McAdenville

New Gaston school site has not yet been identified, but it would be in east end of county

Can’t wait for this site to be identified and the choice of name, colors, mascots, and whether a soccer field will be a part of the the campus plans.

It is too bad that the county school board and the “educated” planners do not consider more urban models of school designs. These models would build on smaller land in a vertical format. The Belmont vision of “Town Center” could be accomplished, better park and community facilities such as baseball, softball, soccer, football, and cross country courses could be assembled in a workable plan that can be used year around. Of course, the school won’t be in Belmont and the new UDO of Gaston County doesn’t really address school construction issues, but it is worth a plug to keep up discussion.

Our coffee-klatch speculation is that the site will be on the McAdenville side of Lowell north of the interstate.  There is a 260+ acre piece of property that is owned by Belmont Land & Investment. It is adjacent to Lowell Elementary school and could made accessible from either exit #22 or #23 of I-85. But again, we just speculate…

From the Charlotte Observer  

JOE DEPRIEST AND REBECCA SULOCK

Staff Writers

In Gastonia, the city still has plenty of good quality water, but continues to urge conservation, according to Ed Cross, division manager of water supply and treatment.

The city, which has mandatory Stage 2 water restrictions in place, gets its water from Mountain Island Lake and supplies the towns of Cramerton, McAdenville, Lowell, Ranlo and Clover, S.C. Cross said between 80,000 to 100,000 people depend on Gastonia for water.

The biggest impact under a Stage 3 drought would be the banning of outdoor sprinkler systems for lawns, Cross said. All outdoor watering would have to be done by hand-held nozzles.

City of Belmont officials are asking residents to cut back or stop lawn-watering, and to wait to plant or reseed lawns until the region gets significant rainfall, said City Manager Barry Webb. Belmont officials also sent out letter to its top dozen or so water users, including Spartan Dyers and Wal-Mart, letting them know Stage 3 restrictions could be coming and asking for conservation now

Current measures in Gastonia have reduced water usage by 11 percent since August, Cross said. The goal under Stage 2 restrictions is reducing usage by 5 to 10 percent.

“We’re doing relatively well,” Cross said. “But if the drought continues we’ll have to reassess things.”

His biggest concern for a Stage 4 emergency would be going to a water allocation program for residences and businesses.

“That would be phenomenally complicated,” Cross said. “But what else can you do?”

Gazette Article reporting that the Eagle Mountain Finishing Millis closing. It is located at Eagle Road and Eastwood Drive on the Belmont-Cramerton limits line.

Speculator/Developer, Mark Godley of Charlotte, trying to keep his investment listed as a “hot property” says that there is a “suspect” that will be bring 250 jobs and $75 million of investment to the huge “big box”.

It is difficult to believe.

We hope Cramerton town officials and the developers from the Eagle Park project, just across the street, have all participated in any of Mr. Godley’s discussions. Cramerton Town Manager Michael Peoples, said, “…having Eagle Mountain close will mean $25,000 lost in tax revenue.”  (Notice he didn’t say, Per Year, ??)

Sounds like “government-speak”  for water rate increases to us —

This property also borders the proposed Belmont-Mt. Holly Connector road. Belmont officials are pinning a lot of development hopes on the success of an additional spine artery down the Belmont Peninsula.

Let’s just say everyone is smart enough to have discussed this, and the artery south is just what a warehousing business needs to connect to the Garden Parkway and make connections to I-485 and I-77 for south and east. North to an intersection at I-85 is also a possibility. It will still probably take a good 20 years to get these roads built. In the meantime, the Lakewood, Timberlake, and even Glenmere subdivisions will see property value decreases (from a decreased resale market and resistance to buy nearby this major road and industry).

But hey, we are just citizens, not town planners with Masters degrees in Public Administration.