IT Watchdog

TRADER Candidate Forum

2007-09-25T19:13:00.000-07:00

The Indian Trail Trader will be having a candidate forum on Thursday October 11th, 2007 from 7pm-9pm at Sun Valley High School Auditorium. I encourage all citizens of Indian Trail to mark their calendars for that evening. If you are concerned about the future direction of the town you should make sure to be in attendance. If you are concerned about our tax rate, public safety, infrastructure, you should make plans to be in attendance.

Indian Trail is at a crossroads with this election and at stake are 3 council seats and the Mayor. There is only one incumbent in the running and that is the current mayor. The other 7 candidates are new to running for office and are making an attempt in the political arena.
Though three candidates for council and the incumbent mayor are all backed by the same special interest backed PAC.

There are many issues facing our town. In no particular order: Liquor by the drink, Public Safety, TAXES, infrastructure, roads, water and sewer, schools, broadening the tax base, the downtown project, the new town hall.

I encourage everyone able to make time for probably the only candidate forum for Indian Trail to turn out. Get to know the issues and where the candidates stand on each. Make an informed decision and then VOTE on November 6th.

Your vote is a terrible thing to waste.

MORE OPTIONS

2007-09-13T05:54:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night saw the IT Town Council vote 4-1 to approve the financing for the Blythe property. The lone dissenting vote was outgoing member Don Helms. Surprisingly enough, it was Mr. Helms that alerted the council to the Blythe property availability. He apparently in the subsequent votes that took place, only provided that for information purposes only not for the council to actually action.

The Mayor strongly opposed the land purchase of the Blythe property. If memory serves she cited the fact that it was too far off the road, was afraid of complacentcy on the part of the town to do a future town hall. She has by far been the strongest supporter of the new town hall or as I like to call it the "monument to government excess" that has been on the council. She also stated that she would not support this purchase unless the Blythe property was immediately moved into, with no improvements, and the existing location torn down and construction of the new facility was begun immediately. Wow!! Let's not worry about the employees or town business being accomplished but let's start an unfunded project of 8 million dollars immediately?

Let's for a moment go back to the dissenting vote of Don Helms. The night the downtown project was approved a couple of years ago, with 44 conditions, Councilman Helms was asked by Mr. Schallenkamp and myself how he could approve a project with so much density? His answer was that they took care of the town and that they really stuck it to the developer. They will have to do all the conditions so the town is protected. (Gist of the conversation not exact quote).

The Raco property was also purchased with a 5-0 vote and no dissenting opinions. Though that property now has to be tested for well contamination? Due dilligence for the proposed purchase of the property.

So what is the problem really with the land purchases and current location? Let look at the pros and cons:

Pros CONS

Town Gains Assets The Mayor Doesn't Like
Larger downtown footprint
Cheaper
No assets given up in trade
Not tied to any one project
Can build town hall on any of 3 locations
Better negotiation position
Fits in the Downtown Overlay District
The Mayor doesn't like it

I think the current council got this right. If the new town hall is built in the project area, this purchase makes sense. Acommodity that continues to go up in price and once development starts the sky is the limit. This purchase allows the town wiggle room if you will and affords us opportunities for the future. The downtown project can proceed just as if the town hall would be over there...in fact I believe it makes it cheaper for the developer especially with the stormwater solutions. Here is an idea. Develop the project and where the town hall was proposed leave as open space and add some trees. It will increase the amount of open space that was lacking on the project and the rooftops may not have to be counted as open space. Just a thought.

No Surprise

2007-09-10T11:01:00.001-07:00

So the other blog has endorsed again their candidates of choice for the upcoming election. No surprise that they haven't changed their minds since the close of the sign up period. They have stated "We will not encourage the election of candidates that are slinging mud. If they can't stand on their own credibility and accomplishments, they're not worth considering." Supposedly, the blog people have spoken with candidates...of course, no one will know if they have spoken to them...since they have yet to reveal their identity. Some may say that they would get a truer idea of the candidates if they don't know they have a blog...maybe, but how do we know they spoke with any candidate other than the ITCFP people? I personally had a person ask me about the downtown project and whether it would be completed. My answer was "yes" the project has approval and its up to the developer to comply. That the sewer and water permits and road problems still had to be worked out but it would be finished.
They asked about the proposed land purchase. I explained it seemed like a good idea. The purchase didn't mean anything to the downtown project and the new town hall could go over there or even be built on the current location. The land purchase gave the town more options.
I had a guy ask me about LBTD in the grocery store yesterday...I explained that from my perspective and what I knew about the other candidates, that the issue would go before the citizens in a referendum and that it would be up to the people. I was not running to be a moral barometer for 24,000 people.
Larry Kindley...I have seen your post on the other blog and frankly I would like to answer your questions but the only way for me to do that is to have you ask them on my blog. Since the other blog censors every comment that does not agree with theirs, I can't get my answers to you. About your concern for the "ditch digging" you called in in Ms. Howe's neighborhood. The meetings I have attended indicated that that was where the most flooding is occurring and peoples homes are actually flooding(we are in a drought and no one is flooding currently.) The town engineer and staff have a list of the flooding in the town and by far the worse was in this particular neighborhood. The other neighborhoods that are having trouble will be fixed as well and the stormwater fees will fix hopefully all the neighborhoods will be fixed.

