful structure to engage the real estate and business community.
NAIOP was notified this afternoon, due to the high demand for the opportunity to have deeper conversations, the City is hosting several listening sessions, allowing city staff to listen to community feedback on the plan. Space is limited to 30 participants per session and will not be live-streamed. Upcoming Listening Sessions:
Tuesday, March 16 at 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 17 at 12:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 17 at 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 18 at 12:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 18 at 5:00 p.m.
NAIOP Charlotte will continue to engage in this conversation. Please reach out to our leadership with any questions or concerns. We look forward to working together with our members to make sure the commercial real estate voice is heard. This will have an impact to not only the future of Charlotte but also every person in the commercial real estate business. It is imperative that all of us engage in the discussion as the more voices that are heard, the better chance we have of creating a successful plan for all.
Sincerely,
Patrick Pierce, 2021 NAIOP Charlotte President
Selwyn Property Group
A special thanks to our NAIOP Comp Plan working group: Scott Harris, Choate Construction; Tom Coyle, Childress Klein, Dan Melvin, Land Design, Steve McClure, Spectrum Properties, and Ken Jonmaire, Crescent Communities. Also, Scott Harris and Larry Shaheen continue to serve on the REBIC workgroup, with Jason Moore, Rodgers Builders, and Ken Jonmaire, Crescent Communities, leading our Legislative Committee activities.