Just in case you haven’t noticed, Mooresville has its fair share of apartment complexes-many still under construction, and if developers get their way, we may be seeing even more. Actually, a lot more.

Take River Highway, for example. Between Point Blank Range and Lake Norman High School, there are currently four new multifamily developments seeking approval. Together, these projects would add 640 units in just that half-mile stretch. And that’s on top of Avalon, Acer Place, and Westhall at Perth and Hwy 150, as well as The Parian and The Townes at Lake Norman- all of which are brand-new. Both Avalon and The Townes are still expanding. I don’t have the exact numbers for all of these combined, but a reasonable estimate would be somewhere around 2,000 units.

Now, consider the impact: if each unit averages 1.5 cars, that’s nearly 4,000 additional vehicles packed into less than a one-mile corridor. And it’s not just traffic- this kind of growth will certainly cause strain on Lake Norman High School and the Lakeshore Schools, which are already near capacity.

For perspective, the average major university in the U.S. has about 5,000 off-campus rental units nearby. Mooresville, without a major university, likely already has well over 10,000 rental units. That’s just my estimate. I don’t really know how many we have at present.

I’m a realist. I understand growth is inevitable, and I don’t fault town planners or officials. North Carolina is a “right-to-build” state with laws that prevent municipalities from simply denying every request from developers without significant input from affected residents. Even so, it’s disheartening to think that visitors may soon find apartment and town home complexes on nearly every corner. Mooresville is known for so many great things, and I’d hate for “apartment complexes” to become the reputation that defines us.