IT FAMILY FUN DAY

2007-09-10T10:54:00.000-07:00

Saturday marked the 3rd annual Family Fun Day. Having attended all three so far I can say without a doubt the event is growing and getting better. The town staff, sponsors, elected officials, and volunteers should all be commended for a job well done. If we could just have had the thermostat turned down a few degrees, it would have been perfect. I know my kids enjoyed the inflatable area and the face painting as well as our own locally owned Hank's Custard.
Since I was doing some campaigning the people I encountered seemed very receptive and encouraged about the choices this election had to offer. The issues I heard most about were the traffic, taxes, and police protection. In a lesser degree the downtown project and LBTD came up but not as much as the other issues.
Job well done to the town for holding an event that is growing each and every year.

Blog By Any Other Name

2007-09-05T12:12:00.000-07:00

It seems that my previous post disturbed some people from the other blog. They make sure to tell everyone that the blog is not, have never, will never, be associated with developers, politicians, candidates and apparently everyone else. They did it because of the current town council and followers *i guess thats me??*
So a few questions come to mind for the other blog.
1. Has it just been in the last 2 years that the actions of the council upset you?
2. What happened specifically that got you to this point?
3. Had you been happy the previous of say...10 years? If yes see #4.
4. If happy previous 10 years...then what made you so happy with the town?

These are just some of the questions I have. I have more, but since you insist on hiding its very hard to ask questions. So we play this cat and mouse via blogs. Doesn't make for a frank and open discussion but thats your choice not mine. I have tried to reply on your blog numerous times using my real name but alas all in vane. Your restrictive response allowance and my normal belief that you don't have the whole story seems to put us at odds.
It was nice to see you deny all associations with politicians, candidates, past and present, groups, and all but still another question comes to mind...Are we just suppose to take your word for your statements? Though the denials have been made, the one thing remains true...no one still knows your identity!!! For me, it sort of takes away from your arguements, just doesn't add credibility.

ANOTHER BLOG

2007-09-01T19:09:00.000-07:00

It is amazing to me the amount of hatred in some people. It may not be hatred as much as it is being un-informed. Since starting this blog I have posted all responses but one. That one wasn't clear to me what they were speaking of and I never posted it. I have a problem with those people that are willing to criticize and name call without the guts to own up to the comments. They hide behind aliases with their acidic comments I guess feeling superior to all and yet not willing to show their identity. The cowardness masks other social problems I believe these people have but thats another story.
There is another blog, associated with my opponents from the special interest group that is trying to take over the town. I don't know for a fact because they also hide behind aliases. They state that they are about sharing ideas and infoming. Neither of which is true. They dot their blog with half-truths and restrict access to making comments to those that only believe or agree with them. Its their right to do so as is mine but I believe if you are going to argue a point you might want to know the facts. The attempt at the sensationalistic banter they allow is vile. Name calling and personal attacks are not arguing a point...if you don't agree with me fine..give me your best argument. Don't make some silly statement and say it a bunch of times and expect it to become true. A lie is a lie no matter how many times you tell it. A person unwilling to identify themselves find it hard to believe that I can mak a judgement about someone in only a few moments. That person is wrong...I haven't met them yet but I have formed a judgement of them. For the record, myself and John Hullinger are not running together. Does that mean I won't help him with his distribution...no because I plan to help him. The word is "synergy". We are not running in tandem similar to the three headed hydra from the special interest group.
I would rather see John Hullinger elected than anyone of the three of them....in fact to me, its a shame that anyone of the three will hold a seat on the council...the damage three of them could do is immense. The only way to take the wind out of their sails is to not re-elect the Mayor and limit them to one seat. Its not up to me unfortunately, its up to the citizens of the town to make that decision. Hopefully, they will make the decisions in Mr. Hullinger's and my favor. We will see the night of November 6th.
Thank you.

