Inside: Deadlines for Heritage Festival are approaching • Page 5A
Brought to you by Charlotte Media Group Friday, Aug. 20, 2021 • Vol. 15 • No. 33
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Housing project endures boot camp by Justin Vick justin@cmgweekly.com
INDIAN TRAIL – Councilman Jerry Morse said the barracks from his military service seemed to have more room than Bonterra Meadows, a townhome project proposed for 22.5 acres between Bonterra Village and the Monroe Expressway. The site, located at 6008 Bonterra Village Way, could
be developed into 136 townhome units, according to Tom Crouch, a project manager with The Moser Group. Crouch said the project was a “nice walking community” with 12 acres of open space as well as 2,465 feet of walking trails connecting to the neighborhood. Crouch pitched the idea Aug. 10 during a developers workshop with the council.
Such workshops allow developers to gauge the council’s attitudes about a project before they go through the formal rezoning process. Morse thought there was too much density for such a tight space – especially with the county’s sewer capacity issues. “Once again, it feels like we have developers coming see BOOT, Page 5A
The council also brought up concerns about trees and noise mitigation. Photo courtesy of Town of Indian Trail
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Waxhaw rezones McCorkle property
WHAT'S INSIDE:
Bye, Little Joe
by Justin Vick
Indian Trail mourns loss of beloved critter, 2A
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Eye on COVID Festivals we hope don't go away, 2A
Machining Program Lead, Billy Spencer, instructs a student on machinery in a new lab at the Tyson Family Center for Technology. Photo courtesy of South Piedmont Community College
New faces, new spaces SPCC rolls out new technology to more students Hear us out Weekly staff appears on podcast, 5A
Back to school Catch up on school news from summer, 1B
Moving forward Education leader talks about hot topics, x2B
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MONROE – Fall semester classes began Aug. 9 at South Piedmont Community College. With in-person, online and hybrid offerings, enrollment headcount is trending upward by over 4% compared to 2020. More than 3,500 students are enrolled in fall classes and this number is expected to rise as the semester progresses. Enrollment at SPCC got an extra boost through additional local, state and federal funding received to make even more financial assistance available to students. These funds support the “South Piedmont Advantage,” which is a program that covers the tuition and fees not supported by existing financial assistance programs. These dollars are not loans, eliminating financial barriers for students. “We are thrilled to have students back on campus,” President Maria Pharr said. “They represent the soul of the college and seeing them enjoy our new and renovated spaces has been a highlight of this new academic year.” Students are returning to campus in time to celebrate the opening of the college’s new academic building on the Old Charlotte Highway Campus in Monroe. The 75,000-square-foot building includes classrooms, lab spaces and student commons areas. An ribbon cutting is planned for the building in collaboration with the
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Students wear masks in a new classroom in the Tyson Family Center for Technology. Photo courtesy of South Piedmont Community College
Union County Chamber on Aug. 31. “We are also excited to unveil several new technologies which will help new and existing students experience Pharr college in a more personal and adaptive way,” Pharr said. “We have several new, enhanced and existing programs and partnerships to help more students experience the high-quality education for which South Piedmont is known.” SPCC has established new transfer partnerships with Appalachian State University, East Carolina University, North Carolina A&T, St. Andrews University-Charlotte, UNC Wilmington and Winston-Salem State University.
It continues to strengthen its continued partnerships with Wingate University The college has a new mobile app, SPCC Navigate, designed to provide students better access to classwork, appointments with financial aid or advising, and payment options, directly from their Apple or Android phones. “Our app was designed in response to our students’ requests for clear and immediate access to all things SPCC,” explained Malinda Daniel, the app’s project manager. “Now when students need to know their schedule, what assignments they have due, access emails, schedule appointments with various departments on campus, or receive critical information, the answer is simply Navigate.” On the web: www.spcc.edu
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WAXHAW – Town commissioners rezoned two parcels off South Providence Road from residential to neighborhood center Aug. 10 despite the planning board recommending they oppose the petition. The property, described as McCorkle Farm, was getting its initial zoning from the town following annexation. The planning board recommended commissioners not approve the rezoning, citing the 2016 Comprehensive plan and Future Planning Goals. The planning board’s decision mentioned increased demand on water, sewer and roads as well as neighboring property values. Member wanted to see more engineering studies, Thompson said. Commissioner Anne Simpson said the board received feedback from the community about the zoning request concerning traffic and congestion, but members weren’t allowed to base their decision on those factors. “The reason for that is you don’t someone coming in seeking to actually apply for a permit,” attorney Charlie Buckley told the council. “If they wanted to come in now once you zone it and ask for their own change in zoning, they could do that. So we don’t know what the use is going to be. Those legislative discussions are not relevant at this point.” Commissioners couldn’t consider water or sewer issues either. Instead, commissioners could only consider the potential uses that could be permitted for the requested zoning. The Future Land Use Map 2021 notes that mixed uses, which include retail, official and medium density residential housing, are appropriate for the site, according to Planner Director Lisa Thompson. Neighborhood center zoning allows for offices, neighborhood-oriented retail and services as well as cottages, townhomes, duplexes, triplexes and quadraplexes. Eight units per acre is the maximum allowed density. Town staff drafted a statement for commissioners to adopt. The statement said the mixed uses provide a buffer between the employment center to the south and the R-3 residential zoning to the north. It noted the zoning will “allow for uses that can diversify the tax base and housing stock.” The board voted 5-0 to approve the rezoning.
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