Jan. 2. A 12,000 square foot child care center proposed for Westmoreland Road just west of the Legacy Apartments will have its second public hearing this evening at the Town Board meeting. At the initial hearing in December, traffic concerns from residents were expressed; they were not lost on the town commissioners or staff.
The North Cross Drive Extension project requires a left-turn lane directly in front of the proposed School. Due to this turn lane, a median or bollards will be required by NCDOT to prohibit left turns into the school, creating a right-in right-out driveway for Parents dropping off or picking up students.
“This will require an expected majority of parents to do a U-turn on Westmoreland Road or to cut through the Westmoreland neighborhood,” said Planning Director Wayne Herron. “We have expressed the board’s concerns about this situation, and recommended a connection to the proposed signal at Northcross Drive Extension. However the applicant believes this requirement is excessive. Moreover the signal will not be installed until some point in 2019/2020, therefore leaving a gap in time where the U-turns and cut through traffic could occur.”
The developers of Vanderbilt Children’s Cottage—there are plenty of two-income families—are just right for a childcare center.
It is unclear if the town board is prepared to proceed with consideration of this application. “Our Architectural Review Board (ARB) did not provide a recommendation on their initial review of project. The ARB is a standard part of the staffs recommendation, so without an ARB recommendation, we are not prepared to finalize a recommendation.”
Zoning approval is needed for Vanderbilt to be built. Their mission is to operate “high‐quality child learning and care centers, serving children up to 6 years, promoting behavioral and intellectual development in an innovative, safe, inviting and engaging atmosphere.” They hope to open the Cornelius facility next summer, followed by 2‐4 new facilities per year in target markets throughout the southeastern US including Charlotte, Chapel Hill, Charleston, West Palm Beach and Atlanta.
The meeting begins at 7 pm at Town Hall on Catawba Avenue.
—Dave Vieser