Proposed Land Purchases

2007-08-24T06:21:00.000-07:00

The newspapers have run articles recently stating that the town by a 4-1 vote has decided to purchase the Raco and Blythe properties. On the surface it seems like a very good idea for a couple of reasons. The proposed purchase affords the town the opportunity to utitlize the 8,000 sq ft Blythe building as a temporary town hall. This accomodates the staff and space problem that has caused the town to put in the mobile office you see now. It does so at a price that is fair and logistically speaking well positions the town for the future. None of the articles indicated the council voting for the purchase ever ruled out the Downtown project as a location for the new Town Hall. The new town hall was estimated to cost in the neighborhood of $8 million dollars without land and furnishings. Let's just round that number to $10 million. The rushed downtown project has had flaws from the start. Never mind the developer waited 15-17 months after approval to seek easing of 16 of 44 conditions placed upon it by a split council. There has been issues with stormwater, railroad, roads, taking of private lands, and last but not least the sewer/water permit. The proposed land purchase by the town enables them to look at other options for a new town hall especially since there is no guarantee that sewer/water will ever be awarded in the near future and the lack of a workable traffic study may cause more delays.
No surprise that it is reported the Mayor and the towns very own special interest group is against the proposed land purchase. Considering she and the three candidates from the special interest group are being backed by the developer building the downtown project. The mayor stated, "In my opinion, a town hall should be centrally located and a symbol of vision into the future; the heartbeat of a thriving area." Correct me if I am wrong but all three properties in question are centrally located in the downtown area aren't they? I am willing to bet that the distance off the road to the Blythe building is very close to the distance off the road where the new town hall was proposed to be built on the project area. Its not like the Blythe building is off the beaten path and you have to take 3 forms of transportation to get there. Apparently, the Mayor believes the only way for a town hall to be a "vision into the future" is that it has to be built on a grand scale and cost $10 million dollars. Especially if you add in the land swap deal that gives away town assets. The land swap proposed by the Mayor and the majority of the previous council had to be the worse deal in recent history for anyone other than the developer.
The town of Wesley Chapel got a 6 acre gift from the developer doing the downtown project there...we got what? In essence, we gave our assets for an overinflated piece of property to put our extremely decadent new town hall on. The Wesley Chapel project is 44 acres without the 6 gifted, and on it is proposed retail and commercial and not one square foot of residential. We have our 47 acre project with 79% residential (condo, townhomes, and apartments 604 total) and 21% retail/commercial. The Wesley Chapel project has I believe 8 lanes of traffic to afford multiple entrances and exits. We have 2 major lanes and a need to take private land to subsidize the developer for another entrance to a two lane road. If the town hall is not built in the project area, doesn't that enable more retail and commercial space which has been touted as a good tax base? Don't get me wrong, with all its faults that were compounded by the actions of the previous council majority, the downtown project can be good for the town. Since it has been passed, the project will eventually be completed but as the develper stated it will take up to 2 years for completion even if all goes as planned.
So, the current council wants to purchase land reported with renovations $1.6 million dollars. The Mayor and special interest group wants the $10 million dollar white elephant yesterday. The town budget this year was right at $6 million with very little reserve. The question is what does the citizens of the town want to pay for? Is the new town hall more important than public safety? Do you want both? Are you willing to see tax rates at least double to pay for the grandeur of the project?
The vote to purchase the land was not in her favor and she has implied that the process was corrupt...*my words* citizens did not have a say in the process. True..the process has been done so far in closed sessions where land negotiations are done to avoid a run up in price. The council disclosed the proposed land purchase when appropriate and will now have a public hearing on the matter. After that public hearing maybe we should have a public hearing on the proposed new town hall and whether the citizens want it in the project area? We should discuss the infamous land swap while we are at it so we can put this issue to rest once and for all.
The proposed land purchase gives the town options and increases the size of the overall downtown presence. "Downtown" does not have to be located on one 47 acre piece of land or at least 21% of 47 acres. What about the other areas in downtown...existing buildings...they are in the overlay district and subject to rules of the downtown. There are many questions that need to be answered in order to move our downtown forward. Questions some will not want to answer. There are other bigger issues though in our town than the new town hall and project area. Public safety, taxes, roads, traffic, the other villages in the town..will they expect a subsidy for build out? The new town all has to be put into perspective, not allowed to be put on the top 5 issues facing our town.

CROSSROAD FOR INDIAN TRAIL

2007-08-21T11:19:00.000-07:00

Indian Trail is at a crossroads this election. The only potential returning person to the council is the Mayor. She has to overcome her less than stellar reputation in order to repeat. Two strong candidates that are fresh and willing to work with the council wait in the wings. Both challengers appear to have integrity, honesty, and the ability to work with others something the current mayor has not been able to display in the past 2 years.
The race for the three open council seats seem to be a David vs Goliath situation. The Goliath in this case is the special interest group called ITCFP that has 3 of their officers running for office. They are well organized, well funded thanks to developer money, they have their opinions just like everyone else on how to run the town and in fact take it a step further with the aire of superiority that is unmatched in this election. Their attitude that their way is the best and that they all have to be elected in order to change the course of the town. Indicates to me that they would be unwilling or unable to work with others on the board to get things done. The other thing to keep in mind is if these 3 are elected to the council the question has to be ..Why would they listen to any common citizen?? They won't have to unless it matches their opinions.
The David's in this group are myself and John Hullinger. Though I don't know Mr. Hullinger well, the two times I have met him, he seems to be very intelligent and able to work with people with a decent attitude. Neither Lee Godwin nor John Hullinger will take donations from people that may want something from the council in the future...ie developers, real estate people, and so on. My campaign is being run on a shoestring unlike that of the well funded special interest group that has already started with color flyers in neighborhoods. They are trying to buy the election for their group and expect a lot more prior to the election. I just won't spend a lot of money for a position that is designed to help the community. Why spend thousands of dollars to claim a position paying $200.00 per month?
To the voters:

1. Get to know the candidates, follow the money. Who stands to reap benefits if they are elected? Ask questions of the candidates.
2. Don't be swayed by slick advertising campaigns just because some can afford such things.
3. Get involved
4. VOTE....VOTE....VOTE Its the most important step in this process. The 3 candidates of the special interest group all live in the same neighborhood, all town business will come through them as will all the solutions. Do you really want to give one area that much power???

Isn't That Interesting

2007-08-09T11:38:00.000-07:00

So under the file of I told you so, it seems we can file the delay of the Indian Trail Downtown project, not on the council, but the current condition of water and sewer in the county. In an article in todays Neighbors of Union County, Charlotte Observer August 9, 2007 under the headline "Utilities board under pressure" seems that developer Dean Harrell sent a letter asking the board to think about his sewer problems. His letter goes on to describe what he needs for his individual projects. It describes a request for the following:

One-third each year of the sewer capacity needed for a mixed residential (79%) and commercial property (21%) project in downtown Indian Trail. He says the project has NO SEWER PERMITS.

