MEETING NOTES (Revised 4.12.08)
DATE:
3/31/2008 - 4/1/2008
PROJECT NAME:
Cabarrus County Central Area Plan
MEETING LOCATION:
Cabarrus County Government Center, Concord
PURPOSE:
Stakeholder Interviews
SUBMITTED BY:
Scott Lagueux and Scott Hinkle
PROJECT #:
1008037
In Attendance:
Monday, March 31, 2008:
Meeting 1: Joe Wilson and Leah Wagner; Meeting 2: Wendell Rummage, Merle Hamilton and Brad Riley; Meeting 3: Tad Dunn, Jamie
Wrightman, Bill Smith, William Niblock, Gary Embler, Marc Niblock, Mark Michaud and Donny Isenhour; Meeting 4: H. Scott Allen and
Dennis Testerman; Meeting 5: Brian Hiatt, Jonathan Marshall, Mike Downs, Margaret Pearson, Sue Hyde, Bob Carruth and Jim Green.
Scott Lagueux and Scott Hinkle of LandDesign and Jessica Sick of Warren & Associates.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008:
Meeting 6: Londa Strong and Mark Conversano; Meeting 7: Ben Warren, Steve Bissenger, Wilmer Melton, Coleman Keeter, Van
Rowell, Terry Gross, Mark Fowler and Henry Waldroup; Meeting 8: Steve Osborne, Jeff Young, Ryan McDaniels and Samantha
Moose; Meeting 9: Heath Ritchie and Bob Spangler; Meeting 10: Jim Amendum and Robert Kluttz.
Scott Lagueux and Scott Hinkle of LandDesign.
NOTES:
Meeting 1: Transportation, March 31, 2008, 9 a.m.
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We can’t keep up with infrastructure and services. The city has tried to emphasize the growth north of I-85 because
infrastructure is in place. We can’t grow on both sides of the county at the same time.
There are annexation issues, from Concord and county standpoint.
The study area is not a priority area for annexation for the City of Concord.
Principle corridors are US 601 and NC 73. The plan shows a connector that uses the Cressmont corridor from NC 49 up to
Lane Street in Kannapolis. It’s the next corridor that doesn’t exist. It takes on part of Penneger Road. That is really the only
thing that is on the books now.
There is no plan in the TIP for Branchview (NC 3) or US 601, except for spot treatment as development occurs, turn lanes
here and there. The problem is, without a large development in an area, there is no way to assign improvements. They are just
lines on a map.
The state bike plan is two years old, just a map with routes. Concord had input on the eight or nine routes through this area. It
is more or less just signage.
Concord requires sidewalks, curb and gutter and no bike lanes along public road frontage. The city is trying to get one piece of
a plan done at a time. A new CIP would include sidewalks and six-foot planter strips.
With the new stormwater quality initiative, Concord may go back to using swales, although they take up more right-of-way in
an urban area.
NC 49 is the only designated rural scenic byway. It is unknown if there are any historically significant sites along the road.
Watts Crossroads may have some historical significance.
Concord – Salisbury Road and Irish Potato Road could become collectors once development happens out there.
Most roadway facilities are rural, having two lanes with narrow shoulders. Any development will overburden them, like it has
always been.
NC 73 has always been talked about, but there is the problem of getting through Mt. Pleasant. There is talk of bypassing Mt.
Pleasant. They’re hesitant / steadfast to keep their small downtown, so the likelihood of a bypass one day seems reasonable.
Midland has NC 24/27, which is a four-lane, divided highway to Charlotte and Albemarle.
Many trucks go north on US 601 to get to the interstate.
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MEETING NOTES (Revised 4.12.08)
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No freight studies have been done to consider truck movement.
Phil Conrad, the MPO representative, should be spoken to regarding the study area.
Rail is not a major feature in the study area.
Poplar Tent Road carries all the building materials… concrete, stone, etc. All the truck traffic mostly goes north to I-85.
Copperfield Blvd prohibits southbound trucks, so Poplar Tent, a two-lane, rural road is taking the toll of usage. Truck traffic is
most likely to come through existing, saturated, corridors.
DOT has experience and concern over development in the Midland area because its impact doesn’t seem to be an issue with
Midland’s decision makers. Midland provides preliminary site plans to DOT as an afterthought. DOT has had substantial
headaches with the area.
It would save DOT lot of heartache if you could identify school sites in the study area where kids can walk to school. Schools
create problems and have their own problems in reacting to development.
There is not a lot to say about transportation since there is little on the books to be done in the area. The majority of DOT’s
trouble spots are just outside the study area. All of the corridors are still just lines on a map, however, we have continued to try
and preserve right-of-way as development occurs. But without a major TIP project, the city will not be building these roads.
Even though these corridors are unfunded, we are preserving right-of-way. If a large development comes along or this plan
shows it, developers will be required to build their shares and we will ultimately end up with a product.
Most potential for improvements is the northern section of the county near the interstate where the road ties in close to an
interchange. There is no way to jump on existing roads that have capacity. Only NC 49 has capacity out there, and that
depends on if you are going to Charlotte. If not, you are stuck on two-lane roads.
At Mt. Pleasant, NC 49 goes back to two lanes and it stops at the Yadkin River bridge. But, it is a scenic byway and is on the
TIP list.
There is nothing shown on the TIP list for other roads for 30 years.
The west-side bypass, the George Liles Parkway, is a potential savior to get north rather than directly through town. Right-ofway acquisition begins in 2011, construction in 2013 on the section to US 29. It is unfunded beyond US 29. The final leg is
from US 29 to NC 49. DOT is preserving right-of-way but there is no money for TIP# R2246.
