Union County
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Volume 10, Number 23 • June 4 to 10, 2015
Development continues on Providence Road, spurs more traffic concerns Conversations of de-annexation stir in south Charlotte by Hannah Chronis hannah@unioncountyweekly.com
The unprecedented growth along Providence Road and the Interstate 485 intersection continues, and developer Crescent Communities is the latest looking to get in on the action. But as a potential third mixeduse development is in the initial planning stages, residents of south Charlotte and northwestern of Union County are expressing concern regarding the effects of the large-scale developments. Developer Lincoln Harris’s request to rezone the former Charlotte Golf Links property at the intersection of Ardrey Kell and Providence roads was approved at the end of April, which will allow a transformation of the site into a mixeduse development spanning 188
acres, to be known as Rea Farms, and will include a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) magnet school, slated for completion by 2020. Rea Farms will join the 90-acre Waverly project, already under construction at the intersection of Ardrey Kell and Providence roads. Charlotte-based developer Crescent Communities is the latest hoping to make its mark along the highly-touted Providence Road corridor. The company filed a rezoning application with the city of Charlotte to build on 72.2 acres of land on the east side of Providence Road, south of I-485 and adjacent to Waverly and Rea Farms. The change in zoning would allow for office space, UCW file photo
(see Development on page 10)
Stallings’s proposed budget focuses on infrastructure, jobs by Crystal O’Gorman crystal@unioncountyweekly.com
STALLINGS – The Stallings Town Council held a special meeting on June 1 to discuss proposed budget items for the 2015-16 fiscal year. Though the town will lose $60,000 in levied taxes from the elimination of the privilege license tax, citizens will not bear the brunt of the loss with a property tax increase; it will remain the same as last
year at 21.5 cents per $100 valuation. Stormwater fees also will remain the same, which is $46 for residential and $33 per equivalent residential unit for non-residential properties. Citizens will reap the benefits from infrastructural improvements and the hiring of additional town staff, including an additional patrol officer, engineer technician and program coordinator for Stallings Parks and Recreation Department.
The budget will allocate $1,160,750 to infrastructure projects from July 2015 to June 2016. The money will go toward roads, sidewalks, stormwater projects and maintenance and a capital outlay project to improve the Pleasant Plains and Potter roads intersection. The councilmembers’ concern for the town’s infrastructure was reflected in the budget.
National program connects rural communities with postsecondary school opportunities by Courtney Schultz education@unioncountyweekly.com
INDIAN TRAIL – Last summer, Sun Valley High School senior Frida Isla felt college was a far-off dream. Her parents, who aren’t from the United States, didn’t attend university as young adults and didn’t have much knowledge about the college selection process. Fast forward one year, and Frida is one week away from graduating high school and will attend Wake Forest University on a full scholarship, thanks to the guidance of College Advising Corps, a Chapel Hill-based nonprofit that seeks to increase the number of first-generation, low-income and/or underrepresented students who apply, enter and complete college. The organization supports a full-time college guidance counselor in the schools to teach students what they need to know about applying and paying for college. “Our advisers work hand-in-hand with our high school partners to mentor, encourage and assist students as they search for colleges, complete admissions and financial aid applications and transition from high school to higher education,” Nicole Hurd, founder and executive director of the College Advising Corps, said in a news release. The John M. Belk Endowment gifted $10 million to the College Advising Corps to expand the reach of the nonprofit within North Carolina to 60 rural high schools over
(see Stallings Budget on page 4)
(see Sun Valley on page 12)
INDEX: News Briefs, 6; Crime Blotter, 7; Education, 12; Faith, 16; Calendar, 18; Sports, 20; Classifieds, 23
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