To: Charlotte City Staff and City Council
Do Not Hurt Derita!
Tell city council and staff that Derita does not need a clustering of affordable housing.
Why is this important?
Dear City Council members and City Staff.
We are reaching out regarding several proposed affordable housing projects that are seeking City Council approval as well as Housing Trust Funds. Specifically, these are the three projects that would be clustered in Derita, the Nevin Rd Apartments, Sugar Creek Greene, and Mineral Springs, which total to 208 units serving residents making between 30%-60% of the area median income. These are slated for an area less than one mile radius from our center at Mallard Creek and Sugar Creek Rds. We fear that clustering these projects in this already affordable neighborhood would not serve the city’s interest as a whole and certainly not the interest of the neighborhood.
While Charlotte at large has an affordable housing problem, a drive through Derita or searching through listings will show you that Derita does not. The area is consistently one of the most affordable areas of the city. A meal at Maria’s Grill, a neighborhood staple, shows you a diverse community that lives and works together, in what could be a model for other areas.
Residents and local community and business leaders have been working very hard to advocate for investments and improvements in Derita, battling negative perceptions and frankly, the reality of being overlooked for decades.
Derita and Mineral Springs, with their proximity to University City has the opportunity to be recognized as prosperous and desirable community once again. At that time, affordable housing may indeed be warranted as people are drawn to the area and prices rise. The free market will reshape Derita – hopefully for the better. It is our belief that subsidizing what could be negative influences on the community that deter future development and redevelopments would be a mistake.
The heavy industrial uses to the south and negative influences down the Sugar Creek corridor (primarily clustered at the I-85 interchange) contribute to the low land prices in this area. This has also been worsened by the massively delayed University City Connector and Graham Street Extension / Mallard Creek re-alignment. This project is still incomplete, though the neighborhood business association and Derita Statesville Road Community Organization, seeing the negative business effects, has been vocal in working with NC-DOT on seeing progress.
Thank you for reading this and hearing our opinion. We trust that city staff and city council members will hear our concerns and consider other ways to disperse affordable housing throughout Charlotte.
We are reaching out regarding several proposed affordable housing projects that are seeking City Council approval as well as Housing Trust Funds. Specifically, these are the three projects that would be clustered in Derita, the Nevin Rd Apartments, Sugar Creek Greene, and Mineral Springs, which total to 208 units serving residents making between 30%-60% of the area median income. These are slated for an area less than one mile radius from our center at Mallard Creek and Sugar Creek Rds. We fear that clustering these projects in this already affordable neighborhood would not serve the city’s interest as a whole and certainly not the interest of the neighborhood.
While Charlotte at large has an affordable housing problem, a drive through Derita or searching through listings will show you that Derita does not. The area is consistently one of the most affordable areas of the city. A meal at Maria’s Grill, a neighborhood staple, shows you a diverse community that lives and works together, in what could be a model for other areas.
Residents and local community and business leaders have been working very hard to advocate for investments and improvements in Derita, battling negative perceptions and frankly, the reality of being overlooked for decades.
Derita and Mineral Springs, with their proximity to University City has the opportunity to be recognized as prosperous and desirable community once again. At that time, affordable housing may indeed be warranted as people are drawn to the area and prices rise. The free market will reshape Derita – hopefully for the better. It is our belief that subsidizing what could be negative influences on the community that deter future development and redevelopments would be a mistake.
The heavy industrial uses to the south and negative influences down the Sugar Creek corridor (primarily clustered at the I-85 interchange) contribute to the low land prices in this area. This has also been worsened by the massively delayed University City Connector and Graham Street Extension / Mallard Creek re-alignment. This project is still incomplete, though the neighborhood business association and Derita Statesville Road Community Organization, seeing the negative business effects, has been vocal in working with NC-DOT on seeing progress.
Thank you for reading this and hearing our opinion. We trust that city staff and city council members will hear our concerns and consider other ways to disperse affordable housing throughout Charlotte.