Bailey runs across the bottom of the site plan
March 13. By Dave Vieser. Is the entrance to Bailey Road Park in Cornelius dangerous? It depends upon whom you ask. The developer who wishes to build a business center nearby says it is, as did former Mayor Jeff Tarte in a recent letter in support of the project.
The town says no, not at this time.
Drew Thigpen
These competing views promise to add even more fireworks to the upcoming public hearings on the proposed Cornelius Business Park project.
Developer Drew Thigpen addressed the town board on March 3, stating: “Our driveway lines up exactly with the existing entrance to Bailey Road Park. That means that the existing park entrance does not meet minimum DOT safety requirements.”
Deputy Cornelius Manager Wayne Herron said that wasn’t the case.
Quotable
Wayne Herron
“When the driveway for Bailey Road Park was approved, there was no development proposed across the street, no schools and no housing developments that generated traffic along Bailey Road. So, the park driveway was approved based upon the traffic of the day and the speed allowed on Bailey Road. Even today, while traffic has increased with the schools and the housing developments, there still have been no accidents at the driveway that we are aware of, so we consider the driveway safe. If the driveway were deemed to be unsafe due to increased traffic and speeds on Bailey Road and we needed to evaluate the driveway, we certainly will do that for the safety of all patrons at the Park,” said Herron.
Traffic is one of the issues
Traffic safety is likely to be a major subject of interest when public hearings are held on the project.
There will be at least two: A Planning Board meeting which will result in a recommendation for or against to the Town Board, and then a public hearing before the board.
Timetable?
No dates have been established for the next public steps on the project so far. Planning Director Rox Burhans said it is common to hold the Town Board public hearing at the first meeting in the month following the Planning Board’s review/recommendation.
All involved need to seperate in their minds the issues with CMS queuing (we need to force the school district to solve this issue), vs traffic added by this project (which has been assessed, and is not unacceptable to the planning board I believe). We need to push harder on CMS…
Posted by Tom | March 13, 2025, 2:54 pmThe developer’s offer to “fix” a supposed road dip is a blatant distraction. The real danger isn’t a minor grade issue, but the massive traffic surge their project will generate. 907 DAILY vehicle trips, including 79 trucks, on Bailey Road is the true threat to safety and congestion.
Former Mayor Tarte’s support, as a paid consultant for this light-industrial developer, raises serious concerns about conflict of interest in making paid comments “open letters” to the Town Board in a rezoning application. The developer’s attempt to frame their presence as a “favor” is insulting to residents facing the consequences of increased traffic.
The Town’s Traffic Impact Analysis correctly identifies the solution: a roundabout at the developer’s entrance, and improvements at the Bailey Road/Hi115 intersection. This isn’t about a superficial road fix; it’s about mitigating the substantial traffic burden the developer proposes to impose. The focus should remain on the developer’s obligation to address the documented traffic congestion, not a manufactured safety issue.
Posted by Friends of Bailey Road | March 13, 2025, 3:57 pmNO accidents at the Bailey road park entrance? Or, is it just that local law enforcement was not asked prior to answering? I know this statement is 100% FALSE because I saw one with my own eyes, and police were on the scene! So disappointed to see the truth misrepresented. Do better!
Posted by Chaquira | March 13, 2025, 4:53 pm