The letter also outlined the taxvalue of the projects and their benefits to the community.

The county has had sewer and water permits shut down until the 12 mile creek expansion is up and running. At last glance, that expansion is slated to be completed sometime this month and then requires the state to sign off on the project. Only after the state authorization will permits be able to be handed out. No time table has been established for the state sign off, though the county would like it to be sooner, rather than later. After the expansion is completed, the county will have a limited amount of capacity for new projects and the board is still trying to audit the Public works to get an exact extent of needed capacity. This is important, because without the sewer permit, most municipalities won't let a builder break ground to include Indian Trail. Though Centex homes got approval to build last month or so primarily due to the advance payment of hook up fees and an unusual contract they had with the county.

If you have read previous post on this blog you can see I suggested that no sewer was the real reason behind the delay. Not some trumped up hatred the current council has towards this development. Update: The traffic study was received by the Planning staff on August 8, 2007 for the downtown project. It will be interesting to see what the findings are that come of the Traffic study this time.

And The SAGA Continues.....

2007-08-08T08:26:00.000-07:00

So when we last left the vaunted downtown project, the developer was to get the traffic study to the planning staff the day after the July 10th council meeting. The Planning staff and developer were to work out the final details associated with the project and finally get this thing started. Complaints have been showered onto the Council by an outspoken PAC contingent that believe for whatever the reason the current council has been dragging their feet trying to stall the project from moving forward. It's an interesting assumption, but has no truth in the idea. That however is another argument. The council voted to put this project in the hands of the Planning staff and developer to work out the final details as I stated prior. As of August 7th, 2007 approximately 9:00 pm the Planning staff was still waiting for the traffic study. Apparently, the study has been received by the developer but as of now, the town has yet to see it. Curious that a project so full of potential, tired of being mired in controversy and delay would not advance the next step? Why is that I wonder? Is the delay part of the full court press to gain majority on the Council? Delay, delay, delay until after the election? See if your 4 horseman become elected and then they could rubberstamp any further changes? IF and I mean IF, the traffic study has a favorable solution, it makes no sense to sit on the information, except it just gives more fodder for the critics of the current council. Think about it.

FOLLOW THE MONEY

2007-08-08T05:32:00.000-07:00

The Charlotte Observer ran an article in the August 2, 2007 edition of the Neighbors of Union County. The article "Developer backs PAC in Indian Trail races." The so called non partisan group called ITCFP, now sporting three of the 5 candidates running for Council. In the Mayor's race endorsed the incumbent Mayor for another term. Not surprising 2 of the 3 candidates are officers in the PAC though I believe one is moving to the background with the addition of Mr. Rubin who had signed up to run for council but has quit the race to join the PAC. I have to admire the PAC and their organizational skills.
The story goes to tell that out of the $3,500 dollars raised, $3,000 has come from developer related donations. You don't have to be a rocket scientest to see where loyalties are going to possibly lie in the future? I am sure if asked about loyalty they will tell you as the developer backed incumbent Mayor stated .."she has made no promises to anyone in exchange for donations". Ok so lets just assume she and the 3 headed hydra will do whats right for the town, doesn't seem to be a solid footing to start a foundation with though?
The group of Candidates being supported by the PAC have a main idea in common. They all believe that from their perch atop of the crowd they know what is best for the town. As they look down upon everyone and everything making their criticisms of the people that are also doing what they believe to be correct. Dean Harrell stated, "she believes in her heart she's doing what's best for Indian Trail." I think everyone up there in their hearts are doing what they believe to be best for Indian Trail. Just like the previous council. Do I believe this council or previous councils have done things right all the time? NO. It would be an impossibility. You will never make everyone happy. Abuses from the past will rear their ugly head again if the PAC controls the elections. ALL DECISIONS, PROJECTS, CONCERNS WILL COME THROUGH THE PAC. THE DECISIONS WILL BE MADE BEFORE ANY OF THEM WALK IN THE DOOR FOR THE MEETING. NO INDEPENDENT THINKING WILL BE IDENTIFIABLE.
It is a serious matter, thankfully the citizens of the town have a chance to avoid such a situation by voting for independent people not the like minded PAC candidates.
Follow the money. See who stands to benefit from a PAC sweep. Outside of the Mayor, what has any of the candidates done for the town???? Don't just listen to the sound bites candidates are throwing out there...ask them for details. See if they know what they are talking about or are they just being coached. Above all, get out and VOTE!!! One way or the other this election will change Indian Trail forever and you need to be part of it.

