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INSIDE... Obituaries ................. 5 Police Report ............ 5 School News ............ 7 Classified Ads ........... 7 Sports ..................... 8

Serving Belmont, Mount Holly, Stanley, Cramerton and McAdenville

Volume 79 • Issue 42 • Wednesday, October 15, 2014

75¢

Harris Teeter site approved By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com

Construction of a Harris-Teeter grocery on a 33-acre plot at the corner of South Point and Stowe roads cleared another hurdle last week when the Belmont City Council approved amendments to the conditional site plan for the mixed use development known as Belmont Town Center. The developer, Raley Miller Properties, must still complete a traffic impact analysis and have engineering plans approved. Site work should begin in a few months. The traffic study will be paid for by the developer and done in coordination with the NCDOT and city officials. Steps leading up to the approval included a 6-1 vote on September 18 by the Belmont Planning Board recommending the site plan changes. Prior to that, the developer held a mandatory community meeting on September 8 at South Point UMC. Nearly a dozen adjacent property owners, city staff, and representatives from Raley Miller were there. Going back even further, the idea for the development was presented to the city and approved back in April 2005. However, the economic downturn put it in limbo for a while. Now, with things back on track, the development will surge forward again. In addition to the Harris Teeter, other retail space at Belmont Town Center will feature a gas station bearing the HT logo and a fast food restaurant with drive through. The fast food brand has not been named. Other aspects of the project will include a 2.5 acre greenway, bike racks, and over 300 parking spaces. There will be a walk-up ATM but no bank building. Total flex commercial area will be about 109,500 sq. ft. The main access areas at South Point and R.L. Stowe roads will have enhanced pedestrian crossings. Residential aspects of the development will include 98 dwelling units in a mix of attached and detached units but no apartments, open space, and a civic area. The Harris Teeter will probably open in second quarter of 2016.

Photo by Alan Hodge Last week the Belmont City Council approved conditional zoning amendments that will allow a mixed-used development to be built across from South Point High. Belmont Town Center will be anchored by a Harris Teeter grocery.

BCO receives $6,600 from Community Foundation of Gaston County

Boogie with Books in the Park

The Belmont Community Organization (BCO) announced it has received a $6,600.00 grant from the Community Foundation of Gaston County. These funds will support the agency’s Client Assistance Program. Through its Client Assistance Program, the BCO is able to provide immediate relief to those requesting food, clothing household items, furniture, appliances and payments for rent/mortgage, utilities, medicines and heating fuel. The BCO serves an average of 200 families per month. Along with donations from local individuals, businesses and churches, the Community Foundation’s grant will be used to help persons in crisis as well as those struggling under poverty. “It heartens us to receive affirmation from an organization as well respected as the Community Foundation,” said BCO Executive Director Paula Wilkerson. “We are so appreciative of their support of our efforts to help our neighbors in need.” The Community Foundation awards annual grants through a competitive application and review process. Ernest Sumner, Executive Director of the Community Foundation stated, “The Board of Directors for the Foundation was extremely impressed with the effectiveness of the work of the Belmont Community Organization

Mekhi Armstrong, age 3 of Gastonia shows his free book provided by Partnership for Children of Lincoln & Gaston Counties. See story inside, page 7

See BCO, page 3

STANLEY high and dry

I-85 Interchanges exits looking good By Alan Hodge

By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com

The Town of Stanley was high and dry for most of Friday afternoon following a break in the water supply pipe from the municipal tank on NC27 to the downtown area. A crew of workers with Airo Cable laying conduit pipe struck the underground water main with a backhoe. “They popped the twelve-inch main line around 12:30 p.m.,” said Stanley’s interim public works director Donald Ritter. “We had to cut off the water at the tank. We got it cut off pretty fast.” Even so, utility workers waded in deep mud to replace the broken pipe. See STANLEY, page 3

alan.bannernews@gmail.com

The I-85 interchanges exits 26 and 27 near Belmont will be looking good thanks to approval last week by the city council of a contract for their maintenance with Two Rivers Outdoor Services. The NCDOT submitted the agreement to the city, the overall idea being more frequent sprucing up of the exits than the state could do given its manpower resources. Two Rivers is the current landscaping service used by the city. The proposed cost of the work is $975 per month, or $7,800 a year. The work would take place during the months of March-October. The cost for the current FY2014-2015 city budget would be $3,900. Particulars of the project would see Two Rivers responsible for mowing a strip around the new planting beds six feet wide twice a month, operating a bush hog across the large grassy areas once every two months, spreading pre-emergent weed killer over the beds once a year, trimming the planting bed shrubbery once a year, and mowing over the spent day lilies once a year. The NCDOT has agreed to do spraying and trimming of weeds and kudzu on Park St. In other action, the council approved architect Frank Williams' $2.8 million estimate for renovating the Public Works building on E. Catawba St. His estimate had been previously reviewed and approved by the Public Works Committee at its September 24 meeting. “The work will have to go out for bids after the drawings are submitted and approved from the county,” said public works director David Isenhour. “Once bids come in and are awarded the work should start sometime this spring or early summer. It will take about a year to complete all the work. In the meanwhile we’ll work from on-site trailer units here on the grounds.”

Photo by Alan Hodge At its recent meeting the Belmont City Council approved construction estimates for a major refurbishment of the Public Works building on E. Catawba Ave.

October 18th

8 am to 4 pm

Historic Court Square in Uptown Shelby, NC

* Live Music

Mutts

* Liver Mush

* Pet Activities

* Little Miss Liver Mush Pageant * Pumpkin Painting

* Pet Parade and Costume Contest

* Human Hamster Wheel

* Liver Mush Eating Contest

* Inflatables * Banjo Petting Zoo

* Food and Craft Vendors

The Official North Carolina Fall Liver Mush Festival

704-482-7882


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