A lot of the area doesn’t percolate. Lack of sewer and water facilities has been the way we controlled growth. The emphasis
has been on the northern side of town, where infrastructure exists.
Greenway connections focus on the Rocky River Greenway, near the mall and speedway. Downtown connector also to get to
downtown at Les Meyer Park, at Branchview. Community Blueprint created the park and greenway master plan. We
encourage greenway dedications as we go with the goal to ultimately connect them all.
Turkey and chicken houses proliferate in the study area.
BFI Landfill is an issue on Irish Potato Road. The county’s shooting range at the landfill is also an issue.
Meeting 2: Public Safety, March 31, 2008, 10:30 a.m.
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The Concord Police Department’s (CPD) existing coverage zone deals with mostly residential components.
Roadways are an issue, not much north-south movement in the study area.
If the whole thing was industrial, we would not have many concerns. If its $500,000 homes versus $75,000 homes or multifamily, that changes the concern and/or levels of concern.
Midland has satellite annexed the race track. Concord supplies utilities.
Mt. Pleasant and Midland have been blossoming communities.
The chief of police and sheriff have talked about infill development and its affect on both departments. With some of these new
communities, you’re talking about 10,000 people in some neighborhoods.
Sheriff operations include sub-stations, not all fully staffed, at:
o The Cabarrus Arena
o Mt. Pleasant Town Hall
o Midland Town Hall
The Rocky River Road area is one enforcement zone. Typically, the sheriff’s department covers it by one car / zone. We look
at the growth numbers annually and adjust our manpower, tweak it, although we haven’t revamped zones outside of
Harrisburg in last 10 years.
The increase in residential development raises concerns of transportation. In a rural area that gets a new 500-house
community and then other development around it, the first community becomes a cut-through for people and consumes our
calls. We noticed it in Harrisburg. It tripled our call load for traffic concerns. People learn that they can cut through
subdivisions. Traffic calming elements are needed in neighborhoods.
We find at CPD, you have nothing until the 500-home development comes in. There are no improvements to primary roads
around these subdivisions. There have been no improvements to Poplar Tent Road, for example.
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MEETING NOTES (Revised 4.12.08)
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The Concord Fire Department is adamantly opposed to speed bumps for the potential damage to equipment / trucks. The city
has a traffic calming committee and it works hard to not have speed bumps, traffic tables, etc. as part of the solution. Main
thoroughfares have not been properly developed so it pushes people into these cut-through situations driving through
neighborhoods.
CPD uses 2.1/1,000 formula for staffing, less than the 2.6/1,000 standard nationally. If Concord decided to annex and it was
residential, we would use the 2.1 figure. If you build a 200-house development and put 14 stores around it, that is the glitch in
our math equation to get our resources.
CPD Station #8 is a district office at Old Charlotte Road and NC 49.
Assuming that the study area develops, CPD will need more sub-stations / district offices in the area.
CPD’s challenge has been that our concentration of development has been in the northeastern section of the city. At some
point, we have to reconsider our shift of manpower based on geographic size. Density brings more needs from a law
enforcement standpoint.
The sheriff’s office has had an increase in calls, higher than the city’s increase, although the city has grown and annexed.
CPD has156 sworn officers, 106 of them are patrol officers.
The Cabarrus County Sheriff has 40 county patrolmen, 10 individuals on four squads. Support people are sworn officers as
well.
CPD’s support people are civilian, not sworn.
The city and county departments coordinate well. The county has a K-9 squad and city has a bomb squad. The offices work
well together, and with the Kannapolis Police Department too. The two chiefs and the sheriff meet monthly. Detectives meet
weekly. It takes an ability to talk, to coordinate efforts. The county runs the jail.
Traffic around schools is never anticipated enough. Cox Mill Road has a new school and the area is experiencing more traffic
now. The school opened late because they failed to work out the traffic issues.
Fire concerns are about increasing response times.
EMS has its own stations. FS#10 at Poplar Tent and Harris roads will have a combined EMS / fire office.
There is a perception of faster response times in the city versus the county. The city average is about 5 minutes and the
county averages around 8 minutes.
Departments are trying to encourage telephone reporting due to the cost of gas.
The SBI has an office in Harrisburg.
Highway Patrol has an office on US 29A.
Neither the SBI nor the Highway Patrol organizations have a lot of activity within the county.
The sheriff’s department recently had 12 openings. It was difficult to find people to fill these jobs. Policy requires deputies to
live in the county. It took more than six months to hire for these positions.
In 2007, CPD had 14 new positions to fill.
There are 39 new positions to fill at the new jail. Detention officers earn the same salary as a sworn officer but have no
retirement benefits.
The sheriff’s department gets no warning of development until it happens. Jurisdictions are supposed to keep us informed, but
they don’t do it consistently.
A big box brings a certain amount of crime and calls. If you get a Wal-Mart you will spend a lot of time policing it.
Meeting 3: Real Estate & Builders, March 31, 2008, 1:30 p.m.
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Existing infrastructure supports a rural character out there. There is little capacity from a road and utility standpoint. We need
to look at the overall system capacity.
There is a gas pipeline out of Midland that is not on our maps.
Simonini has purchased the old Buffalo Ranch for a mixed-use development.
There is a lot of development along the NC 49 corridor. Can it handle multiple uses? By the time the residential developers get
through, you will need six, not four, lanes on NC 49. Can multi-family and mixed-use, light commercial, SF residential all exist
along NC 49?
From a commercial / industrial demand standpoint, based on the way US 74 developed in Charlotte, it is possible if this is not
designed the right way, NC 49 will grow like US 74 did between Charlotte and Monroe.
Feeder roads are going to be needed. Establishing the corridor definition on the face of it and then identifying feeder roads
nearby is important.