DOWNTOWN PROJECT UPDATED

2007-07-27T05:35:00.000-07:00

In what is and will be an issue in this election is the Downtown Project and the lack of progress that has been seen in the approximate 2 years since its approval. The ITCFP group with their so called "non partisan" stance on everything want you to believe that this council somehow slowed up progress. In turn, a tennant that may or may not have occupied space apparently went south and took the jobs with it. Their view unfortunately seems shortsided and narrow minded in the process. Lets review the project:
1. 1 MILLION plus sq ft of space
2. 600 Plus residences in the form of apartments, townhomes, and condos.
3. Approximately 79 % residential, 21% retail/commercial mix.
4. 2 lanes of traffic with limited ability to increase. *major sticking point*
5. 100 yr flood standards the town required, which in turn the developer lost a community building (non rev producing), had to make the reflecting pond bigger and in turn was not required to put in larger pipes under the CSX railroad and experience their 18 month process of approval or denial.
6. The State/County fiasco with sewer and water availability that I believe is playing a major role in the lack of progress. Happens to be out of the hands of the council.
7. The Traffic study: This above all else seems to be the sore spot of contention for my opponents and their group. The reality is if the previous council had done due diligence the traffic study would have been completed prior to the project being voted on. Instead it has been allowed to be used as an election topic. On July 10th, 2007 the council put the road study problem in the hands of the Planning staff and developer. Only if they can't reach a workable solution will it come back to the council. As of July 23rd, 2007 the Planning staff had yet to receive the traffic study. Again, no slow down on the part of the council. So the question that I have is if the traffic study is complete? Why doesn't the town have it? Maybe if all goes well with the election, then something will progress?
8. Project sold to another developer: New developer taking over, some seem to be surprised but from the first of the project it had been stated this was going to be the case. I suspect they wanted to be farther along in the process. I wonder if the price reflected the lack of progress or the future build out value?
9. The downtown project and subsequent build out of it will not be the solution to the problems of this town. The money generated will be better than nothing, but hardly the cash cow some think.

This project will go through to completion barring the developers going bankrupt and even then it will get done eventually. The downtown will be identifiable. That is what the dowtown overlay and land use documents will accomplish. It won't be tomorrow and without a better road system it won't happen quickly either. It would be nice to have a downtown like atmosphere such as Matthews, but it really has never been like Matthews anyway in the 100years of existence. Our downtown was really nothing more than a train stop with a building to service commerce. There was no hustle and bustle. Change happens, sometimes slower than what others want. If the changes are quality changes then they will stand the test of time. All good things are worth waiting for and sometimes they can be sped up. Sometimes not.

Election Choices for Indian Trail

2007-07-22T15:22:00.000-07:00

The filing period has come and gone and the candidates will be progressing fast and furious to secure the needed votes for victory in the fall. Running for the office of Mayor are

Theresa Allen (business owner in town)
Sandy Moore (i)
John Quinn (current planning board member and transportation committee member)

Running for the 3 open seats for the council will be:

G. D'Onofrio
Hugh Layburn
Jeff Goodall
(It should be noted that the above three people all live in the Brandon Oaks Subdivision and very active in the newly formed PAC (ITCFP).
Brian Rubin (apparently has dropped out of the race to join the Brandon Oaks group in their attempt to take over the town.
J. Hullinger

Last but not least....me William Lee Godwin current planning board member, transportation committee member for Indian Trail.) Oh yea, I live on the same street as Dan Schallenkamp and Mercedes Cass., oh and not to forget the former mayor (now moved) Ed Smith.) Just figured we could get that out of the way and get on with real business.

The citizens of the town need to get out and vote. Get involved and know each candidate. You will have to decide if all the towns decisions will come through the Brandon Oaks subdivision. Whether or not you can live with the results.

Not shocking in the least is the fact the pac group from Brandon Oaks is endorsing Moore, D'Onofrio, Layburn, and Goodall. Interestingly, Theresa Allen is a Brandon Oaks resident but appears to be on the outside looking in with this group. If you have the ability, go to the town website and you can hear the type of comments that citizens will have to tolerate if this pac is allowed to control the town. Go to public comments...its worth the listen.

If any shock comes from the filing period is that Councilmembers Killough and Helms did not seek reelection. Fixtures on the town council for years, they both chose to not run. In addition to Mercedes Cass that stated she was not seeking reelection either. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of them for their hard work, dedication, and committment to the town. Its a tough job when all is going well, its even tougher when citizens don't care for actions by the council. They have to be commended for the abuse taken and handling it with the utmost professionalism.

Questionable Value

2007-06-11T19:41:00.000-07:00

The Indian Trail downtown project has recently had a value quoted as $140,000,000 dollars. Some are very upset that this project is stalled due to what appears to be major road issues. Not to mention all the other previous stuff that some think is more of an issue than it really is. So the question is ...What is the value of the downtown project to the town and the citizens that would venture to downtown? Does this project represent the one and only, the project that will make or break the town? Will it provide enough revenue to the town to keep the tax rate low for others? Strictly looking at the numbers I believe the answer is no. Would the revenue from the project be good, absolutely...beats a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.
Sales tax: the state collects the sales taxes then doles them out to each town based on a formula which the town has no control over. I believe the number that appears in the proposed budget is nothng more than an educated estimate. It is subject to change. So Indian Trail receives the benefit from the sales tax say from Walmart whether Walmart is in our borders or not. Same as the revenue from beer and wine sales. Though Indian Trail does not have a LBTD ordinance, the town still partakes in the taxes it produces elsewhere. I believe the number was $75,000. To put that number in perspective, the town of Matthews (LBTD and all the restaurants) brought to their coffers $150,000 for the year. The $75,000 represents for IT basically one officers salary. The value of the Downtown project $140,000,000 is a projection...and has to be projected out about 2-5 years. The project won't go up over night and the value will only be reached if completed and fully occupied, and well maintained. The $140,000,000 number has been attributed to a developer belief. There is no easy way of telling how much sales could be generated from this project to the town. The only thing the town has control over and the number they know for sure is the ad valorem taxes or property taxes. Based on the current $.10 tax rate that project would add to the town $140,000. (2 officers) If the tax rate is raised to the proposed $0.175 cents that would produce $245,000 dollars if my math is correct. Roughly what a one cent increase would produce. A major hurdle facing this project is roads. We have only 2 lanes that can service this road currently. The price tag to widen this road or build another road (one way road proposed by Larry Helms) is $8 million dollars. Based on the above numbers it would take 32 + years to generate enough money to pay for the road based on what the project pays the town. Its simple math, I was shocked when I saw it. Some would have you believe that the town should forget any road improvements and let the project move on. That however is shortsided and just plain stupid. The downtown has an overlay district, standards for that area is more restrictive than anywhere else in the town. A good thing the previous council passed.
Bottom line as I have said in the past. There are no easy fixes for road problems with this project or other projects facing similar road obstructions. In the end, the town is better off for seeking road improvements..not to mention, if you let one get away with special consideration, whats to stop the next development from asking for the same?

