Inside: Lowes surprises community builder for good deeds • Page 1B
Friday, Nov. 13, 2020 • Vol. 13 • No. 46
Unpopular rezoning project gets yanked by Justin Vick justin@cmgweekly.com
Developers have withdrawn a rezoning petition to add apartments and townhomes to nearly 17 acres off Weddington Road after town leaders told them they had no intention of approving the project. The initial request called for up to 131 townhomes and apartments on vacant land surrounded by houses. Developers trimmed the number of units to 98 and offered to reduce it even more if given another month to refine the plan.
However, commissioners didn't see a path to approval. “I don't think I've gotten more letters against a project since I've been an elected official than this one,” said Mayor John Higdon, a seven-year veteran of town politics. Higdon vouched for citizens who spoke out against the project on account of traffic, noting his commutes from the neighborhood to his office just 2.5 miles away sometimes took as long as an hour. Had commissioners not given the applicant the courtesy to withdraw the request, a denial could
have stalled redevelopment of the site for at least a year. Williams Business Properties LLC owns the site. “We want Mr. Williams to be able to sell the property,” Commissioner Jeff Miller said. “He has his land rights, as well, but this is just not what we feel is the right project for this location. We don't want to hold him to not be able to market it under a different use.” Commissioners Renee Garner and Ken McCool said they'd like to see a similar project in another area of town, perhaps somewhere near
An early version of the plan included this streetscape view from Weddington Road. Photo courtesy of Town of Matthews
transit.Commissioner Larry Whitley said more consideration needs to be taken about what should go
Citizens weigh in on Silver Line
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NEWS & NOTES
Mark Tofano and American Legion Post 235 held a Veterans Day celebration at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 at Stumptown Park in Matthews. Check out our Facebook and Twitter pages (@ mmhweekly) for photos from the event. Mayors John Higdon and Brad Simmons were among special guests at the Matthews Rotary Club's 30th annual veterans lunch on Nov. 9 at the Levine Senior Center. We shared photos on Facebook from the club's Facebook page (@MatthewsRotary Club)
Mailbag Online gluten-free wellness bakery opens this week, 11/09: “Lets get ready for Thanksgiving and the Holidays. Those breads sound good!” – Robert Massopust via web Jeremiah’s Italian Ice opens first N.C. location, 10/29: “I visited the location and it was very very good. It would make a good family together treat couple times week. Thanks for coming to our town.” – Willadean Tomlinson via web
Online extra Check out our email newsletters this month for spotlights on area nonprofits and their needs during the pandemic . We'll be highlighting charities on a grander scale within a web-exclusive magazine that goes live Monday, Nov. 30.
WHAT'S INSIDE: Pfizer is close to a COVID-19 vaccine, 2A Educators outline $400M in needs, 4A These restaurants just got inspected, 4A
in this particular space because it's evident neighbors don't want to see apartments or townhomes there.
by Yustin Riopko Contributor
The Silver Line Task Force met with the board of commissioners Nov. 9 to recommend an alignment for the upcoming light rail project. Appointed by Mayor John Higdon, the task force consists of 14 stakeholders, including citizens, and planning board and committee members, who met 10 times between June and November to decide how the CATS LYNX Silver Line will navigate Matthews. The task force received options from CATS for potential alignments, facilitated surveys and received a tour of the existing LYNX Blue Line that connects UNC Charlotte through uptown down to South Boulevard near I-485. CATS hasn't committed to any deadline for the 26-mile Silver Line, but senior project manager Andy Mock has said they'd like the project to align with Charlotte's 2030 transit plan. With a soft goal to start engineering by 2021, CATS will soon need to know Matthews' preferred alignment for its 4-mile segment. Task force chair Bill Stevens told commissioners they considered economic factors like transit-oriented development, traffic and street crossing, construction and noise impacts, as well as grade details, such as whether areas of the train were elevated or below ground. The Silver Line will encompass 27 stops, including four in Matthews, with at least one of those being a park-and-ride destination. The task force made three main recommendations to commissioners, voting unanimously on two
Warm & toasty Online gluten-free wellness bakery opens this week ElevenEleven Wellness Bakery she was encountering more cusheld its grand opening launch at tomers with dietary restrictions 11 a.m. Nov. 11. and gluten-free needs. There were The bakery specializes in deliver- very few fresh baked goods availing homemade 100% gluten-free able locally and Sussa was altering breads, muffins and other baked her recipes to meet the demand. goods. The bakery also offers fresh Sussa has perfected her glupaleo-friendly, keten-free bread and to-friendly, vegan, other baked goodies dairy-free and eggover the past two free baked options years and opened a This bakery has weekly for customers. separate dedicated “ E l e v e n E l e v e n been a labor of love gluten-free commerBakery is the com- and I'm so excited to cial kitchen in her bination of my two have something so Matthews home in passions in life: cook- positive come out of October. The kitching amazing food and en project took three this pandemic." helping others,” ownmonths to complete • Sussa Goins er Sussa Goins said. and passed inspec“Our kitchen offers baked goods tion by the N.C. Department of made with real ingredients that give Agriculture on Oct. 20. your body everything it needs to be "This bakery has been a labor healthy, without sacrificing the deli- of love and I'm so excited to have cious flavor that you deserve.” something so positive come out of After working locally for two this pandemic,” she said. “Quaryears with her “Traveling Bistro” antine gave me time to work on catering business, Goins realized this bread and get a lot of feedback
“
The name is special to Sussa Goins as her niece used to encourage family to make a wish when the clock struck 11:11 a.m. Her son was also born a few minutes shy of the time. Photos courtesy of ElevenEleven Wellness Bakery
from customers on what tastes good and what they want and need for their families.” Want to eat? Visit www.11elevenbakery.com for more information about the launch and ordering homemade baked goods, such as gluten-free Thanksgiving desserts.
see SILVER, Page 5A
CMS delays in-person instruction for middle school by Justin Vick justin@cmgweekly.com
A shortage of available bus drivers at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has stalled the district's plans to bring middle school students back for in-person learning beginning Nov. 23. Instead, sixth- through eighth-graders in K-8 schools will return to classrooms Nov. 30 while those in traditional middle schools will have to wait until Jan. 5, 2021. The school board approved these changes Nov. 10. Superintendent Earnest Winston said the rationale behind his recommenda-
tion was for the health and safety of students as well as to remain in compliance with Gov. Roy Cooper's executive orders regarding social distancing on buses. This has been complicated by a lack of available bus drivers, a problem administrators said emerged in recent weeks. CMS has 1,005 buses scheduled for the 2020-21 school year, but only 877 drivers available to transport students. That's because 122 drivers are on approved leave with more awaiting decisions. There's also six vacancies. Federal leaves permitted through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act are set to expire on Dec. 31.
School board members Rhonda Cheek, Sean Strain and Margaret Marshall did not support the superintendent's recommendation. “To me, this isn't a health and safety issue,” Cheek said. “It's an operation failure and we are letting down our kids.” Strain echoed Cheek's sentiments. “I'm devastated that we're not going to be able to meet the needs of our sixth- to eighth-graders that should be and deserve to be going back to school,” Strain said.
Christmas Open House Prizes • Refreshments • Tastings
Saturday, November 21st • 10am-5pm
see CMS, Page 5A
Over 50 unique shops from high fashion to holiday decorating
One school board member described the district's inability to maintain a stable of available bus drivers for the start of in-person instruction as “an operation failure,” not a health and safety issue. CMG file photo
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