Pineville-area students take it to the mat in weekly yoga program
Happy Holidays!
The Pineville Pilot staff reflects on their favorite Christmas memories
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Starts on page 10 Locally Owned & Operated www.thecharlotteweekly.com
Volume 2, Issue 10 • December 2014
Christmas comes to Pineville
Air Force veterans open fitness center in Pineville
Josh Whitener/Pilot photo
by Ryan Pitkin news@pinevillepilot.com
Pineville residents welcome the holiday season. See more on page 4.
A married couple who has served a combined 50 years in the Air Force recently landed in Pineville, planning to bring their passion for fitness to the community by opening a new gym in town. Michael and Susan Gilder signed the lease on a new Anytime Fitness location in the Perimeter Center South shopping center in August, and hope to open the doors to the new facility in mid-January. The couple had wanted to live in the Charlotte area since Michael retired from the United States Air Force earlier this year, following 29 years of service. The Gilders moved to Tega Cay, South Carolina, following his retirement and soon after decided Pineville would be the perfect place to open their new fitness franchise. “Pineville has the small-town feel, but you have the big city right next door. It’s unique,” Michael said. “You can get to the big city, but you still have that small-town feel where people know each other and feel comfortable talking to each other.” Multiple people in the areas have already welcomed them into town and told them how much their services are needed in the area, Susan said. (see Anytime Fitness on page 12)
Johnston Drive realignment coming soon? Council considers creating a new four-way intersection on Main Street
by Josh Whitener news@pinevillepilot.com
The Johnston Drive and Main Street intersection in downtown Pineville could eventually be history. The Pineville Town Council voted unanimously at its Tuesday, Dec. 9, meeting to team up with Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. to consider a plan that would eliminate the Johnston/Main intersection in exchange for a
new traffic pattern, which would create a new four-way intersection on Main Street. The project’s goal would be to mitigate traffic congestion generated by the Church/Main streets and Johnston Drive/Main Street intersections being in such close proximity to one another. Jonathan Guy of Kimley-Horn addressed the council at the meeting, highlighting three concepts for the realignment of Johnston Drive and their estimated construction costs. Town manager Haynes Brigman said in a memo to councilmembers the three options “all work efficiently for traffic flow now, and will all still be efficient for future growth out to 2025.”
The council ultimately chose “concept 3,” a plan that would reroute Johnston Drive by aligning it with Church Street and curving it around to meet Childers Lane. The concept, which would require $870,000 in construction costs, would allow for several different onstreet parking options, but also would require the acquisition and removal of the Maestro’s Bar and Bistro property, according to Brigman’s memo. The estimated costs do not include right of way or property acquisition. Guy said Kimley-Horn recommended concept 3 as the most viable option, taking into consideration overall traffic flow, functionality
and user familiarity with the traffic pattern. However, some attendees at the meeting voiced concerns about how the project would negatively affect Maestro’s and the parking area of the nearby store, Luna. Brigman assured attendees and councilmembers that voting to pursue concept 3 wouldn’t require the council to commit to that design, particularly if further research raised concerns about its feasibility. “The purpose of it is for us to get the No. 1 choice of the council, and then we’ll begin to have those discussions,” he said. “And if we realize that it’s just not financially feasible for (see Johnston Drive on page 5)
INDEX: News Briefs, 6; Crime Blotter, 7; Scores, Home Sales, 8; Education, 14; Honor Rolls, 14; Faith, 16; Calendar, 17; Sports, 18
Thank You On behalf of the Staff of Pineville Communication Systems and Pineville Electric Company we would like to extend our thanks for the generous donations received which helped make our 1st annual holiday food drive a success. Because of your generosity our 2 collection barrels were both filled to the top with soup cans, pasta, beans, canned meats, sauces and other goods. The food that we collected was donated to Loaves and Fishes food pantry which feeds families who have fallen on hard times. This is especially important during the holiday season. We are proud to provide service to such a wonderful and giving community.
Warmest Regards & Happy New Year from Pineville Communication Systems and Pineville Electric Company.
COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS