Aug. 15. [Opinion] In the August 2024 Cornelius Today, there was an article regarding Old Canal Street discussing the sink hole issue. This road has another issue: it was not designed nor adequate for the amount of traffic that flows between Catawba Ave and South Street. Because of my transportation involvement, I knew NC DOT had identified the need for an alternate connector, and placed it closely adjacent to the Antiquity Greenway, thus negatively impacting it.
The simultaneous conditional zoning of the OMB and Caroline properties on the other side of the ravine presented a unique opportunity. It allowed for a roadway that could be placed away from the Antiquity Greenway. It is very unusual to obtain the ROW for a complete connection – usually it’s obtained piecemeal taking decades as individual parcels come to market. Consequently I directed Town staff to work with the developers to obtain and donate the necessary right of way (ROW) for the complete connector as a condition of zoning approval.
The sinkhole on Old Canal | 2018 file photo
The developers very much appreciated the value of the Greenway, and were willing to protect it. The road was further designed to provide a more preferred route over using Old Canal Street. I am happy to report that the Town now owns this important contiguous ROW. By the Town owning this ROW, when this road is built by the developers (only approximately 30% of approvals get constructed), the Town, or even NC DOT, this is where the connector will be located preserving the wonderful Antiquity development and Greenway.
The same edition quotes Planning Director Rox Burhans saying zoning decisions last a lifetime (or longer). I agree as illustrated above.
Michael Miltich
Conditional zoning decisions need to be done carefully, with consideration of multiple aspects, weighing all pros and cons, with the goal of creating the best possible solution for all parties.
—Michael ‘Dr Mike’ Miltich
Former Mayor Pre Tem Town of Cornelius, former chair Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization
