Jan. 15. By Dave Vieser. If planners have their say, there’s a good chance that the current Cornelius Police Dept. headquarters will be replaced in the near future. The issue has arisen as part of the ongoing downtown master plan study.
“What the planners are saying is that the current police station is too small for the growing department” said Planning Director Rox Burhans at the Planning Board meeting on Jan. 13.
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Rox Burhans
The building on Catawba Avenue was completed in 2002.
Alternative sites
There’s also a question of whether the headquarters is in the right segment of town. “Perhaps it should be relocated to a spot west of the interstate,” he said.
If it was to be moved, that would open up a key piece of land in downtown Cornelius.
Context
Replacing police headquarters would follow the lead of adjoining police departments.
Huntersville expanded and relocated their police headquarters in 2012, while also moving it from downtown to west of the interstate. Davidson Police renovated and took over the Town Hall structure on Main Street in February of last year.
Town officials seem to be preparing for a possible relocation.
Quotable
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Andrew Grant
“The existing Police Station was constructed at a time when the population of Cornelius was approximately 14,000, and the Cornelius Police Dept. staff was significantly smaller” said Town Manager Andrew Grant. “Since that time, due to community growth and the ever-evolving public safety service challenges and complexities, the police have outgrown the existing Police Station.”
Details
Grant said that the town will be discussing a potential facility needs assessment as part of the 2026 town budget so they can plan for providing adequate physical space for current and future needs. That may include construction of a new headquarters.
As to the precise location, planners and town officials may not be on the same page.
“The existing police station is appropriately located geographically to provide optimal public service,” said Grant.
He said any new location would have to conform with a similar geographic test.
Burhans said the planners are suggesting that the Police Headquarters building, being on the east side of town, may not be the best location overall based on where the calls for service come from—which might be the west side of Cornelius.