COME ON TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN

2007-06-07T18:40:00.000-07:00

So it appears that the Dr and Transworld Med have made a run for the border. The South Carolina border that is and if correct, Charleston to be exact. Obviously blaming the delay in construction in the downtown project as a mitigating factor for his departure. Apparently, the state of South Carolina enticed him more than staying near home. I have heard millions of dollars were being offered to him and the company, I am wondering how much the state of North Carolina and Union County offered him? I know the town of Indian Trail did not have that kind of financial pull, but did offer him their endorsement of the idea of him locating in the town.
It is a shame for the town of Indian Trail that the project has been mired in a quagmire of road issues. I know of 3 traffic studies done by the developer and apparently none have met the standards of DOT nor the town.
How does this change the downtown project and Indian Trail? Well, the tech jobs that would have been associated with Transworld Med are gone. The school locating there is probably lost especially without Transworld. That just leaves the project as approved by the previous council with a 79% residential and 21% commercial breakdown. A little over a 1,000,000 sq ft of commercial/retail. This is the same project as was passed by the previous council. Yes it is a shame that Transworld Med didn't work out..but until last fall, no one knew anything about them and this project. You see, they were just tenants in the overall project...the project was only broken into commercial/retail and residential..with some possible town buildings. The project was never approved with Transworld in mind or the school of nursing. In my opinion, the project has not changed from the date it was approved. I still believe that in order for this project to be a success, it will need Liquor by the drink in the town, and roads that allow people to get to the site. The size of this project precludes it from any simple, easy, or cheap answers. Those that are looking for those types of answers are doing the town and its citizens a disservice.

DOWNTOWN PROJECT SOOO SLOOOW

2007-06-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

There have been a group of people very insistent on the fact that the Downtown Project is moving too slowly. They seem to blame the current Council for a project and conditions that the previous Council voted to approve. Take whatever side you want for the time spent on the recusal motion made by the developer against a councilmember. The subsequent bias brought against the Mayor. Not to mention the town fighting for the 100 year flood rules to make sure citizens down stream were not adversely affected. So what is the problem? Why is it taking so long to get the thing started and finished?
1. You have to understand that projects of this size carry long lead times. Austin Village was approved long before land started to be cleared. Its been almost two years and the project at Fincher and Potter still not showing any movement. There are more examples, but the point is just because the project has been approved, doesn't mean construction will start the very next day. Projects like the Downtown Project have a two year window for a start date from approval the way I understand it. Please, check for yourself I'am going off of memory here.

2. The developer himself stated that if all were cleared to go, the project was still 2 years away.

3. The Downtown Project was passed I believe in February of 2005. The previous council attached 44 conditions upon the project so that it could be completed.

4. July 2006 some 17 months later...the developer asked for conditions to be eased and the Planning Board heard the case.

5. August/September 2006- The council was to hear the case but the developer asked for the recusal of Councilmember Schallenkamp. The delay from the council involvement begins.

6. The council I believe agreed to most of the conditions that were presented to them except for primarily 2 or 3. The 100 yr flood restrictions...that provided some delay. The problem solved by involvement on both sides, and in the end, the developer didn't have to worry about CSX and its 18 month delay with no guarantees. Rather the problem was fixed with the reflecting pond.

7. Looking through the files...the big issue causing the biggest delay and headache is the road/traffic situation. Primarily, the construction of this project with current road conditions will make the roads totally impassable. Most intersections rating F/F-. If I understood the paperwork...the requirements call for the improvements to raise the level to a C. A big chore considering only 2 lanes of traffic and a railroad so close to the project.

8. Just for giggles, throw in the Sewer/Water permits...which I believe the state has stopped until Union county gets some capacity...not to happen until late 2007/early 2008...depending on when the state signs off on the expansion of 12mile Creek.

