A front elevation rendering of the proposed Foxcroft City Home structure.

A contentious rezoning dispute between Alan Simonini Homes and Foxcroft residents will be back before Charlotte City Council as early as next month for a vote after being brought before the City Council for the second time at its February rezoning meeting.

Simonini and Saratoga Asset Management are seeking to rezone more than 6 acres on Sharon Lane from zoning that allows 3 single-family homes per acre to a zoning that allows for more dense development with attached residential units.

According to the original petition that went before City Council in October, Simonini planned to develop 31 attached townhome units on the plot of land between Providence Road and Heathmoor Lane.

Simonini has since scaled back the plan for Foxcroft City Homes, as the project is to be called, to 24 attached townhomes targeted toward empty nesters. The acreage would have 12, 2-residence buildings.

Area residents have voice opposition and more than 1,200 signed a petition opposing the rezoning that allows for multi-family structures in a neighborhood of single-family homes, according to a Charlotte Business Journal report.

Plans for the residences start at 3,400 square feet and $1 million, which area residents question as targeting empty nesters, who typically choose to downsize.

Other issues complicating the rezoning request are stormwater runoff from development, which Simonini and Saratoga Asset Management said would be miitigated by plans for a stormwater management system to be implemented.

Current zoning would allow for 18 single-family homes. Simonini is seeking to build only 3 more structures and a total of 6 more residences.

Several residents, including owners who had sold their homes for this development, supported the plan saying as an advantageous change in the neighborhood and a nice transition between the current single-family landscape and the mixed-use activity at nearby Sharon Amity and Providence roads.

The City Council will likely vote on the petition in March.

Charlotte’s Country Club Heights is an in-town neighborhood full of character and charming homes built primarily in the 1950s and 1960s.

The neighborhood is convenient to Uptown as well as NoDa and Plaza Midwood, two of the city’s hippest areas of town. Country Club Heights is roughly bordered by Eastway Drive, Central Avenue, Hilliard Drive and Charlotte Country Club to the west.

A mature tree canopy, great homes and a friendly environment are just a few reasons to choose Country Club Heights as your home base.

Located in the heart of the neighborhood is Shamrock Park with its playground, gazebo, tennis court and picnic areas. The neighborhood also has a community garden located along Dunlavin Way.

Country Club Heights has a collection of mid-century brick ranches as well as split-level homes and some newer homes being built. Some of the community’s residents have lived there for decades and some are just moving in and lovingly restoring homes and breathing new life with a touch of modernism into these mid-century homes.

As is to be expected with homes built in the mid-1900s, homes are on the smaller side – less than 2,000 square feet in most cases and many less than 1,000 square feet. Lot sizes are great for an in-town location; they range from just under two-tenths of an acre to nearly half an acre.

Homes in Country Club Heights sell well and a total of 28 homes sold in the last 12 months for an average sales price of $246,615 and nearly $175 per square foot. Sales prices ranged from $126,500 to $335,000 and averaged 98% of list price.

Currently, there are 6 homes listed for sale as of Feb. 13, including one pre-construction modern home. List prices are from $199,000 to $379,900.

Children living in Country Club Heights attend Shamrock Gardens Elementary, Eastway Middle and Garinger High schools.

The Common Market’s original Plaza Midwood location.

The Common Market, the eclectic deli, general store and community gathering spot, will be opening its third and largest location near Cotswold in Spring.

The 6,500-square-foot space will be located at 4420 Monroe Road near the Oakhurst and Cotswold neighborhoods across from Commonwealth Avenue. The store will be known as Common Market OakWold to reflect its proximity to both neighborhoods.

The newest space will include the usual deli and retail oddities as well as coffee, beer, wine and prepared foods from its full kitchen.

A community meeting planned for Monday, Feb. 6, at Clayworks will collect ideas from local residents for other things people would like to see the market to offer.

There is also plans in the works for a fourth location on Tremont Avenue that will occupy 7,000 square feet of space to replace its former South End location, which was shuttered to become regional headquarters for Austin, Texas-based Dimensional Fund Advisors.

The new South End site’s opening is planned for early next summer.

A rendering of the proposed townhomes as submitted to the city by Pulte Homes.

A plot of land along Starmount Cove Lane just east of South Boulevard will become 95 new townhomes if Pulte Homes’ rezoning request meets city approval, according to a recent Observer report.

