Residents Raise Concerns at State of the Town

By Jon Show — A familiar list of topics was raised by residents at the recent State of the Town event hosted by Cornelius town staff and elected officials at the Cain Center for the Arts.

Following a 50-minute presentation featuring various town hall department updates, elected officials took questions from roughly 75 attendees for another 50 minutes.

Topics included traffic and pedestrian concerns, tree conservation, displaced wildlife, the future of development, the potential arrival of Wegmans and progress on the Smithville revitalization.

Traffic draws attention

Washam Potts Road was mentioned by multiple residents, including concerns about increased traffic and the proliferation of larger trucks that were once banned on the road by posted signs that are no longer there.

Town officials said they would investigate the missing signs. Commissioner Rob Carney, who lives in the area, noted that while the town has been focused on other traffic pressure points, Washam Potts Road is on the radar.

“We have to start thinking about what happens on Washam Potts because the traffic is going to become a very big problem,” he said.

Speed and safety were another popular issue. Commissioner Mike Osborne said that while a 45 mph speed limit made sense when Cornelius was a rural community, the town’s Transportation Advisory Board will study whether it makes sense to recommend that NCDOT lower speed limits on certain roads.

Regarding traffic concerns, Commissioner Scott Higgins said the town is aware of problem areas and that they are being addressed through planned road projects or studied for potential fixes. Most of the town’s major thoroughfares, however, are controlled by NCDOT.

“We can’t make that happen overnight because we don’t control NCDOT in terms of when they do things,” Higgins said.

Tree clearing

Tree clearing on West Catawba Avenue was mentioned by numerous commenters. Town officials reiterated that the project is being led by NCDOT and utility companies and is expected to take a full year to complete the line work.

The clearing is necessary, they said, because there are trees in the footprint of the road and sidewalk expansion, as well as where the power lines must be located. They added that the clearing would have been necessary even if the lines were buried, a process deemed cost prohibitive when the project was introduced more than a decade ago.

While nothing is certain, officials said the town is researching NCDOT funding for landscaping improvements once the widening is complete.

Commissioner Susan Johnson said the town is also reviewing current buffering laws that apply to developers to determine whether there is a way to reduce tree clearing associated with construction projects.

Development

Asked about working with other towns to curb development, Commissioner Colin Furcht said approved projects in nearby towns are beyond Cornelius’ control, despite open lines of communication with neighboring municipalities.

“We can have conversations all day long, but our peers in other towns are not necessarily taking on the same mindset we do about growth. In my opinion, that’s the biggest challenge,” he said.

Carney noted that the last three Cornelius boards have not approved any high-density development, at the behest of voters. Current multifamily construction projects were approved years ago.

“We have been adamant we want low-density single-family homes with a focus on commercial growth,” he said, noting that the town is in the process of hiring an economic development manager to pursue that commercial mission.

The crowd was asked by a show of hands who was opposed to a potential Wegmans grocery store, which recently agreed to purchase land near Atrium Health Lake Norman on N.C. 21.

Only one hand was raised, by a resident who said the town has “enough grocery stores.”

Asked about the dormant Foamex plant at N.C. 115 and Bailey Road, Cornelius Planning Director Rox Burhans said future plans were uncertain but that the town had no intent to purchase the land, adding that the property is considered a brownfield because of potential contamination from previous industrial use.

“We are certainly anxious to see that site occupied with a productive use,” he said.

Smithville neighborhood

As for the Smithville revitalization project, officials said right-of-way acquisition was nearing completion so scheduled sidewalk and road improvement projects can begin. Grant said he expected bidding on those projects to begin next year.

The town and Mecklenburg County have each contributed $3 million toward the revitalization of the historic neighborhood, aimed at improving infrastructure and housing.

Bailey’s Glen resident Jack Higgins, speaking near the end of the program, praised current elected and town officials for their work to maintain the quality of life in Cornelius.

“Thank you very much for all you do and your professional work ethic,” he said, to a round of applause from the crowd.

Throughout the meeting, Mayor Denis Bilodeau and the town commissioners encouraged residents to continue contacting town staff and elected officials about pressing issues.

“We’ve heard every comment,” he said in closing.

Town officials met with individual attendees at the conclusion of the event.

Full video of the event is available on the town’s Facebook page