Politics

Mecklenburg would be last U.S. stop for many illegal immigrants

This story worries us.

The worry is on several levels: county coziness with private developers, current county inmates sleeping on floors already, holding area for the entire mid-Atlantic region, operating costs not defined, and sustainable funding not identified or confirmed.

Is this the way to run a “business” ? 

Looks like the winner in this idea is the “private developer”.

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.  

(Gazette Photo, Benjamin Patton)

Regardless of the Fire Marshall’s comments about the nature of the Mayworth School fire on Sunday, it still is a fire that neighbors feel was deliberately set. “I wouldn’t say suspicious,” Hendrix said. “It’s just under investigation.” Good, we hope that it is thoroughly investigated.

We are not saying as much, but there have been incidents where a tight housing construction market and downturns in buying lead to “ways out” of project commitments or ways to get returns on investment.

This is an example of one of the “good projects” that we were discussing last week in an article about growth on the east side of the county. The proposed housing for seniors, is a good step. Of course, if you could afford it.

We believe that anytime an empty “big box” is going to be reused for housing or other economic development activity, that would be a good thing. In this case, Cramerton has a stated goal of becoming a bedroom community to Charlotte. In many ways it already has become just that with the growth and build out on top of Cramer Mountain. 

This fire, while a set back in Cramerton’s plans, could earn the developer a few brownie points in this struggling community, if they come back with a solid commitment to proceed with the project.

The cynics herebouts just fold their arms and hrumpppf.