BY KARISSA MILLER

The Iredell County Board of Commissioners has signed off on Iredell-Statesville Schools’ plan to redirect $4 million earmarked for current expenses to capital projects.

The School Facilities Task Force presented an update to the Iredell County Board of Commissioners during the board’s meeting last week. The task force is made up of community volunteer from all over the county who visit, identify and prioritize the needs of the school system.

Jennifer Christian, chair of the school facilities task force, said that the group reviewed its 10-year plan and outlined four priority items.

♦ Harmony Elementary School: This includes work on the second and fourth grade wing to make it safe and secure for students. It would also involve adding a bathroom and enclosing some of the outside classroom off with a common walkway.

♦ Relocating ADR Education Center employees: This project would close ADR Education Center and relocate the staff into the Facilities and Planning area in Troutman.

♦ Statesville High School: The project would include renovations to the Career Technical Education center space and upgrades to the field house.

♦ Lake Norman Elementary School: Construction of a gymnasium.

The recommendation was tabled a few weeks ago after commissioners asked the task force to formally amend its priorities. With that completed, the board voted unanimously October 18 to approve Iredell-Statesville Schools request to move up $4 million from their current expense into the capital budget.

The school system has the ability to move up to $7 million, if needed, in order to fund the priority capital projects.

Subdivision Standards

In other business, the board conducted a public hearing and then voted to approve an amendment to the Iredell County Land Development Code regarding subdivision standards.

According to Planning Director Matthew Todd, the regulations provide for safe and orderly growth of residential and non-residential development by reviewing zoning standards, infrastructure needs, dimensional requirements and other adopted standards during the land division process.

Subdivisions are defined by N.C. General Statute, which gives regulatory authority to local governments and allows for flexibility to craft ordinances appropriate for community specific needs and visions.

Todd said that some of the changes are minor tweaks and other changes are to match state statutes, and it also deals with family property that has multiple homes on it.

“It gives us direction on that now,” Todd said, adding that there’s also more flexibility with driveway easements than previously.