Affordable Housing vs. Free Housing

There is no doubt that in South Charlotte and perhaps Ballantyne in particular, affordable housing is in short supply. At some point the market will discover this and someone will provide more homes and apartments to meet this need.



By my count there are already many areas of very affordable housing within a stones throw of Ballantyne. But understand I'm saying affordable and not "free"!

Earlier this month The Charlotte Housing Authority discovered a rat in the corn bin and threw the rodent(s)out. Those of a liberal mind set should accept this for what it is, a prime parcel of real estate on the corner of 521 and Providence Road West that for all purposes could be a marquee project was reduced to a get rich quick scheme con-cocked by a couple of unscrupulous developers who owned two executives inside the housing authority.

Residents of Ballantyne objected to "free" housing on a parcel of land that was zoned for offices, and poorly suited for any other purpose.

Many within Charlotte/Mecklenburg GovCo are driven by the "greater good" notion that they know best. Not surprisingly the Charlotte Observer falls right in line with this thinking.

The backlash was predictable, with editorials, and cartoons that included calls of racists, biggots, snobs and Tommy Tomlinson saying it was "galling then hear so many people from Ballantyne complain "about "free" housing and then a dozen paragraphs later he starts signing "kum ba yah".

Ballantyne is not Uptown or Dilworth, yes some people choose to live in a setting that is far removed from the charm of Uptown. We don't want to live in condos, ride public transportation and work just across the elevated enclosed walkway from our home, in a Jerry Steinfield - Manhattan lifestyle.

We don't want people who enjoy living shoulder to shoulder telling us that we are wrong, that our environmental footprint is too large, that we need more infill and density or that we need to offer "free" housing to people who might aspire to live like us.

I'd suggest that today there are a good number of people in Ballantyne who feel Charlotte's Government has become to big to manage the far reaches of Mecklenburg county, a city council who is out of touch and continues to press their own agenda via a very narrow mindset.

Maybe it is time to create a form of City Council the represents the people and not just a few select interests who don't live in an area that they feel is a gift to us. We as a community pay more, much more than our fair share of property taxes and ask for very little in return. We require considerably less in Police resources and we like it that way. Do we owe "free" housing to Charlotte, just for the record you cashed in that IOU long ago.