The currently vacant wooded lot is located near the Arrowood Station light stop on the Blue Line light rail. The attached condominiums would sit between South Boulevard and the adjacent Starmount neighborhood.

Current zoning for the property allows for 8 residential units per acre. At nearly 9 acres, Pulte’s plan calls for an increase in population density for the plot.

According to the site plan filed with the city, Pulte would build 2-story attached townhomes with front-load garages. The community, which has yet to be named, would be accessible from a network of private roads.

Pulte Homes built the gated Park South Station, a community of single-family homes and townhomes, located off Archdale Drive.

Charlotte City Council will decide on Pulte’s request in the coming months.

The latest land acquisition by a real estate developer affiliated with Lennar will add even more rental properties to the Queen City horizon.

The property purchased by Lennar in Uptown Charlotte.

LMC Block 42 Holdings LLC purchased 7 parcels of land close to Uptown for $23 million, according to a recent Charlotte Business Journal report.

The property, which is bordered roughly by the Lynx Blue Line, East Eight and East Ninth and North College streets, will be the site of a multi-phase, mixed-use development with plans for mid- and high-rise apartment buildings with ground-floor retail opportunities. The mid-rise property will likely be 5 floors of apartments with ground-level retail, while the high-rise plans include 30 floors of living above ground-level retail.

A later phase in the project could include more multi-family rental units or commercial real estate for office space or a hotel at the intersection of Eighth and College.

The site’s proximity to the Lynx Blue Line extension and First Ward Park were key reasons for Lennar’s interest in the property, according to the report.

Charlotte Regional Realtor Association

December sales were up 4.5 percent from year-ago figures, while 2016 had an increase of 8.4 percent for closed sales overall, according to the most recent report from the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association.

The Charlotte region saw its fifth consecutive year of increased median and average sales prices. Median sales rose 10 percent to $209,000, and averages sales prices rose 8.2 percent to $258,108 over year-ago figures.

For 2016, average sales prices in the CarolinaMLS region rose to $257,701, a jump of 6.5 percent over 2015’s average sales price.

Low inventory continues in the Charlotte region, however, dropping more than 25 percent from last year. Overall, Charlotte inventory was at a low 2.3 months supply of homes on the market, making for a very strong seller’s market.

“As we move forward into 2017 buyers may face limited choices, faster days on market and rising mortgage rates. However, positive job growth over the last year and a healthy local economy continue to boost consumer spending and housing demand, which should help sales remain steady throughout 2017,” 2017 Carolina MLS President Roger Parham said in a prepared statement.

In Mecklenburg County, median and average sales prices rose 12.3 percent to $219,000 and 8.8 percent to $277,267.

As inventory continued to drop, days on the market and list to close time also dropped. Mecklenburg County inventory fell more than 29 percent to 2,477 homes for sale in December 2016, down from 3,507 homes on the market in December 2015. Months of inventory saw a nearly 35 percent drop to 1.5 months supply, down from 2.3 months.

In the City of Charlotte, the median and average sales prices rose 9.3 percent ($199,000) and 7.3 percent ($262,192), respectively.

Market inventory for the city fell to 1,763 homes on the market, a drop of 35 percent. Months of inventory was just 1.3 months, down nearly 41 percent from December 2015.

Uptown Charlotte median and average sales prices also rose from the year-ago period. Median sales closed 2016 at $350,000, an increase of nearly 23 percent. Average sales rose 5.5 percent to $340,365.

Inventory fell to only 75 properties listed for sale in December 2016, a drop of more than 30 percent. The Uptown area had 2.5 months of inventory in December, down nearly 36 percent from December 2015.

It’s an area of town – close to Uptown and South Charlotte – that probably checks every box on your list of desires for a home and community. It’s got character with new and older homes, location, great dining and shopping and some of the city’s best schools!

Cotswold’s borders are formed by Monroe, Wendover, Providence and Sardis/Rama roads. Randolph and Sharon Amity roads are the main roads through the neighborhood.

This 1953-built renovated home sold in March 2016.

At the heart of the community is Cotswold Village Shops, which have been in existence since 1963 and have grown to become a shopping and dining destination in Charlotte.

From home in Cotswold, Uptown Charlotte is less than 6 miles away for work, playing or sporting events. SouthPark is just a short 3.5 miles from Cotswold. Interstate access is just a few minutes away via Independence Boulevard (I-74) toward Uptown.

