The development of 55 acres of Shelby Place began in 1982. Originally, the concept was structures containing four townhomes each.

After the first building was completed, the concept was converted into individual building lots for single family residences. As Shelby Place exists today, it consists of four Town Homes and one hundred lots, with 43 family homes on various size parcels.

The property owners in Shelby Place opted to have the subdivision be subject to the North Carolina Planned Community Act, in the Fourth Amendment to the Declaration of Restrictive Covenants dated July 1, 1982.