With permission, The Beacon is archiving past issues of Matthews News & Record (also called The Matthews Record) articles online. Throwback Thursday articles will include relevant content still facing Matthews today.  This story was originally published October 20, 2005.

Land use plan, transit site reviewed at public hearing

Charlotte Area Transit Authority’s insistence that a transit station south of I-485 have easy access to and high visibility from US 74 created a last minute revision to the land use plan prepared by Clarion Associates for the I-485 corridor and area surrounding the Levine campus of Central Piedmont Community College. When Roger Waldon of Clarion presented the land use recommendations for Matthews during a recent public hearing at town hall, the transit site was relocated from a site near CPCC parking area to one adjacent to the future McKee Road Extension.

The total proposal by Clarion, prepared following months of study of existing land use conditions, meetings with local elected and appointed leaders and public workshops, is now available for review on the Town website, as well as at town hall. The public is encouraged to comment prior to board action on the text changes to the land use plan.

In other business at the Oct. 10 regular council meeting, commissioners:

• recognized the Matthews Alive! committee for another outstanding event, now in its thirteenth year. Noting the “strength of a community is its people”, Mayor Lee Myers commended the 2,464 volunteers, the EMS team, police, park and recreation department staff, public works employees, chamber of commerce representatives, and sponsors for their dedication to making this event a success. There were 140 arts and crafts vendors and 250 entries in the parade. Major corporate sponsors included Presbyterian Hospital Matthews, The Town of Matthews, Hendrick Motorsports, Alltel and Saturn. A total of thirty sponsors donated $107,000 to host the festival. Mayor Myers observed that Matthews Alive! may be the only festival of its kind that actually gives back to the community by benefiting the town’s nonprofit organizations. Volunteering their time and talents to serve on the board of directors for Matthews Alive! are Geralynn Trellue, Chair; Don Wygand, Corporate Sponsorship; Connie Culpepper, Parade Director; Patricia Laws, , Children’s Area Director; Carol Lawrence, Treasurer; Steve Cash, Family Fun Director; Robin Sanders, Food Vendor Director; and Jim Sanders, Logistics Director.

• Approved a Resolution for Acceptance of Grant Funds of $8,578 through the Governor’s Highway Safety Program for the purchase of traffic-safety equipment which will include five dual-antennae radar units and five “stop stick” tire deflation systems.

• Amended drug testing policy to include the Volunteer Fire Department.

• Set two public hearings. On November 14 council will consider removal of stop signs at the intersection of Reverdy Lane and Matthews Mill Road, a fence height text amendment presented by Chase Harper, Kahn Properties’ petition for revisions to conditions to for the townhouse portion its Gateway project at Sam Newell and NC 51, and Southern Holding’s proposed text amendment on maximum building size in the downtown overlay district. Another hearing will be held on January 9, 2006 on the zoning change from R-20 to B-1 on the 400 block of Sam Newell Road proposed by T. Funderburk and B. Giles.

• Approved the transfer of a town vehicle to the Volunteer Fire Department for use by the Fire Chief; approved $1,122,500 for the purchase of the Hulsey Property for development of a park at Phillips Road and NC 51; discussed school building needs in the community; appointed Suzanne Gulley to the Arts and Science Council with Kress Query as the alternate; approved $13,500 contract with RS&H Architects-Engineers-Planners for creating a conceptual design to make Trade Street more pedestrian friendly and slow traffic through downtown.