With roughly 3,000 miles worth of creeks in Mecklenburg County, a big storm like the one we had last week means flooding from swollen creeks is usually a major concern. But what about flooding related to development? Last week’s heavy rain is highlighting this concern of neighbors who live near development that’s underway. WFAE's Marshall Terry and Tony Mecia, of the Charlotte Ledger Business Newsletter, discuss this — and more — on this week's BizWorthy.
Marshall Terry: So how about this concern over flooding related to development? The Ledger spoke with some neighbors who have a front-row view of what happens. What did they say?
Tony Mecia: Yeah, Marshall, usually when people are concerned about a planned development nearby, the concerns will be things like the traffic's going to get worse, the schools are going to be more overcrowded, what's being planned is not in the character of the surrounding neighborhood. But last week’s storm really brought renewed attention to another issue. And that's what happens to stormwater runoff, not just at the construction site, but afterward — when you have a parking lot, when you have driveways, when you have these impervious surfaces that, in many cases, are taking the place of natural dirt.
This week we spoke with some neighbors who are near a planned development in the Piper Glen-Ballantyne area. This is planned by RK Investments, which is proposing 500 apartments and 140 single-family houses near the Four Mile Creek Greenway between Rea Road and Elm Lane. Some of the neighbors there have been opposed to that for a variety of reasons. Now, they say the stormwater runoff is another reason. We talked to one neighbor named Chris McIntire, and he said, “The flooding is not getting any easier. If you create something this dense with this much hard surface, it's going to infect everything close.” So, one of several things they say is a problem with that planned development and that other neighbors near other planned developments say is a problem.
Terry: Well, aren't there regulations in place that developers have to follow to mitigate this sort of thing?
Mecia: There are. The city requires storm-system pipes and roadside ditch systems to be able to accommodate a 10-year storm. I'm not an engineer. I don't know how these things work. But, you know, that is reviewed and that is a part of the review process in any new development. Although some neighbors might say in the wake of last week's storm, maybe they're not good enough.
Terry: And after last week's downpours, I heard about a lot of damage at other sites across Charlotte — flooded pools, parks and ball fields, for example. Do we know if this problem is getting worse as more the region is paved over and water can't soak into the ground?
Mecia: It's a good question. I think it's one of those things that's hard to measure. It's not like the county and officials are doing nothing about it. I mean, those of us who have been here a long time — I recall 20 years ago, some really bad flooding along Westfield and the Myers Creek neighborhood behind Park Road Shopping Center. It's not a straight line, getting worse. The county has done some things. We have greenway systems now where there's not impervious surface near a lot of these creeks. It is something that's being worked on. But it is something, I guess, that still remains a concern.
Terry: Let's go now to your “You Ask, We Answer” column. The question this week was what's going in at the old Harrelson Ford site on South Boulevard. So what's the answer?
Mecia: The answer, probably to the surprise of no one, is more housing — 165 townhouses developed, apparently, by The Ardent Cos. This is an area of South Boulevard, south of Archdale. Probably wise not to bet against new housing on South Boulevard.
Terry: Finally, Pineville has created a time capsule that won't be open for another 50 years, and you got a peek at what the town put in it. What did you see?
Mecia: Pineville is collecting a bunch of current-day memorabilia and putting it inside of a pine box that is inlaid with an emblem of the town. They're putting in a copy of the October 2023 town council minutes, a COVID test, and then all kinds of phones — a rotary phone, an iPhone and a flip phone. You still have a flip phone, Marshall?
Terry: No, I haven't had one of those in many years, and I guess here's hoping that you and I will be there in 50 when they crack that thing open.
Mecia: I will see you in Pineville on Feb. 28, 2074.
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