No matter what we do, there are a lot more people coming. We need some belt road artery where people who want to go to
Charlotte can get on that road and stay on that road to get there. If it’s a toll road, so be it.
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MEETING NOTES (Revised 4.12.08)
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The state has a bypass planned on NC 73 to bypass Mt. Pleasant. George Liles Parkway will provide more connectivity once it
is built. The desirable future addresses in Cabarrus County are locations based on accessibility:
o Midland area
o Areas surrounding NC 49
o The north area in proximity to I-85
o Most commercial / industrial folks want to be in northwestern portion of town near I-85.
o Copperfield Road area
Irish Potato Road could be an eastern leg to I-85 from the study area.
Once people start coming into Kannapolis, we will see people looking for houses in the $350,000 - $400,000 range all over,
from here to Mooresville, for the biotech people who will work at the NC Research Campus.
If you designate an area as being industrial and size the utilities for that, it goes a long way toward spending money on the
right sources. You don’t have to run lots of things there, just the infrastructure that industry needs. That way we don’t run the
wrong kind of pipe for the wrong reason.
Water usage needs to be accounted for as well, since we live in a dry basin. In the upper right quadrant of the county, if
interbasin transfer fails, they may have to consider another reservoir. That part of the county gets water from Salisbury today,
but they can’t meet future demand. They need to streamline the process on going through so many regulatory agencies.
What ever this plan does, it has to be set in stone. Branchview and other areas were supposed to not have as much
commercial development, yet the politicians allowed it. The private sector needs to be able to plan too, instead of seeing a
new plan every two to three years. All these rapid plans that change the focus are moving targets, and it becomes an issue
when you try to change those plans.
We think this area is going to be a good area for Niblock. Crosland has interest too. Nationally, they’re having a hard time
deciding on what cities to stay in.
In 2006, Cabarrus County issued 2,700 residential permits. There was a 770-unit decline by 2007. During the first two months
of 2008, the county issued 230 permits. Annualized for the year, that is down another 36% over the previous year. The county
has seen a total reduction of nearly 49%, mirroring the Charlotte region.
The average value of construction price is rising, leaving out entry level housing. Those people are going into apartments
locally or moving to further out counties, burning their gas to get to work.
It will take about four years to get back to the 2006 growth numbers. People relocating here are still going to be relocating to
Charlotte but they are not buying up the big share of the product. What is being built and sold are at higher price points and
the bottom of the market is being lost. There are a lot of builders who will soon have to decide if they are going to stay in the
market.
If you target land uses in this study area, you will give developers a comfort factor out there. It would make them feel better
about betting their money on the area.
Over the last seven years, Cabarrus County has essentially been driving people away. 30% of all permits in 2006 were for
Cabarrus County residents moving up or moving down, not newcomers moving in.
The possibility of a reservoir and the road grid system are the most important things. What is the complexion of the corridor? It
needs to be etched in stone so politics does change the plan before it is implemented
Cabarrus County takes advantage of Mecklenburg County’s newfound problem with truck lots.
New subdivisions Niblock does are typically 150 to 200 units and roughly 200 acres. After counting open space, the average
size of a development is about 125 acres.
NAHB just completed new construction standards.
Clustering for higher density with open space requirements is a much greener approach today.
TNDs are doing well and holding their values in the region.
More and more people are working from home, 10-12 hours a day, but from home.
In a Birkdale scenario, there has to be stability for it to endure. You have to have a quality product that can endure over time.
Niblock has been involved in Jetton Cove and Oakhurst in Cornelius, but it hasn’t suited our product well.
With the people moving in up in Kannapolis, we feel people are looking for investment properties since they aren’t sure they
will be here a long time.
The economy doesn’t affect potential Niblock buyers as much since the firm often builds for doctors, lawyers and NASCAR
drivers.
The company is looking at townhouses to diversify its product offerings. There are areas of the study area that could hold $1
million homes. Most of the high end lots would be at least an acre. But the firm wanted to do townhouses because it feels the
market can only take so many $1 million homes. They don’t see a ton of million dollar subdivisions however.
There are so many national builders that you are in a dog fight for lower margins in Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greensboro. Low
margins cannot exist without volume.
When you look at the local economy, it is excellent. FIRE (Finance, Insurance, Real Estate) has higher than average income.
There is good, solid growth as far as the people coming to Charlotte.
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MEETING NOTES (Revised 4.12.08)
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Our governments aren’t nearly as bad as other areas. As bad as we complain about the entitlement process being nice
months, go to Rhode Island and its nine years. They find the entry barrier from an entitlement standpoint is low, so they come
here, before learning that margins have to keep them moving product. They find it is harder than they believed it would be.
Meeting 4: Utilities, March 31, 2008, 2:30 p.m.
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From a stormwater standpoint, Concord has a city standard that falls under Phase 2, and a second one by the county,
administered by the state under Phase 2 as well, to treat the first one-inch of run-off. Concord and Kannapolis must retain and
treat the difference.
Within the cities, there is a much larger retention basin and treatment than in the county. The way our ordinance is written,
there will be more structured review processes because the municipality has people in place to do it. The county and the state
do not have the people to do the construction reviews.
One of the things we suggest the county consider is the possibility of implementing a stormwater program with the same
standards we have in the city, maybe including a stormwater utility fee, so they can afford consultants for review of plans, etc.
Also, there would not be an inconsistency between what happens in the city or the unincorporated sections of the county.
It may not be popular, but consistency is important. Our understanding in the city is that this area would not be developed
densely, however, we have to be sure that water quality out there is not off-set.
There needs to be an overall plan to manage stormwater, over and above simply reviewing site plans. There will have to be
funding for this is going to be a county function, not a city or state function.
