The Commissioner — Winter 2009

Commission Profile

One Eye on the Future

Matthews (North Carolina) Planning Board

"There's a certain mindset you need to have if you're going to serve on the planning board," says James Mortimer, chair of the Town of Matthews Planning Board in North Carolina. "You need to have a vision of the future — not just 10 but maybe 20 years down the road — because what you choose to do today is going to last that long."

While development of a new comprehensive plan is a priority, members of the Matthews Planning Board tend to spend much of their time focused on the here and now. "Residential rezonings occupy a lot of our time," says Mortimer. "Everything here is zoned R-20, which doesn't really accommodate the newer, more desirable residential units." Even with the recent slowdown in residential development, rezonings are common.

Located about 10 miles southeast of downtown Charlotte in Mecklenburg County, Matthews covers about 17 square miles. "We're at our maximum size, completely surrounded by other jurisdictions." says Kathi Ingrish, the town's planning director. With a historic downtown and a variety of neighborhoods, Matthews has managed to retain its small-town charm despite its proximity to Charlotte. More than 28,000 people call the town home. That number is projected to grow to 57,000 by 2020.

The planning board consists of seven voting members and two alternates. "The alternates participate in the discussion leading up to the vote but only cast a vote if one of the planning board members does not attend the meeting," says Ingrish. "Alternates also can fill an unexpired term."

Those terms run two years each and a planning board member is limited to two consecutive terms. "At that point, they need to rotate off for one year before coming back," says Ingrish. Appointment is made by the Town Council.

The town's planning board members meet twice a month. "We attend the joint meeting with the Town Council on the second Monday of the month," says Richard Doherty, Jr., the board's vice chair. "It gives us a chance to hear what the petitioners are presenting because, on the fourth Tuesday of the month, we'll be voting on it."

The planning board acts in an advisory capacity. "We recommend denial or approval and then send it to the Town Council to decide," Doherty says.

The two panels hold joint work sessions on occasion. "We've met with the Town Council in regard to our economic development plan," says Mortimer. "And we recently had a planning session about an upcoming rewrite of our zoning regulations."

From time to time, planning board members attend meetings of other town boards and agencies. "There are issues where things overlap and it's important to find out what's going on and what other perspectives there are," says Doherty. "It's a couple of extra meetings every now and then but it gives you a better sense of things. I figure if you're going to be involved, you need to commit the time and energy to it. In the end, there's a great sense of satisfaction and accomplishment."

In the Midst of an Evolution

"Matthews is in an evolutionary phase. Once a discrete town, we are now part of greater Charlotte," says James Mortimer, the town's planning board chair. "The prevailing thought among citizens is that we should retain our small town atmosphere. Yet we're part of a larger community and need to evolve to become a meaningful part of that community."

With its population expect to increase 90 percent over the next dozen years, Matthews is dealing with a host of issues associated with growth. "There's lots of traffic, as people from Union County travel through on their way to Charlotte," says vice chair Richard Doherty, Jr. "We're trying to get more roads built to keep traffic flowing, but it's tough."

Transit is another option on the table. The town is looking at as many as four transit stations within its boundaries in the not-too-distant future. The unanswered question is what form — light rail or bus rapid transit — the transit will take.

One of the stations would be located adjacent to a proposed sportsplex and near the local community college campus. "The idea is to create, around the station, an urban scale development unlike what currently exists," says planning director Kathi Ingrish. "I think we're ready for more compact, pedestrian-friendly growth." The sportsplex, a joint Mecklenburg County–Town of Matthews project, would feature more than 10 synthetic and natural fields, a four-mile greenway, and pedestrian trails.

While known as a family-friendly community, Matthews also is home to an increasing number of empty-nesters. "Our climate and economy make us ideal for retirees," says Ingrish. By 2020, the number of residents over age 60 will double to about 9,500.

Doherty says the influx of retirees is certain to help the town's tax base, but it also will require that the town look at modifying or adding to the services it currently offers. It also may require changes in the housing stock. The planning board has rezoned land to residential institutional to accommodate two retirement communities. "We're looking at ordinances — many are 10 or 12 years old — that may have to be revised for these types of communities," he says.

A revision of the town's zoning code is gearing up — many zoning ordinance sections are unchanged since the last complete rewrite 20 years ago. Matthews recently selected a consultant to help prepare a new unified development ordinance, streamline the development and application review process, and prepare development regulations.

"Matthews is a desirable place to live," says Mortimer. "With much of the available land having been used up, people are becoming more particular about the type of development they want. Our job is ensure that the regulations and tools are in place and that our expectations are clear, not just to developers but to everyone here in Matthews."