If you travel just a couple of miles below Ballantyne in South Charlotte, you will find a diamond in the rough. Marvin is a small town community that is just beyond the Mecklenburg County line into Union County. The community has become very popular within the past couple of years for its peaceful surroundings and small town feel.
Once a farming area that was popular with Equestian enthusiast, Marvin was very little well know to residents of Charlotte. In 1994 for fear of being taken over by Waxhaw or Charlotte, the community incorporated and became The Village of Marvin. Since then growth has been consistent but slow due to the overseeing of local elected officials. At this time there is a zoning ordinance that limits the size of lots to 1 acre per dwelling. To find a home with an acre lot just outside Southern Mecklenburg is like finding a small oasis in the middle of the moajve desert.
At this time the price of homes in the area range from $350K up to $3+Million. Lots for custom homes range from $235K to $250K per acre. Firethorne Country Club is of the most popular communities in Marvin, with a top rated golf course and complete social club for entertaining.
One of the draw backs to Marvin is the limited shopping areas. Just recently Marvin's town council voted in favor of a large shopping retail and commercial area a the corner of Highway 16(Providence Rd. and Newtown Rd. This came with many strict regulations for the developer and took two years to pass zoning.
Another mixed use development is proposed by Longview South Developement at Tom Short Rd. and Rea Rd. This project, if passed will have a village like center with office, retail and high density luxury residential homes. The high density homes is the biggest hurdle this development has because of the 1 acre per dwelling residential zoning. If passed, this development will rival some shopping areas such as Stonecrest, Blakeney and even the Arboretum. Marvin needs this development in order to improve this area of quality of life in the community. With the increasing home construction, the added population to the area and the inconvenience of shopping, Marvin officials will have no other choice but to pass developments like this sooner.
The interesting aspect of Marvin's town council is most of the elected officials are from of New York, New Jersey and Conneticutt. They voice their opinion regarding "Controlled Growth" and being against any large scale shopping area. They're reasoning is that when they lived in their previous cities, there was rampant growth that was not controlled and they want to have a say where they live now. The only problem, the very ones trying to control the growth are the reason the area is growing.
Marvin NC is a great place to live, has great schools and great people. My family and I live in Marvin and are happy we made the move several years ago from SouthPark.