Council Approves New Developments Amid Warnings of Worsening Congestion
By Jack Beckett | Charlotte Mercury
Charlotte’s skyline is rising, but the roads are stuck in place. New housing projects keep clearing City Council, but the infrastructure to support them isn’t keeping up.
At Monday night’s Council meeting, two developments—one on Mount Holly-Huntersville Road (Petition 2024-148) and another in the airport overlay district (Petition 2024-126)—drew sharp warnings about congestion and infrastructure strain.
Councilmember LaWana Mayfield wasn’t convinced the city was thinking ahead.
“The challenge is whether you make a left or right at that light immediately out of this potential development—it’s a two-lane road… we do not need to be compiling the traffic concerns with the hopes of having a discussion later.”
Despite these concerns, Council did not vote yet on the Mount Holly-Huntersville Road project, meaning it will be debated again in the coming weeks. However, the rezoning for the airport overlay housing was approved.
Building First, Planning Later?
The city’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) encourages dense growth, but it doesn’t require traffic relief before construction starts. A project can move forward even if nearby roads are already failing.
Councilmember Victoria Watlington warned against turning zoning into a rubber stamp process.
“I want us to be very careful not to position our zoning decisions as if it’s something that, if you meet these criteria, you automatically get approved, because at the end of the day, you’ve elected us to determine what’s appropriate where at a parcel level.”
The problem is simple: growth doesn’t pay for itself.
Developers contribute some money for road improvements, but it’s not enough to keep pace. Many of the roads facing the highest congestion, including Mount Holly-Huntersville Road and Brookshire Boulevard, are state-maintained.
While Charlotte can request improvements, funding is allocated based on state-level prioritization, often taking years or even decades to implement.
The Airport Overlay Fight
Another flashpoint was Petition 2024-126, a housing project inside the airport overlay district.
Charlotte has spent millions of taxpayer dollars relocating homes, hotels, and trailer parks near the airport due to noise concerns. So why allow new development in the same zone?
Councilmember LaWana Mayfield asked exactly that.
“We’re looking at tax dollars having to be a part of a mass displacement event.”
Councilmember Ed Driggs, however, took a different view.
“The truth is, this has been brought forward in an orderly fashion. People who choose to live there will know what they’re getting into.”
The Council approved the project, even as concerns lingered about whether the city would be forced to buy out the same properties in the future.
The Bigger Issue: Charlotte’s Infrastructure Lag
Charlotte has a Mobility Plan that includes new roads, transit, and pedestrian improvements. But funding is uncertain, and the plan relies on a referendum that hasn’t even made it to the ballot.
Councilmember Malcolm Graham acknowledged the frustration but said zoning decisions alone can’t solve the problem.
“I think a net addition can apply to any reason, and we do throughout the city in terms of adding more to perceived and real infrastructure needs and our requirements. I just want to note, it’s not like we’re not doing anything about this, right? We’ve got a huge mobility plan in the works that contemplates a referendum in November.”
Councilmember Dimple Ajmera pointed to public transit as a partial solution. The new project on Mount Holly-Huntersville Road is near a bus stop, which she argued makes it more viable.
“This site is very close to, in fact, CATS number one. This site is located along the route of the CATS number one and 18 local bus, so that really helps us connect affordable housing with mobility options and that’s what we want to see more of.”
Watlington wasn’t convinced.
“That bus is also sitting in traffic,” she noted.
What Comes Next?
Charlotte will keep approving developments. Infrastructure will catch up eventually—but no one knows when.
For now, residents in fast-growing areas like Mountain Island Lake, Steele Creek, and University City will have to navigate the same roads, with more cars, and no immediate solutions.
Until the city and state agree on a solution, residents will have to live with the gridlock.
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☕ Jack Beckett | Senior Writer, Charlotte Mercury
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