BY DEBBIE PAGE
The Troutman Town Council approved a land sale, discussed several town needs, and reviewed the agenda for Thursday night’s meeting during its agenda briefing on Monday afternoon.
The council passed a resolution authorizing Town Manager Ron Wyatt to complete the sale of a 0.79-acre vacant lot at 416 Lytton Street to Throwback Properties for nearly $182,000. The land was purchased by the town in 1924 for $450 for a well site.
In council members’ discussion time, Felina Harris requested the town look at installing a crosswalk from Winecoff Street to Troutman Elementary School. She said she worries about the children crossing this busy highway from new homes and apartments in the area.
Mayor Teross Young asked that Wyatt contact the county about utilizing portable heavy traffic warning signs on main road arteries near the Iredell County Fairgrounds to help with traffic flow during big events.
In the discussion, Wyatt said that with the addition of newly allocated state money, the county now has enough money to proceed with phase one of the fairgrounds refurbishment.
Wyatt also noted the Troutman Police Department’s busy evening, working at the resumption of the West Iredell-Statesville High School football game played at South Iredell on Monday afternoon after a security threat suspended Friday night’s game at Statesville. The TPD also provided security at a contentious Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education meeting at CATS.
Wyatt thanked the Statesville Police Department for also sending officers to the West-SHS game, completed without spectators to protect players, to ensure everyone’s safety.
THURSDAY AGENDA
The council also reviewed the Thursday night agenda, learning that three items were withdrawn by petitioners, including the Sterling Properties/MI Homes request for annexation and rezoning of nearly 50 acres on Autumn Leaf Road adjacent to the Quail Haven subdivision. Quail Haven neighbors strongly opposed the rezoning request at the August Planning and Zoning Board meeting, with the board unanimously denying recommendation of the request to the Town Council.
The request for waiver of $300 in fines for code violations on three vacant lots on Rumple Street was also withdrawn.
The council also discussed a resolution of support for applying for CRTPO discretionary funding ($5,546,770.63) to improve the North Main Street/Murdock Road/Old Mountain Road intersection. After consulting with Assistant Planner Andrew Ventresca, council members agreed to a 35 percent grant match (about $2 million of town funds) to improve chances of winning the grant.
Council members also advocated for asking Wakefield developers, who must complete improvements to the intersection as part of the traffic impact analysis, to contribute toward the town’s grant match.
The council will also consider a rezoning request by Leon Bouwens Jr. for 42.25 acres at 134 Iredell Avenue from suburban residential to light industrial on Thursday night. This property adjoins Bouwens already approved 45-acre North Fork Business Park.
The request for rezoning the property, currently owned by Mark and Leigh Ann Payne, is a traditional case that requires no site plan. The parcel has mixed-use zoning (Wakefield) to the north, heavy industrial to the west, and a residential property to the east.
Town Planner Lynne Hair said the Future Land Use Map designates the area for employment center-light industrial uses. She also noted a stub-out connection from the Wakefield area to this proposed site.
Real estate agent Sam Barnette, representing Bouwens at the September Planning and Zoning Board meeting, said the request to build only light industrial facilities on the property was in deference to nearby resident neighbors.
After expressing various concerns about traffic and utilities availability, the planning board voted 4-1 to recommend rezoning the property to light industrial to the Town Council, with Daryl Hall dissenting.
The remaining Thursday night agenda items include:
♦ Consideration of a development agreement between BBC Wakefield, LLC, Barium Springs Home for Children, and the Town of Troutman for 774.31 acres to be developed as Wakefield Village, a mixed-use development with frontage on U.S. 21, Moose Club Road, Duck Creek Road, Barium Lane, and Old Mountain Road.
♦ Reappointment of Tonya Bartlett as an Inside Alternate Member of the Planning and Zoning Board for a 3-year Term (term expired 9/14/23).
♦ An annexation agreement between the Town of Troutman and the Town of Mooresville, which includes adding Troutman ABC Board property and another property at the southern entrance to Flower House Loop at Highway 21 to Troutman’s jurisdiction.
♦ An annexation and rezoning request by Jabula Properties LLC for 3.5 acres at 269 Houston Road to light industrial.
♦ A facade review for Utica located at 303 Murdock Road.
♦ Consideration of a high-density permit for Tractor Supply at 726 S. Main Street and for Troutman Storage on the northwestern corner of the US 21/Barkdale Road intersection.
♦ Consideration of a resolution to accept state grant and loan funding for the 2022 Sewer Collection Rehabilitation Project. The town will receive $1,655,00 in grant funding and has been approved for a State Revolving Fund loan for $687,500 (1.86 percent interest) to complete sewer upgrades.
♦ An annexation request by BBC Rocky Creek, LLC for just under 20 acres on Byers Road for a portion of the already approved Rocky Creek mixed-use development.
RECOGNITIONS AND REPORTS
♦ Recognizing Jonathan Cruz as Troutman Employee of the Month;
♦ Recognizing Good Samaritans Mack Sutton and David Kenworthy from the Public Works Department.
♦ Hearing the J. Hoyt Hayes Memorial Troutman Library and Troutman ABC Store quarterly report