A developer whose plans were rejected on a 5-2 vote last month by Mebane’s planning board has made significant changes in hopes of winning city council approval at its upcoming meeting Monday night.
The proposed “infill” development is targeted for 60.24 acres between Mebane Oaks Road and Broadwood Acres Road. The property is beside and behind the Walmart shopping center, next to Agape Baptist Church on Mebane Oaks Road.
The revised plans cut the number of proposed apartments from 320 to 294 apartments, and the number of single-family homes from 96 to 95.
The developer, Mebane Housing LLC and Evolve Mebane Oaks LLC, has also added the commercial square footage by including approximately 13,000 square feet; that element of the project would front Mebane Oaks Road.
The developer has applied for conditional rezoning in order to build the mixed-use project, currently named “Evolve at Mebane Oaks.” The property is currently zoned R-20 and B-2.
The developer has also greatly expanded the amenities that would be offered to include: a community clubhouse with Wi-Fi; community recreation area; pickleball court; business center; game room; fitness center; yoga studio; saltwater swimming pool; pool house; grilling pavilion; a playground with rubber turf; and two dog parks with artificial turf and agility equipment. Other amenities include EV car charging stations and a bike storage facility.
The community recreation area would also feature walking trails, a pedestrian bridge, and a community garden, based on the revised plans that the developer has submitted to the city.
As with the earlier request, the developer is offering to donate a 7.44-acre lot to the city for its future use. The developer has added a $255,457 payment in lieu of an additional 3.73 acres of public recreation space required under the city’s development ordinances.
The developer has also eliminated its earlier request for a waiver from the city’s maximum building height of 50 feet. The developer originally wanted a waiver on the 50-foot maximum height in order to build apartment buildings that would’ve been as high as 60 feet.
The apartments at Evolve Mebane Oaks could have rents above $1,500, according to Frank Forde, a developer who spoke on behalf of the project at the July planning board meeting.
Mebane’s city council is scheduled to discuss the application for rezoning for Evolve Mebane Oaks at its upcoming meeting at 6:00 p.m. Monday night.