It will be tough selling a county-wide utility fee. But the county doesn’t maintain anything, so it just would have to implement the
stormwater program. Cities would have to add equipment and staff to take this on, or the county could hire a contractor.
Concord is seeing storm drain work that is not up to standards.
While DOT says it is doing inspections, roads are equally lacking. Concord finds defects and problems where people have
deviated from the approved plans. We see these problems through video inspections of lines. We see poor construction
practices as we take these areas over through annexation. To protect the city, we would almost have to be annexed prior to
construction to make sure construction is adequate.
Concord is having to deal with asphalt coming apart in new subdivisions within the first five years due to the defects in the
asphalt. It’s scary when you take it for granted that your contractor is going to do a great job. They are cutting corners today.
The county needs a utility to give developers the ability to have a stormwater program that matches up with one in a
municipality.
There is no real control on 10-year storm events.
We are getting complaints about yard, stream erosion.
We can’t fix a problem on private property.
There is no tree protection in the county.
From a zoning standpoint, we have got to relook at this low density stuff. Ours is complete junk.
Concord requires curb and gutter, sidewalks, stuff of an urban nature.
People in the study area are used to 24-foot roads with nice wide ditches on both sides.
If they’re doing cluster development, the portion where the development occurs should be like an urban area.
Low impact development and curb and gutter simply do not work today. We have talked to developers to use swales, but they
are going to have to bend over backwards to get them done. People don’t want to take the time to do anything new.
EPA’s Web site has the study on the Clark Creek watershed out of Huntersville, in the western area of the county. It picks up
the Coddle Creek Watershed as well.
In general, stream bank erosion is happening everywhere in the county. It is one of the biggest things to worry about. The
main source of erosion is due to developments causing increased flow into these streams. Stormwater must be addressed.
When we get TMDL’s imposed on us by the state, it will hurt hard in the pocketbook.
Mecklenburg County has started doing creek sampling before development moves in. We should too. We have to monitor
these unimproved watersheds, otherwise we are losing ground because we don’t know what our starting points are.
There is less run-off from farms. I think we are better off with the farms than without them. The farmers are in for the long haul
are more responsive than those looking for soon subdivide and develop their land.
We have to agree where agriculture will be in the future.
Five major landowners own the west side of Coldwater Creek. The land trust has had some conversations about preserving
some parcels out there. There are no easements on land out there yet.
It makes sense that some areas remain agriculture. There is a proposal for east-side (NC 3 - Branchwood) off Exit 63 come
down Center Grove Run to Penneger and follow up to NC 73 at Cressmont.
This county needs to look at agriculture over the long term. There is no reason why 20 acres of land in a highly urbanized area
still can’t provide agricultural use, or open space, etc.
Up recently, few developers have taken advantage of clustering.
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MEETING NOTES (Revised 4.12.08)
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From the Growth Summit that occurred in the fall, some elected officials are beginning to “get it,” being educated on smarter
growth, even declaring some areas off limits for growth.
Obviously, the southern portion of the study area has few roads. The Rocky River area has few roads too, only US 601, Flowe
Store Road, Rocky River and Lower Rocky River, meaning less commercial opportunities exist away from these
thoroughfares.
There is some sewer and water available near Midland and some commercial volume, but there will be pressure along the
whole US 601 corridor. The implication of this road looking like Independence Blvd. is bad. We should emphasize nodes, not
linear development, for long-term viability.
A large commercial center could end up at NC 49 and US 601 on the southeastern and southwestern quadrants of the
intersection.
The arena is stuck out in the middle of nowhere today. They need hotels out there for survival.
The Adams Creek area is ripe for conservation. A greenbelt through here would make sense.
The Natural Heritage study is not worth the paper it is written on. Not one major success story has come from that plan.
Stream corridors are important, as are corridors for deer and other wildlife.
The Livable Blueprint plan came out in 2002.
Parks is playing catch-up in terms of land acquisition. Parks always play a back seat to schools in the race for funding sources.
County-owned property and the money from a state match is paying for an incubator farm on 33 acres in the study area. It will
also have space for passive recreation, wildlife and a dozen or so two-acre plots for innovative farming.
Some soils in the county are horrendous. Porter’s Landing subdivision has bad soils. Harrisburg has a lot of hydric wetlandtype soils that cannot be rowed-cropped.
Harrisburg has extended utilities and developers moved in to build on them.
A soils map needs to be studied to keep development from inappropriate areas.
Meeting 5: City and County Managers, March 31, 2008, 4 p.m.
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The City of Concord would rather have this area remain the way it is until we are ready to provide services out there. The
dilemma is what do we do out there while we are focused on the east side?
We don’t want to see it become a no man’s land due to low densities that do not pay for themselves. The city is slowly getting
paid back now in areas where development has slowed.
There are open space concerns in the study area.
We started this process looking at where we can stop utilities for a brief time. There are areas to define where Concord has
made enough investment, for example, where we want to grow and annex.
Cluster development is one concept we can look at. It depends on who owns the land. Developers are seeing more and more
demand for innovative product.
Economic development in the study area should include considerations for the commercial needs at NC 49 and US 601.
The arena area is picking up, and utilities are already in place out there. We would not want to slow that area down. There is,
however, a lack of capacity with existing pump stations near the arena.
The county owns landfill property off Irish Potato Road. It is very close to the interstate but without utilities. Public safety
concerns surround the firing range, which is adjacent to the landfill tract.
Around the arena, long-term, there will need to be some support facilities. I could see support functions and other commercial
uses. Limited retail supports the area today, but it could see some other limited industrial uses.
Pay attention to areas where water and sewer could happen and where annexation is likely to occur, so that we make sure
land uses there are compatible with those in the city.
