town planning
Town boasts of economic ‘explosion’ as residents feel traffic pain
Aug. 16. By Dave Vieser. Even as the town of Cornelius cheerfully promotes an economic “explosion” on its website, residents are complaining about fast-paced growth and a lack of infrastructure that are causing continuous traffic woes. Some of the congestion is a result of construction of toll lanes on Interstate 77. Anger over the traffic situation […]
Town Board OKs cell tower, appoints planning board members
Aug. 16. At Monday’s meeting, the Cornelius Board of Commissioners authorized a zoning change that will permit the construction of a 190-foot cellphone tower on the southwest corner of the Grace Covenant Church Property on U.S. 21. The commissioners, as expected, also approved the following changes on the town Planning Board: +Promoted Keith Pickett from […]
Community meeting on hotel Wednesday
Aug. 8. A community meeting on the hotel and convention center proposed for West Catawba Avenue and Waterview Drive in Cornelius will be held at 6:30 pm Wednesday Aug. 10 at Town Hall. As proposed, the hotel would have 14 stories and 302 rooms. While planning board chair Brian Simmons said the project “would be […]
Quasi-judicial hearings almost totally gone
July 18. By Dave Vieser. With the conclusion of the July 18 public hearing regarding a new beauty salon on North Main Street, a cumbersome zoning process known as a quasi-judicial hearing is off the books in Cornelius. Taking its place is the more streamlined conditional district zoning process. Eliminating the quasi-judicial hearings for zoning […]
Town board will vote on budget Monday
At their Monday June 20 meeting, the Cornelius Town Board is expected to adopt a new operating budget. The $21.88 million spending plan proposed by Town Manager Anthony Roberts calls for an 8.3 percent or 2 cent hike in the town’s tax rate. If approved by the Town Board, it would cost the owner of a median-priced $250,000 […]
Should downtown sidewalk be blocked? Board decides tonight
June 6. Cornelius commissioners will consider a right-of-way encroachment agreement for construction work in downtown Cornelius. If approved, the applicant, Ralph Harlan, would be permitted to block the sidewalk and a portion of Catawba Avenue, when needed, for up to six months. Harlan has requested approval of this encroachment agreement to perform construction work on […]
Town faces tough choices for West Catawba corridor
By Dave Vieser. A proposal to build a 14-story waterfront hotel and another proposal for 40 age-restricted homes on West Catawba Avenue, coupled with the acknowledged need for a higher commercial tax base in Cornelius, are leading to some difficult choices for town leaders. Along with the old 54-acre Alexander farm at Westmoreland and West Catawba […]
Ramsey Creek beach opening may be delayed
April 19. By Dave Vieser. The long-awaited public beach at Ramsey Creek Park in Cornelius, which was scheduled to open Memorial Day weekend, may not open on time. Possible delays in realigning the Nantz Road-West Catawba Avenue intersection and installing a traffic signal are to blame. The beach, which is part of the Mecklenburg County […]
Town board meets on April 18; Classica project on tonight’s agenda
Rezoning request has generated unusual split between staff, planning board April 18. The Cornelius Town Board will hold a crucial rezoning hearing tonight regarding a request from Classica Homes to rezone a 9.3 acre parcel on West Catawba Avenue across from Elevation Church. The developer of Robbins Park wants to build 40 attached, age-restricted homes. The commissioners […]
Traffic signal at Nantz Road on deck before beach opens
By Dave Vieser. The long-awaited public beach at Ramsey Creek Park is scheduled to open Memorial Day weekend. However, according to town officials, the beach cannot open until a new traffic signal is installed at the Nantz Road intersection with West Catawba. The matter came up for discussion at Monday’s town board meeting even though it […]