Questions arise from the above:
1. What was going on those 17 months that nothing seemingly took place? Is that the standard delay for a project? Was the project delayed by the original 44 conditions placed on it by the previous council? It is the right of the developer to bring the project back and ask for easing of conditions, but is it prudent to challenge the governing body that way? You can attract more with honey....
2. Did the CSX approval delay the project?
3. How bad are the roads and transportation in that area? Wouldn't it have been more prudent pending the approval to have a traffic study in hand prior to approval?
4. Why was the Medical tennants brought up in the first place? The tennants have nothing to do with the project...not under the control of the town unless the percentages are out of standards that the project was passed under.
5. Does the delay of the potential land swap/building of town hall/ the road to South Fork all play into the delay?

As much as the more vocal group of citizens would like you to believe that somehow the council is preventing this project from going forward, my opinion is that is just not the truth. There are a lot of issues slowing this project. Looking at the file, my opinion is that the overall major slow down of this project is Indian Trail Road, the capacity, the current congestion and the size of the project itself. Not to metion the lack of traditional roads in a grid system of roads. Its all about the roads right now and unfortunately there are no silver bullets that will magically fix the situation.

Stormwater Fee for Citizens

2007-05-31T10:01:00.000-07:00

Last night at the Stallings Volunteer Fire Department officials from Stallings and Indian Trail outlined how the towns will implement a Stormwater Utility and corresponding fee for each town. Fortunately for the citizens, 2 members of the press were there and will report in the Union Observer and the Edge. The bad part is that no one outside of officials from the towns, committees other than myself showed up to hear this presentation.
Let me give you the highlights:

1. The government has mandated this action be taken by the towns. In fact 33 counties and 123 cities and towns are included in this GOVERNMENT UNFUNDED MANDATE.

2. If the towns do not implement this mandate they will face hefty fines and no sewer access.

3. The Stormwater utility will collect fees. The fees will go to fix problems related to flooding in the towns.
4. The Utility will charge each homeowner, business, nonprofit owner as long as the land has been improved. Flat fees will be charged in the first year and be charged to the Tax bills coming in October 2007 for the 2008 tax cycle.

5. Each homeowner can look for an additional fee attached to their tax bill of $42.00 this year. Business and $200 for all other non residential parcels. In the future, the town will look at tier costs based on the impervious surface amount. The fees have been recommended by the Stormwater committee and will be presented to the Council at the June 11th meeting. So at this point the fees are only suggestions.

6. The towns have no choice in the matter.

7. More information can be gotten from the town website or town hall.

VFW Needs Help

2007-05-30T12:23:00.001-07:00

It was reported over the weekend that the VFW in Indian Trail is in need of money, supplies, food, and volunteers in order to ensure the moving wall gets here and is a big sucess. This is something that has never been to Union County before and we need to help. Please get the word out and help financially and with volunteering for this once in a lifetime project.
Thank you.

TOO Much of a Good Thing???

2007-05-25T06:34:00.000-07:00

Time has passed and the Downtown IT project doesn't seem to be progressing fast enough for most people. There have been any number of reasons why the project has progressed at the pace it has. Some due to the developer, others due to town requirements, and lets not forget the County, State, and DOT.

The two lane road (Indian Trail Road) and all the traffic that utilizes that road causes the biggest problem for the project. Why do I say that? Because of that road, the DOT is involved, the location of the site to the railroad, and the traffic studies (3 so far) that have not proven favorable yet. In research I have done about the downtown project as well as others in the area I would like to offer a comparison between the projects:

Promenade 450,000 sqft 52.25 acres 8,612 /sqft density per acre 8 lanes of traffic
Stonecrest 467,000 sqft 60.81 acres 7,679 /sqft density per acre 8 lanes of traffic
Arboretum 601,000 sqft 67.75 acres 8,870 /sqft density per acre 8 lanes of traffic
Carolina Place 1,089,161sqft 83.26 acres 13,081/sqft densityper acre 8 lanes + access 485
South Park 1,752,066sqft 95.50 acres 18,346/sqft densityper acre 10lanes of traffic
Village Comm 360,000sqft 44.00 acres 8,181/sqft densityper acre 4 lanes of traffic

Downtown IT 1,026,100sqft 47.16 acres 21,757/sqft densityper acre 2 lanes of traffic

Current ratios 740,500 sq ft for residential or 72.17 %
285,600 sq ft for commercial or 27.83 %
Traffic counts on Indian Trail road range from 10,000 to 15,000 daily trips approximate #.

Delays are inevitable in any project and the Downtown project is no exception. If everything goes as planned this project will take a minimum of two years according to the developer. The micro managing that is talked about so often is more accurately described as quality control by the planning department. The rules are there for all projects, not just the downtown project. Though, all projects in the downtown overlay district will actually have tougher standards to comply to and that is for quality control.
The information was compiled from Char-Meck Shopping Center Study.
The Village Commons Phase II.
Town of Indian Trail =Sup2006-014M_000

Test

2007-05-18T06:16:00.000-07:00

This is a test .

Recusal $$ Uncovered

2007-05-17T06:03:00.000-07:00

The developer in the Downtown project in IT wanted the easing of conditions that were placed upon his project by the previous council. At the same time, he also started a recusal process that in my opinion was done to bully the council into what the developer wanted. Through personal encounters and encounters with Dan Schallenkamp *when a private citizen*, the developer thought he could get the councilmembers power taken out of his hands. Bias was sited and a binder presented to Mr. Schallenkamp about 4 inches thick and his immediate recusal. Mr Schallenkamp refused to recuse himself from the proceedings. At the same time another recusal motion was made for the same bias argument *positive towards the developer* against the mayor. In the end, the council voted 4-1 that Mr. Schallenkamp could participate in the proceedings sighting no such bias against the developer. The subsequent argument against the mayor was dropped without a vote. What does this all mean? Nothing, it was more posturing than anything. The developer trying to gain any advantage possible to get what he wanted...thankfully in the end, the council saw fit to keep the power in the hands of the elected officials and thus keeping it in the hands of the people.