What’s the magic number on density to pay for sewer? The city looks to break even. If it can get any industrial land that’s a
plus. We look at DUA of 2-3 per acre. Unless it is mixed-use, if it is a standard residential community, 3 DUA is the highest we
would go.
Mixed-use along major corridors is desirable.
Class A space with the industrial land would be great.
On NC 49, we’ve seen pressure on land to go commercial.
The schools’ biggest challenge begins with roads. Schools drive development.
The school system is creating more of a technical review process for school site identification and construction. The county
has held up school construction where we don’t want to immediately extend utilities and extend roads. Try to leverage the two
together.
We have nudged the school system down in terms of it requires in terms of land area for new school sites.
We build parks with the schools. They are looking at multi-level designs, etc. The idea of linking parks and schools is an
opportunity for shared uses, especially at the elementary and middle school levels.
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MEETING NOTES (Revised 4.12.08)
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Harrisburg Elementary has the most ball fields near the school. It was built with the most fields and the most lighted fields. Cox
Mill Elementary will open in the fall with new soccer fields and other facilities.
You will hear that both the city and the county need new parks. There is demand for both active and passive recreation. We
are more behind on passive recreation since the county has done a better job on partnering with schools for some park
facilities. Larger parks need greenways and greenway extensions.
From the agriculture standpoint, sustainable communities, homegrown food, etc. means we are looking to preserve some
areas and encourage farmers to support the community.
The incubator farm will have a passive park element to it and be an educational feature right in the middle of the study area.
For the incubator farm to have a significant impact there is a need to create a local product first, something unique that meets
a local consumer demand.
The NC Research Campus has an economic development component as well in terms of agriculture. Concord is very
supportive of that, as well as conservation easements and how they mesh into an overall plan.
In general, we are looking more at supporting the overall economic use of the property, as opposed to TDR. We need to give
them the tools to succeed, other simply selling their property. Farmers need options. There is a voluntary agricultural district.
The Wallace Farm example near Highland Creek is a situation we would be smart to try and avoid.
There are no real areas of poverty to worry about, although there are some mobile home parks in the study area.
There are no transit options in the study area, not even to the arena. Concord transit hits the main shopping areas in Concord
and Kannapolis, Concord Mills Mall and the senior centers. Busses go through some downtown neighborhoods but do not go
outside the city.
Major area public investments include sewer parallel to Rocky River Road and the Lowe’s store.
The city’s main road growth areas are in the Derita and Poplar Tent road areas.
There is not even enough private development in places to justify major new roadways. One difference is that the next
segment of NC 49 from Walker Road to Mt. Pleasant will be built a year earlier, beginning in 2011. The four-lane segment
continues to Richfield ultimately.
For the county, the arena is a major investment. The county fair is held fair there, and area meetings, etc.
The arena was paid for with COPs. It has generated a lot of rooms nights. The CVB is working to provide transportation to and
from hotels.
The county has to make sewer improvements near the arena to serve more people on the south side of NC 49.
Existing Irish Potato Road can be a connector from US 601 to I-85 and to Mt. Pleasant.
LOS from a public safety standpoint is vital in the study area.
There is a possibility of a major water line from Albemarle along NC 49 to bring water into the urban area. But if it happens, it
could potentially open up more area for growth. That is not the intention of this line, but a possibility.
Goals for agriculture and conservation need to make sure development understands that many folks want the study area to
remain looking like a rural area. Maybe we need more strict standards out there. As soon as you leave the town limits it is a
whole different character. There are a lot of working farms out there.
Maintain buffers so that these folks can maintain their lifestyles.
The greatest pressures exist near NC 49 in the southern portion of the study area, compared to the more northern areas of the
study area.
There are expectations that we ought to protect environmental features, keep trees, etc.
The adoption of the 1993 ordinance saw an outcry over downzoning in places.
In the last five years, we understand that there are limitations due to soils and we have begun to better understand property
restrictions.
The only annexations have been voluntary. You don’t see the battles that happen elsewhere.
In land area, Midland will be the second largest town in the county. What their strategies are is unknown. They use 400,000
gallons a day and want 2 million gallons.
Midland has only been incorporated for seven years.
Mt. Pleasant has been incorporated for more than 100 years. Its only limits are utilities, especially now that it has a four-lane
road.
There is one reservoir in Mt. Pleasant and they are considering its expansion. There is presently no discussion on creating
new reservoir(s).
Day Two Interviews
Meeting 6: Parks & Recreation, April 1, 2008, 9 a.m.
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There is a bike map that covers part of the study area. There is a bike and transportation master plan in the LCB, with a statecreated map for it. Livable Communities Plan from 2000 is important to get as well.
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MEETING NOTES (Revised 4.12.08)
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Cabarrus County does not have a bond or sales tax for land acquisition for park needs.
Londa Strong has been director since August 2007.
The new CIP has been amended, prioritizing land acquisition in the Midland area. There is $1 million for land in the CIP.
Until there is a bond, there are too many needs and there will be no major park expenditures. We have talked about a park
bond, but the school system is discussing a bond too.
Cabarrus County adopted a school / park plan 12 years ago, the boards of education adopted it as well.
Elementary schools try to get more land so we can build parks. All get walking trails and ball fields, but nothing much more.
The new A.T. Allen School is down US 601 at Flowe Store Road. They are looking for land right now for this replacement
school.
Park facility needs? There is a need east of I-85 at Flowe Store Road, but secondarily, the enhancement of the Flowe property
would make it a regional park. Phase 1 would have ball fields; Phase 2 more fields and passive properties. The county already
owns the property. County developed phase 1, but the city limits are nearby and the other 90 acres are now available following
the death of the owner. If the city wants to develop that other side of the road, it could. The park could be county-owned, and
city-operated. Phase 1 is 50 acres.
