Feb. 26. By Dave Vieser. A community meeting regarding a scaled-down commerce center on Bailey Road will be held Thursday evening February 27, at 6 pm, in the Mt. Zion United Methodist Church Family Life Center.

The project has been reduced in size and renamed the Cornelius Business Park. Whether that will be enough to pass muster with the community as well as town officials remains to be seen.

Drew Thigpen

Almost two years ago, developer Drew Thigpen withdrew his original proposal to the applause of a packed Town Hall. Citizens, primarily from the nearby Baileys Glen development, had done their homework and arrived in force to voice their concerns.

What’s different with this proposal?

The original 2023 plan for the site consisted of five buildings. The revised proposal reduces the number of buildings to four while adding a dog park and four pickleball courts as well as 4600 feet of walking trails and sidewalks at no cost to the town.

The biggest issue seems to be Bailey Road traffic. The town recently received a comprehensive report which suggested there are no easy quick solutions to the congestion on Bailey Road.

Whether that will be a factor in the rezoning decision remains to be seen.

What follows the community meeting?

The developer will give an extended presentation before the town board on Monday March 3 during their regular meeting. There will be no decisions made at that time, but the public is always invited to speak if they wish. That meeting begins at 6 pm in Town Hall.