Thousands of Concord Residents Fight Back Against Home Building Project

A wave of opposition has swept through Concord as residents band together against D.R. Horton's massive construction plans. The builder wants to transform 557 acres of former farmland into a sprawling development near George W. Liles Parkway and Weddington Road.

The builder's blueprint sketches out a mix of housing: 730 houses, 326 row homes, and 840 apartments. Plans also include a 200-room hotel and space for shops and offices spanning 306,000 square feet. Last June, city leaders blocked the first try at getting sewer connections.

"A project of this scale is just unimaginable to everybody here," said Barbara Strang, a 30-year Concord resident, according to The Charlotte Observer. "That size is literally another city within our city."

The path to approval remains rocky. The builder cut their sewer needs to 157,000 gallons daily for phase one, far below their first bid of 560,000 gallons. City staff will study this scaled-back plan next month.

The nearby Weddington Hills Elementary School strains at 110% capacity. City Councilwoman Lori Clay voiced strong concerns: "The impact you're making on the schools is tremendous — this has the ability to crack, crumble an already struggling school system," she said per WCNC.

US Developments president Stephen Rosenburgh, working alongside D.R. Horton, explained their lack of public outreach at the July 31 meeting. "We don't have anything to take to them because we don't know what we can do," he stated.

The city's growth tells its own story. Since 2020, Concord has added thousands of new faces, pushing the count past 112,300. Big names like Eli Lilly picked Concord for a $2 billion plant, while Hendrick Motorsports plans a $70 million building.

Former Weddington Road resident Connie Arstark moved away after 27 years of watching the area change. She shared her thoughts with The Charlotte Observer: "I'm for growth but it has to be controlled growth. You need a plan. A plan for the traffic, for the schools."

The project can't move ahead without new zoning rules and thorough studies of traffic, schools, and utilities. Mayor Bill Dusch made clear that while someone else owns the land, the council holds the power to accept or reject development plans based on hard facts.