Cotswold’s homes are a mix of newer homes and renovated homes from the 1940s to 1960s and later. You can find a simple brick ranch, a mid-Century modern gem or a magnificent new home reminiscent of stately Myers Park homes.

Prices vary widely depending on the age of home and renovation. Many of the older homes have been updated while keeping the character of the era the homes were built. Original older homes may be less than 2,000 square feet, while new or renovated homes can exceed 5,000 square feet.

In the last year, Cotswold homes have sold between $161,000 and more than $1.3 million. 

A total of 116 homes sold in Cotswold during the last 12-month period for an average sales price of $578,734 and nearly $216 per square foot.

There are currently 39 homes listed for sale in Cotswold as of Jan. 8, which equates to approximately 4 months of market inventory for the neighborhood, given monthly sales numbers for the last year.

Current list prices range from $199,000 for a 1950-built, 1,200-square-foot home being sold in an estate sale to $1.7 million for a new construction brick home of more than 5,500 square feet. (As of Jan. 8, 2017)

Another plus of living in Cotswold is that it is zoned for some of the city’s best schools. Neighborhood children currently attend Cotswold Elementary School, Alexander Graham Middle School and Myers Park High School.

There are two areas south of Uptown Charlotte that come to mind when people think of great places to live and great shopping, dining and recreation – Ballantyne and SouthPark.

The SouthPark neighborhood of Pellyn Grove does not disappoint. Built up in the mid-1980s, Pellyn Grove has larger estate homes in a mature setting with overhanging trees and well-manicured lawns and gardens. 

The neighborhood is located off Sharon View Road, just south of Carmel Road. It is just minutes from major roads, such as Carmel, Providence and Sardis roads.

From Pellyn Grove, it is less than 20 minutes to either Uptown or Ballantyne and about 10 minutes to the heart of SouthPark. Its central location and stately homes are tough to beat.

Carmel Road Neighborhood Park, McAlpine Creek Greenway and James Boyce Park are also nearby for enjoying the outdoors.

Pellyn Grove homes are larger in size, in excess of 3,000 square feet and are full brick or stucco construction. Homes have been lovingly maintained and many have been updated with more modern touches, new kitchens and baths since the 1980s

There are some 1-story ranch homes, however, most homes are 2 stories and many of the homes have pools.

A total of 5 homes sold in Pellyn Grove during the last 12 months for an average sales price of $821,102 and nearly $184 per square foot.

Pellyn Grove has approximately 5 months of inventory with 2 homes currently listed for sale as of Jan. 1. That is about 2 months more than Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, which each has 3 months of inventory as of Jan. 1.

Sales prices in the last year ranged from $625,000 to $1.15 million. The current homes listed for sale are priced at $865,000 and $885,000.

Pellyn Grove is currently zoned for Sharon Elementary School, Carmel Middle Schol and Myers Park High School. Carmel Middle is located right outside the neighborhood. Pellyn Grove is also close to private Charlotte Country Day School.

The mature Ashbrook community is located near Park Road Shopping Center between Marsh Road at Sedgefield Elementary School and Park, East Woodlawn and Scaleybark roads.

Both Park Road and South Boulevard offer numerous shopping and dining destinations, but SouthPark and Uptown are both just 4 miles away from Ashbrook. Professional sports, theater, symphony and shopping are within reach.

Ashbrook is a community of older brick ranches and Cape Cod-style homes. It adjoins the older but popular neighborhoods of Sedgefield and Madison Park. 

Outdoor recreation is not difficult to find with a number of green spaces and parks. Both Freedom and E.B. Moore parks are close to Ashbrook.

Ashbrook homes were mainly built in the 1950s and 1960s. There are a handful of newer homes – 2 story and split-level – mixed in. Lot sizes average a quarter to three-quarters of an acre. Homes sizes range from about 1,500 square feet to 3,500 square feet.

Homes sale prices during the last year ranged from $310,000 to $820,000. Many of the homes have been fully renovated and averaging more than $220 per square foot.

A total of 10 homes sold in Ashbrook during the last 12-month period at an average sales price of $447,927 and $221 per square foot. Those sales averaged just over 98% of list price, with a few selling for more than list price.

Currently, 1 home is listed for sale in Ashbrook. The nearly 1,900-square-foot home is renovated and priced at $384,900 as of Dec. 25.

Ashbrook is zoned currently for CMS’s highly rated Selwyn Elementary School, Alexander Graham Middle School and Myers Park High School.