Battle Lines Drawn Over Density in Charlotte

"As denser developments bring hundreds of new apartments, shops and offices to established neighborhoods, residents and Charlotte City Council are struggling with the question of how much is too much," according to an article by Ely Portillo.

According to Portillo, the tension has been rising as Charlotte wrestles with development proposals in areas like Elizabeth, Cotswold, and the Park Road corridor. Much of the article focuses on the political bickering over a proposed development at Seventh and Caswell streets that would add 123 apartments to the neighborhood of Elizabeth, but other neighborhoods are seeing larger quantities of apartments in the planning and development pipeline.

Along Park Road, about 1,600 apartments are under construction or proposed on the stretch between Woodlawn Road and Selwyn Avenue. Council approved 360 more on Monday night. Another proposal that’s pending would redevelop the aging Melrose apartments into a much larger development with 264 new apartments.

The article also devotes a lot of ink to the arguments and soundbites provided to the politicians and neighborhood activists opposing the new wave of apartment developments in Charlotte.