The city and county are competing with other places who have built complexes for baseball, etc.
Newcomers bring higher expectations and management has to address this.
A survey from nine years ago said people wanted more passive, more nature. At that time, athletic fields were not the top
priority.
CVB is trying to work on the ball fields complex idea. Hoteliers want those heads in beds. There is a need off I-85, near
Concord Mills. It doesn’t matter if it is in the city or in the county.
Bakers Creek Park in Kannapolis in Rowan County was built by CC Parks department.
Concord is working on a downtown connector trail that will connect to the Rocky River, Concord Mills Mall and speedway.
There is an April 12 meeting on the Carolina Tread Trail and how Cabarrus County can better contribute to it. We are working
on getting access through rights-of-way. It has been hard to get land in the Rocky River corridor. If the water and sewer
authority gets on board, we can partner on this goal.
There is no action planned to look for park land in the northeastern section of the county, unless a school is built there or the
county is given free land.
The county is looking to concentrate on the Mt. Pleasant area. We have met with the park commission, although we have no
money, and have met with the mayor of Mt. Pleasant.
On the southern end of the county, we are looking to purchase land in the southeastern district, looking at a piece of land 1.5
miles south of NC 24/27.
Land in Midland with no water and sewer is selling for $60,000 an acre.
Land in Mt. Pleasant is selling for $20,000 - $25,000 an acre.
If any new facilities are to happen in the northern part of the county, it would probably need to be an active park facility, due to
Kannapolis’s needs.
The county department is now just the ‘park’ department. Stewardship of land and land issues are now our new focus.
The incubator farm will be the center of a property with trails and educational stations, bird areas and riparian buffers along the
creek to encourage more wildlife around the farm. We have a cooperative effort to make an educational tool with displays on
catching water, irrigational, how a particular plant draws a particular bee. We hope it will be a model in the state. There is a
$3.6 million grant request before Department of Agriculture right now. Once the farm gets established, we will develop the rest
of it. There will be some playground equipment and shelters. The farm will raise only crops, no animals.
Farm Hill Road Park off NC 49 is a possible takeover for us. We have tried to work with developers to acquire land next to their
projects to serve those residents. It is the first public access to the Rocky River in the county.
Planning and zoning is good to let us know about new developments coming in. We pay for the land and we improve it, but we
hope to work with developers to get land and build facilities.
The county’s philosophy is not to offer swimming pools and those types of things. However, we are getting the former Boys
and Girls Club site for a pool. We had to build a new bath house that met state standards. The Boys and Girls Club has priority
access six weeks a year. Other than that, it is open to the public. The county will contract lifeguard and operations to a private
entity.
Cabarrus County Parks only has 9 full-time staff, and doesn’t run programs.
The City pf Concord Parks and Recreation staff has 25 full-time and 12 part-time staff. The city operates activity centers and a
swimming pool.
Mt. Pleasant has a park and recreation board but no parks and recreation department.
There is a Mt. Pleasant Saddle Club. The county parks department has had no requests for equestrian needs.
There is not a lot of land for a park near the arena, although it would be a great place for a park once the hotels come. In 10
years, it could look like the center of Concord. But if someone said you have 100 acres, we could get creative.
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The county is looking at 150 acres near the Mt. Pleasant reservoir. The family off Boy Scout Camp Road near the middle
school wants to sell the land. That would be a great park location, but it is not in the budget.
Mountain bike trails and educational stations are more what we are looking at than ball fields these days.
We do not allow skateboards in any park due to the damage they do. A skate park is a large investment and not one likely to
happen.
The county is looking at conservation easements on Atando Road and Cox Mill Road.
Meeting 7: Public Works, April 1, 2008, 10:30 a.m.
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Almost all of the parties wanted to be at the table, before now. They were initially upset over not knowing about this process
earlier, but it was explained that this is only day two of the planning process.
Harrisburg should be an active participant in the process.
Zoning controls growth and we don’t want utilities to be used to control growth.
The way we use water we will never be the same after this drought.
On the eastern boundary of the study area, there is an area that is nothing more than our utility boundary to divide up the
county for service provision. Kannapolis also has some annexation areas up there and has a land use plan for that eastern
area of town. It is likely to stay more residential in nature. But closer to the interchange will look more mixed-use and light
industrial.
There are wetlands and poor soils in the area. It falls in the Little Coldwater Creek basin. Not a lot of growth there until utilities
are built. It will take some time for development there in the eastern-most area, except near the interstate.
Concord, Mt. Pleasant and Harrisburg were at the table to carve out these service areas.
Rimertown is to be more rural in nature.
The Rimertown area once tried to incorporate, but it was voted down and citizens there are not interested in development.
WASACC is getting ready to update its master plan this year.
In the NC 73 / NC 49 area, sewer is the biggest concern due to big gaps in existing infrastructure.
Concord has a pump station to go to Coldwater Creek. Once it is installed, you will see new growth out there. All there is there
now is an eight-inch force main from Mt. Pleasant. It is not something you tap on to. There is no more capacity there.
There is a unified rate for wastewater in the county, yet differing costs in different areas of the county.
The big Rocky River wastewater treatment plant should have buffers to keep development away from it. It is a big plant that
doesn’t smell bad today. It also gives adequate room for potential plant expansion. The best practice for keeping development
away from plants is to keep it a quarter to a half mile away. Anything beyond the property lines would be nice, because we
have no money to buy more land.
There are no plans for an additional reservoir. The study area seriously lacks water resources.
Kannapolis is looking at building a new elevated water tank.
If there was an area near the Rocky River and get it cleaned up, there could be a possibility around it for a reservoir. But it has
to be cleaned up. I don’t think a new reservoir could get permitted. I don’t know if you could get a permit, period, never mind
how long it takes to get a permit.
