Big expansion plans for Brightmore retirement community in Ballantyne
Rezoning request shows plans for 125 new units across Providence Road West, but neighbors worry about water runoff; Brightmore owners paid $2M for the 7-acre property in 2015
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Ballantyne retirement community seeks to expand with 125-units across the street from its existing facility, but neighbors worry about water issues; community meeting this Wednesday
by Cristina Bolling
The Brightmore of South Charlotte senior living community in Ballantyne has filed a rezoning request to build an expansion across the street from its current facility on Providence Road West with up to 125 independent living units in two 3-story buildings, along with community facilities and about 200 parking spaces.
The Brightmore, which opened in 2014 and is operated by Wilmington, N.C.-based Liberty Healthcare, currently has 148 independent living units, 14 assisted living units and 16 memory support units, according to the company’s website.
The expansion would sit directly across Providence Road West from its current facility, on a site that’s wooded and previously contained a single-family home. Mecklenburg County tax records show that Liberty Healthcare bought the 7-acre site from the former homeowner in 2015 for $2M.
This site plan from the Brightmore of South Charlotte’s rezoning petition shows that sits directly across Providence Road West from the current Brightmore facility. The plan calls for up to 125 residences, a community facility, a courtyard and 202 parking spots on the 7-acre site.
A community meeting on the rezoning petition is scheduled for Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Brightmore of South Charlotte’s multi-purpose room, 10225 Old Ardrey Kell Road.
The meeting is likely to draw residents of the Cobblestone neighborhood, which abuts the proposed Brightmore expansion.
Cobblestone homeowners association president Martina Manning said the McAlpine watershed drains into a lake in the neighborhood via a permanent drainage easement and the water is held by the neighborhood’s dam, which she said neighbors pay to maintain.
She told The Ledger via email that neighbors worry that the large Brightmore facility and parking lot would increase runoff and put excessive stress on the dam.
Manning also said that neighbors would like the height to be reduced to two stories and to increase the tree save area around the development to 50 feet. (It’s now 38 feet, according to the site plan.)
This is a big time for growth in the retirement facility industry in Charlotte, with existing communities like Sharon Towers and Southminster expanding and new ones popping up around the region.
Cristina Bolling is managing editor of The Ledger: cristina@cltledger.com
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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Contributing editor: Tim Whitmire, CXN Advisory; Contributing photographer/videographer: Kevin Young, The 5 and 2 Project