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Friday, March 26, 2021 • Vol. 15 • No. 12
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Stallings fleshes out multifamily project 801 SOUTH TRADE ST • 704-847-6261
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STALLINGS – Lynda Paxton said as much as she does not like the idea of having multifamily housing in Stallings, Stinson Farms is the first and only such project she supports. That's due to the number of concessions the Stallings Town Council has been able to negotiate with the developer. The development team has worked with the town for a year on the project. Stinson Farms has been revised multiple times through consultation with town staff and a subcommittee
of the council. However, the planning board recommended denial of the proposal in December. Since then, the council negotiated 11 major concessions with the developer, including • Reducing the number of residential units from 618 to 504. • Putting single-family residential and a 100-foot buffer adjacent to the neighboring Shannamara subdivision (70-foot with a fence in some areas). • Limiting the number of fast food restaurants in the commercial area from three to one. Currently, the project calls for 136 townhomes, 32 houses and 336 mul-
tifamily units on 72 acres off Idlewild Road, east of the I-485 interchange. Paxton, who serves as mayor pro tempore, said each type of housing in Stinson Farms falls well below what the ordinances allows. “I know the concern is about density but I think we have to think about how far we have come with this project,” Paxton told colleagues during the March 22 public hearing. “The developer has done so many of the things we've asked them to do. I am fearful that we may get something that is so drastically worse than see DEVELOPMENT, Page 5A
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Photos courtesy of Common Heart
Brackets show major upsets, 2A
Legislation Rep. Brody: Protect girls sports, 4A
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We learned our lesson over [in the Stevens Mill neighborhood] where the developer demolished some of the trees and it's going to take a long time for some of them to grow back.”
Hunger Walk raises $45K to feed hungry families INDIAN TRAIL – Common Heart’s fourth annual Hunger Walk fundraiser drew about 200 participants and raised $45,333. That’s enough to provide a week’s worth of groceries to 1,813 struggling families, according to the nonprofit. To put that in perspective, Common Heart food pantries are serving an average of 1,400 families each month. Due to the pandemic, these free drive-thru food distributions saw more than double the number of families seeking help in 2020 than in 2019. In 2020, Common Heart provided 1,046,635 meals to 17,711 people -- serving an estimated 51% of the food insecure residents of Union County an average of 3.6
times each. According to Feeding America, it’s estimated that the number of food insecure residents in Union County rose by 53% in 2020, compared to 2019, to about 35,000 people – 14.6% of Union County’s population. This year’s walk was virtual with participants choosing to walk in their neighborhoods, around their churches or in area parks. The top three fundraising teams were: Threshold Church ($6,757), St. Francis United Methodist Church ($3,625) and Rotary Club of Waxhaw Weddington ($3,315).
MONROE – The N.C. House unanimously approved legislation March 17 introduced by N.C. Rep. David Willis (R-Union) to recognize April 24 each year as “Wounded Heroes Day” in North Carolina. The date was chosen in honor of Union County’s Sgt. Michael Verardo who endured life-changing injuries in Afghanistan on April 24, 2010. Verardo and his wife, Sarah attended the House session and received a standing ovation after the bill passed 118-0. “This bill will recognize heroes like Sgt. Verardo who were wounded serving our country,” Willis said. “By dedicating April 24 as ‘Wounded Heroes Day’ in North Carolina, we can acknowledge and honor these brave men and women who have sacrificed so much for our freedoms. I want to express my deepest appreciation to Sgt. Verardo and his wife, Sarah, for their service and sacrifice. They are a model of what our country and state represent.” While on foot patrol as an infantryman in Afghanistan, Verardo was wounded by an improvised explosive device, causing him to lose his left leg and much of his left arm, withstand severe burns, and suffer a traumatic brain injury and other injuries that required a field blood transfusion. Verardo endured years of physical, occupational, speech and visual therapies. He underwent his 120th surgery on April 24, 2019, his Ninth Alive Day. He is now able to enjoy adaptive athletics, such as competitive pistol shooting, and is an active participant in his church and community.
Indian Trail, Stallings pursue hotel occupancy tax by Justin Vick justin@cmgweekly.com
Revving up NASCAR HOF showcases STEAM options, 2B
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STALLINGS – Indian Trail and Stallings are requesting the state grant them authority to collect hotel occupancy taxes. Leaders in both towns approved resolutions this month asking the N.C. General Assembly for the authority. They are working with N.C. Rep. Dean Arp to shepherd a bill. Arp and N.C. Rep. Craig Horn introduced a similar bill in 2019, which passed the House, but it stalled in a Senate committee. “We've been working on this for many years,” Stallings Mayor Wyatt Dunn said. “We haven't been able to get either the
House or Senate to move on it because they are scared of the word 'tax.' Nobody hates the word 'tax' more than me, but this is not a tax on the citizens of Stallings. It is a help to the citizens of Stallings.” Occupancy taxes consist of a percentage of your hotel bill. Many communities reinvest the revenue back into recruiting events or programs designed to increase visitor spending and hotel stays. The City of Charlotte used occupancy taxes to fund the NASCAR Hall of Fame. A couple of Indian Trail councilmen questioned the timing of pushing a bill now considering the town doesn't have any hotels. see HOTEL, Page 5A
A $70 room at Sleep Inn Matthews-Charlotte will likely cost you about $10.50 in taxes and other charges, which include state and local room occupancy taxes. CMG file photo