Traditional reuse someday, not today.
Little water is use for irrigation now.
Long-term capital projects needs a line from the Rocky River.
Everything is tied to inner-basin transfer to increase water capacity.
The Yadkin and Rocky River could one day be removed from the sub-basin. Other regulatory changes could occur.
Will need 10 MGD coming from the east. It’s forgotten after the IBT story from the Catawba. It will be very costly. We have to
have it to have sustainable growth out there. 10 MGD will support the entire county.
You can’t sustain growth if you don’t have water. Zoning determines where it goes and where it most cost effective.
We cannot support wet industries so there is no need for economic development officials to recruit such industries.
There is interest in industrial development along four-lane NC 49 and along roads in proximity to I-85.
There is a possibility to reuse some water for industry, to create that loop where it doesn’t require more water capacity to be
used up.
There are not that may well systems and septic tanks in the study area, although some older well systems have gone bad.
Irish Potato Road is in the vicinity of the landfill. You have to consider that before you do anything that could affect ground
water. You are always at a higher risk when you don’t know where the cracks are and there are poor soils. The landfill is
closed except for construction and demolition debris, white goods and a few other things. It was mostly closed in the mid1990s. No yard waste has been allowed there since 1989.
The county is looking at transfer stations from now on, especially once BFI begins operations.
The study area has significant parts that will not perc.
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Well water quality is very poor. People have iron and manganese, magnesium. Some endure almost black water due to its iron
content.
Older subdivisions that were never finished due to non-percing land are just south of NC 49.
Lakeshore Estates has had septic tank issues.
Total available sewer treatment capacity is roughly 10 MGD. However, the system does not have all the infrastructure it needs,
but that is for the whole county, not just the study area. Collection will be an issue. We are not stretched at the plant capacity
level today. Water is the issue, not wastewater.
No real stormwater issues for the public works. There need to be diligent controls around Lake Powell.
A gas line is coming through with lots of digging. We need to get the routes of the gas line and map it. It is going through some
tough areas, wetlands near the lake. It is a high pressure gas line and it doesn’t make a lot of sense to send it through an area
you want to keep green.
WASACC handles transmission, not direct service to end customers. Each jurisdiction sets its own retail rates.
Meeting 8: Economic Development, April 1, 2008, 1 p.m.
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Currently, there is an attempt to redevelop part of the Stonewall Jackson Training School.
There is opportunity down Stough Road area where a lot of industrial development exists. Most of it is in mid-grade metal
buildings in the 5,000 square foot range. All seem viable although the park is not picturesque. Wayerhouser is among the
biggest occupiers of space with an approximately 40,000-square-foot building.
There will be a new four-lane road planned to US 29 by 2013 and to NC 49 by 2015, although the first leg may get expedited
in the speedway deal and the improvements to NC 49 might not happen by 2015.
News of a new Target and Home Depot off NC 49 has not materialized yet. It remains an island there among industrial uses
near Harrisburg.
The area around US 601 and NC 49 continues to go commercial. As traffic counts have increased, chain restaurants have
become interested in the area.
US 601 has a lot of truck traffic from Union County using it. Truck traffic has increased in the last few years.
There is an opportunity for industrial development in the northern study area, but it’s really Kannapolis’s area.
The arena, at some point, will see more business. There is only one feed and seed store there today. Development around the
arena will be difficult before there are more functions at the arena. The arena site is very decentralized from the rest of the
county. There are some athletic events, football games, the fair held there
There is a 2015 Land Use Plan that was done about four years ago. But there needs to be more thought put into this area
since the city hasn’t annexed out there in years. The study area has limited infrastructure.
US 601 / NC 49 is a mixed-use node.
NC 73 and Cold Springs Road / IP Road has a lot of vacant land and there are opportunities. A more mix of uses could
happen here, although they are limited.
The Robert Pittenger-owned property is slated to be mostly residential with a little commercial. It’s a big site, about 1,200
acres.
There is economic development interest on US 601 that is more industrial in nature versus what exists on NC 49.
The most valuable land is closest to I-85.
The groups out in the study area are not for much growth and do not want to be annexed.
The Historic Stonewall Jackson site has some questions in that the state demanded a plan and it has been silence since.
State-owned property is about 800 acres with historic structures. There is a 2,000-foot TV tower on the site that requires a
tremendous area for the guide wires that secure the tower. It already has Norfolk - Southern railroad tracks coming through the
site, something needed for industrial development. It was a spur that served the Philip Morris plant.
Square foot bases for industrial leases vary greatly. Space is $4-$6 per foot on average.
The US 601 area in the city has been developed industrially. Nicer, higher quality industrial building are located along the
Armen Trout Road and Zion Church Road areas. The city’s public works site is located on a large tract nearby.
The area around Concord Motorsports Park is unique and there is a desire from the smaller suppliers to race shops who want
a motorsports-themed park to locate in with good highway access where the adjacent community is used to noise (engine
testing). They want a park with professional management, design standards and adequate infrastructure that is not a
replication of International Business Park but has landscaping, paved roads, and is a happy median between higher end
parks. There is a need for an affordable parks done correctly, for metal buildings. This type of project could work well in the US
601 corridor.
NC 49 could become a legitimate east-west alternative to I-85. But, it is not an employment zone for us.
We don’t have enough industrial land. Parks are filling up. Harrisburg has a few parks, but we have to consider the future and
this area. Lease rates are in the $5-6 range. You can find raw space in old mills for $2 / foot. Basic industrial buildings are in
the $5-6 range / foot.
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Mixed-use projects are popping up. We need the bread and butter industrial space.
