RENDERINGS OF LEAFSPRING ELEVATIONS
Nov. 5. By Dave Vieser. LeafSpring School’s rezoning application for a new pre-school facility received unanimous approval from the Cornelius Town Board Monday night. Bazow Holdings plans to build a 13,000 square foot pre-school and 10,000 square foot after-school building called The Village just north of the Cowboy Restaurant.
The school is designed to accommodate approximately 160 children for pre-school and an additional 200 for after school care. The facilities will be a mix of all-day childcare, part-time care, and after-school only.
The 4.1 acre property is currently vacant except for an unoccupied single family home. Jeff Bazow, the applicant, pledged to retain as many trees as possible on the site. He said they currently are aiming for a 2022 opening.
Access will be from both Statesville Road and Washam Potts Road.
LeafSpring School provides childcare, early education, recreation, summer camps, back-up sick care, and leadership development as well as health and wellness programs.
Their nearest facility at the moment is in Matthews, but they have a total of 12 schools in North Carolina, Virginia, Indiana and Texas.
The fate of a second pre-school facility, approved by the town almost two years ago, remains unclear. Georgia-based True North Cos. had sought to develop approximately 4.7 acres of vacant land located on the north side of Westmoreland Road just east of Catawba Avenue into a 12,000 square foot Child Care Center with associated parking and a fenced in play area.
Despite the approval, no work has yet begun. In June of this year, John Joye, the applicant, admitted that they were behind schedule.
“We have run into all kinds of delays, some internal,” he said at the time. Phone calls to Joye on Monday were not returned.
In other action, the board:
- Approved the write-off of $20,385, which is the amount unpaid from Electricities accounts that have proved uncollectible for more than three years. This is an annual process through the use of the NC Debt Setoff program.
- Agreed to donate four town-owned properties near the Catawba Ave/Highway 21 intersection to the NCDOT which it needs for the construction of the US 21/Catawba dual roundabout project. The properties include portions of Burton Lane and Statesville Road, as well as the Community Garden on Catawba Avenue.
- Reappointed Teresa Hawkins and Rick Kamakaris to serve an additional two years on the town’s Architectural Review Board with terms to expire in October of 2021.
