By Nell Thomas | Strolling Ballantyne
“We’ve done enough talking.” Councilmember Renee Johnson didn’t flinch. She was addressing Mayor Vi Lyles directly, her tone level but unmistakably pointed. Around the dais, members of the Charlotte City Council shifted in their seats. It was the May 12 business meeting, and the city’s proposed 2040 Community Area Plans were on the table—along with a sizable helping of mistrust, miscommunication, and overcooked optimism.
If the future of Charlotte were a coloring book, city planners just handed the public 14 half-colored pages and a box of markers with no instructions. Residents came to color outside the lines.
The Promise of 10-Minute Neighborhoods
The Community Area Plans are designed to turn the high-altitude Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan into grounded neighborhood strategy. They aim to guide development, mobility, and infrastructure for decades. The pitch? A city of “10-minute neighborhoods,” where housing, groceries, green space, and transit are all within walking distance.
But some neighborhoods aren’t buying it.
Diana Jaynes from Stillberry Acres, a community near the airport, told Council: “Let’s be clear. Stillberry Acres is not encroaching on manufacturing and logistics. These developments are encroaching on us.”
Others from Cherry, Plaza Midwood, and Berringer Woods echoed similar frustration—misaligned maps, vanishing tree cover, and zoning designations that favor logistics over livability. Professor Deb Ryan from UNC Charlotte shared her graduate studio’s plan for the NE Inner zone: 10,000 housing units (most affordable), a main street, green space, even a baseball stadium. Her point? It’s possible to think bigger—and smarter.
Council, Interrupted
Councilmember LaWana Mayfield urged the city to vote on the 14 plans individually, not all at once. “Let’s give the neighborhoods the respect they deserve,” she said.
Meanwhile, Planning Director Monica Holmes and her team offered a conciliatory schedule: a May 16 public webinar, followed by a May 19 release of responses to 500+ public comments.
“That gives us three business days,” Mayfield noted.
The idea of a quick May 27 vote is likely off the table. Most of Council wants more time. Communities want more answers.
What’s at Stake?
If adopted, the Community Area Plans would shape where Charlotte builds, where it preserves, and where it invests for the next 15 years. The plans influence zoning, transportation, and public infrastructure. They don’t change the law—but they set the table.
Charlotte’s last round of full area planning? More than a decade ago.
Climate Data, Cool Videos, and One Tough Question
Elsewhere in the meeting, Heather Bullick, the city’s Chief Sustainability Officer, presented the updated Strategic Energy Action Plan (SEAP). Highlights included:
- Solar-equipped CMPD facilities
- A 2030 goal for 100% zero-carbon electricity in city buildings
- An electric fire truck already en route
The PowerPoint included a serene video with music Councilmember Watlington described as “so soothing it almost took me out after some pound cake.”
But then came Councilmember Mayfield’s question: “If less than 2% of EV batteries are recyclable, what happens to the rest?”
No one had an answer. It landed as a reminder: smart growth isn’t just about where things go. It’s about what’s left behind.
Neighborhoods Raising Flags
- Stillberry Acres – Facing industrial development from airport-linked logistics; residents fear displacement and flooding.
- Cherry – Challenged inaccuracies in plan renderings and expressed concerns about trust.
- NE Inner Area – Lack of neighborhood-serving retail or transit options; calls for more mixed-use designations.
- South Inner – Pushback on proposed street extensions and development pressure.
- Berringer Woods – Objected to proposed connection between neighborhood and congested West Blvd.
What Happens Next?
Councilmembers want more clarity and more community buy-in. Planning staff will publish public feedback and their responses. Council will revisit the plans—possibly in June.
Until then, Charlotte’s 2040 vision remains unfinished.
About the Author
Nell Thomas drinks her coffee black, her zoning debates hot, and her bagels from Einstein Bros. Bagels Ballantyne with extra shmear. Located at 13736 Conlan Circle, the shop’s open daily from 6AM–2PM. Highly recommended: the honey almond shmear and the turkey sausage egg white on an everything bagel. Bonus: you can bring your laptop and pretend you’re working while eavesdropping on actual commercial real estate brokers.
Her writing also appears at The Charlotte Mercury, where she covers politics, public policy, and the kind of civic messiness that makes Ballantyne look downright bucolic. Explore more at StrollingBallantyne.com, including:
Need a financial plan to match your zoning anxieties? Check out Gabby Starr at Transamerica.
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