Have two certified sites, with 19 acres on lots 7 and 8, another is about 90 acres. Got the sites certified while working on the
Toyota project that went to Rowan County. I have been charged to find another certified site this year. Considered a Midland
site, but the 200 acres is out of our price range. We are looking for land in the 50 – 75 acre range.
A subdivision and some commercial is planned at Flowe Store Road off US 601.
We sell the area on motorsports, since it is close to speedway and airport.
Spin-off from the NC Research Campus will probably go to International Business Park.
There has been no real interest from any agriculture-based businesses to locate in the study area.
Most distribution facilities are near the interstate. The parkway opened up more options, and more available tracts are along
NC 49 than I-85.
A potential new interchange between exits 60 and 63 on I-85 would blow this area up.
Robert Van Geons was in Stanly County and is now at the Rowan EDC. He could be a valuable resource.
Lynn Safrit at NC Research Campus might know some agricultural uses that would support the campus.
Meeting 9: Historical Preservation, April 1, 2008, 2:30 p.m.
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Cabarrus County has done very little in terms of historic preservation in the study area.
There are approximately 50 farm houses worthy of preservation, yet none are protected in a historic district.
There is an idea that the area should remain rural.
Buffers are needed around streams.
It would be great to team with Murdock / NC Research Campus on niche farms in the study area, especially near the arena on
NC 49. Farmers should be involved, as well as those in bio-tech.
Historical Architecture of Cabarrus County is recommended reading.
There are numerous old mining sites that are problematic when they become subdivisions. Sinkholes have opened up in the
past on these former mine sites. Some of these sites have been identified but most locations are unknown today because the
county has never done a historical survey of existing structures and properties.
The Buffalo Ranch was historic, but it is gone today. It has been purchased and is being redeveloped by Simonini.
It depends on money from the city and county as to any preservation that may occur. There has been little push, over time, to
spend money on historical preservation in the county.
It would be nice to preserve three or four of the old cottages on the site of Stonewall Jackson Training School. However, there
is likely to be little community buy-in for this since there has sadly been, over time, little real connection between Concord and
the school. There are, however, many great written histories from the boys who grew up at the site since the 1930s and it has
been a significant component of Cabarrus County’s history.
Meeting 10: Schools, April 1, 2008, 4 p.m.
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The school district is trying to work out the purchase of a site for the replacement A.T. Allen Elementary School which is in the
study area.
The issue we have in the area is what will happen with Mt. Pleasant? The eastern edge of the study area is part of the Mt.
Pleasant area and we have an overcrowded elementary school out there. Depending on potential development(s), we may
need another school there.
The park concept we like. We have given our 15-year plan to parks and recreation as well as the county planners. They tell us
where they would like a full-size gym and the county gives us the money.
A little dilemma is a goal from planning to reduce our footprint, contradicting where we might need a county park also. On the
15-year plan, I can only go out about five years accurately on school site identification.
If something is annexed and water and sewer is extended, I re-examine at the area. We can’t get ahead of growth because of
funding delays.
The district needs on average 20 acres for an elementary school site. The New Odell School site is a cramped site. We need
at least 15-20 acres for an elementary school; 50 acres for a middle school and 75-80 acres for a high school site.
The school district has worked with the county in its development process. If the district projects growth in attendance at 110%
or more of existing school capacity, the developer has to pay the impact fee. We encourage developers to give land in this
situation, which has helped in acquiring several parcels.
The school district has 150 portable classrooms in pod units. Next year, it will need another 23 units to meet the demands of
student population.
Last year, building permits decreased but four new apartment projects where approved. These apartments will have a lot of
kids.
On average, the district gets about 1,400 new students per year.
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Geographically, anything to cut down on bus routes is good.
What metrics does the district follow to determine future school needs? Five years out, there are enough permits in the
inventory (15,000 x .6 = 9,000 new students over six years) If you drive around this county you see all this construction going
on. It’s true there are fewer permits last year, but the bulldozers keep coming.
The six-month 2006 moratorium ended up in more permits than ever.
The economy has made builders more cautious.
More rapid growth should occur in the southwestern corner of the study area near Harrisburg.
The City of Concord has a five-year annexation plan, and the district bases school growth estimates on that. Last fall, they
stopped due to an agreement with the county that the city would not annex the area. That changed our plans as well. We think
about school placement once we know these other factors.
There is a lack of sidewalks and are other safety issues in places. We wait to see if the city is putting in sidewalks. They
haven’t. County planning has encouraged us to do that, but we often have big subdivisions with no connectivity. You don’t
really have a total neighborhood school concept ready to happen.
A Blue Ribbon committee was formed by the county to identify school projected needs for five-year critical needs and 15-year
needs overall. A bond referendum never happened, but they had discussion on school design. The report is due soon, one
meeting away from wrapping it up.
The district is lean on administrative staff in the central office, but good on teachers though.
There have been unfunded mandates from the state, requiring more assistant principals, for example, although the state only
funds so many. These newly required positions will be funded locally, not with state dollars. Test coordinators too, are paid
from local dollars.
The district merged its maintenance division with the Kannapolis City Schools.
The Cabarrus County School Board is elected at-large.
The district sometimes gets into turf battles between the county and the municipalities. You have to go to the county first for an
impact review and they let us know so we can get that new subdivision on our radar. We want to deal with county planning, not
every municipality. It’s better than it used to be since we have had some joint meetings.
Schools maintain their own street and subdivision databases. The county just hired a consultant to redo all the street files and
review street names.
We don’t need more starter homes. They become the slums of tomorrow. The demographics of the school system have
changed due to these neighborhoods.
_______________________________________________
Scott Hinkle
These notes reflect the author’s interpretation of the events at the referenced meeting. Any changes or additions required should be submitted to the
author in writing.
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