Crestdale Small Area Plan Background

The Crestdale area has a rich history. Following the Civil War, African Americans, including many formerly enslaved, built a thriving community on over 100 acres southeast of the Matthews. For more than 100 years, the community remained separate from Matthews, preserving its own identity and culture. Crestdale wasn't annexed into Matthews until 1988. There have been a number of studies of the area conducted over the years, first by Mecklenburg County and then by the Town. The most recent was completed in 2011. These studies provided snapshots of the community and made recommendations for the future. (See the sidebar for links to these studies.)

Development pressure remains a constant in Crestdale, with infill development and rezoning requests common. The Town believes that it is important to once again reach out to the people of Crestdale to understand the where the community is today. What has changed since 2011? What are the issues? Where are improvements necessary? What continues to make Crestdale a special place, and what does the future hold?

Help us to answer these questions by taking the survey below. Then watch this page for further opportunities for input.

The Crestdale Small Area Plan will establish a community-supported vision that includes specific land use designations and future connectivity recommendations. It will provide the Town with an adopted policy framework to evaluate rezoning petitions, negotiate development conditions, prioritize capital investments, and coordinate public and private actions—particularly around completing the street network and guiding single-lot infill. The Plan will also address the concerns of the existing residents.

You will be able to offer feedback throughout the process. We will also be hosting community meetings. If you are interested in being on the study steering committee, please provide your information when you take the survey.

The survey is the first step and will provide a foundation for all of the work that follows. After we analyze the results, the Town will host a community forum to further discuss the issues. After that, we'll begin writing the plan. Keep checking this site to see where we are in the process.