That is not the end of the story though! The intimidation recusal had to be paid for. Due to the fact that the town attorney can't represent any individual council member and the state law that says they are entitled to representation if accused led to both the mayor and Mr. Schallenkamp having legal bills. There is another group of people that have been using this point but never releasing the numbers as if it was some secret.
Both the Mayor and Councilmember Schallenkamp were authorized by the council $5,000 each for legal services. According to Mr. Humphries Town manager, Mr. Schallenkamp's bill was $9,274.80. The Mayor had a bill of $4,612.50. The overage for Mr. Schallenkamp was due to additional legal work done by his lawyer. A vote was taken about the overage and the council voted to cover the overage. I do not know the numbers of that vote other to say a consensus vote occured. Nor do I know the details of the reasons for the overage. I suspect that had the council voted not to pay the overage, Mr. Schallenkamp would have had to pay but that is a guess?
In the end, the recusal was defended by the town at a cost of time, effort, and $13,887.30. The arguments were minor compared to the overall principal that was at stake.

Indian Trail Council OK's MOU

2007-05-11T07:36:00.000-07:00

Tuesday May 8th, the Indian Trail Town Council passed the Memorandum of Understanding as it pertains to the County's APFO by a vote of 4-1. Indian Trail joins Mineral Springs, Wesley Chapel, and Marvin as the towns that have endorsed the political hot topic of the APFO. Stallings at the first of the year voted the against the MOU. Apparently due to the fact they have very little land left develop.
The APFO currently has 2 lawsuits pending and what appears to be very weak support at the Commissioner level. The MOU is not binding and can be revoked by the town. There is no cost associated with the MOU.

INDIAN TRAIL TAX INCREASE??

2007-05-01T10:04:00.000-07:00

Those of you that are interested it appears that Indian Trail will have another tax increase this year. Currently, the tax stands at .10 cents per $100.00 of valuation. Last year the rate was increased from .08 to .10 cents primarily to handle the switch of the garbage service from residents paying for it individually to the rate being included in the tax and eliminating town staff from having to dedicate time to printing, sending, retrieving the garbage money.
This year Ed Humphries Town Manager, has proposed a 7 1/2 cent increase in the tax rate. That rate increase accounts for .04 cent for roads, 1/2 cent for parks, and .03 cents for increasing the fund balance to increase support for town operations. The past several years the fund balance has been used to balance the budget. Savings should be used for capital needs and special projects and not general operating expenses as stated by Mr. Humphries.

This 7 1/2 cents does not include the following:

The "New Town Hall" : Currently there is no new money designated for the new town hall, but another tax increase would be needed to make the payment. His plan calls for new money to be added to the budget in the 2008-09 time frame.

Stormwater: The stormwater requirements will be separated and not part of the budget because a utility will be formed. This utility will charge each piece of property a set amount for the month and that money will go to help stormwater projects. Such as flooding in neighborhoods, new pipes, yards flooding, retention and detention ponds and so on. As of April 30th, the proposed fees to the citizens of Indian Trail will be $3.50 per month or 42.00 per year for residences and non residences will be charged $200.00 per year. This is just the recommendation from the stormwater committee and subject to change.

The total recommended budget, not including Stormwater and the Powell Bill , for the 2007-08 is $8,035,255. This includes a tax increase of $.075. This budget will be studied and adjusted before it is approved in June.

Personal Opinion: I sat in on the budget retreat and from all I heard about what the town needs to pay for and why, the tax rate could be jumped to .25 per $100 and it still not be enough to cover the costs of everything that is needed in the town. We will soon be at a cross roads with Police protection. The size of our population coupled with the probable passage of the Curfew ordinance/alarm ordinance will require the town to have more officers. Currently we are at 10 contracted officers, though I thought we were at 8. Plus two more additional officers this year. We pay basically 65,000 per officer at 10 officers that is 650,000. At some point, it will be more economical for the town to have a police force will will add probably .10 to .15 cents to the tax rate. There is a study done by a police organization that the optimum ratio of officers to citizens be 1 to 500. In that case we should have in IT based on our 24,000 people 48 officers. Of course those ratios are not set in stone and I believe the town of Stallings operates at a ratio of 1 to a 1000/1200?

No longer will we be a sleepy little town...we have very big city needs and big city expenses to go along with them. We as citizens need to make sure the money collected is spent appropriately and that each dime is accounted for. The tax increase is inevitable, its no longer a matter of if ? but How much?

Openings for Planning Board and Board of Adjustment

2007-05-01T05:34:00.000-07:00

The town of Indian Trail is taking applications for openings on the Planning Board as well as the Board of Adjustment. The Planning Board is a recommendation board...with the ability to attach conditions on projects that come before them. Their recommendations then go to the Council for a vote approving, disapproving, referring the matter back to Planning Board.
The Board of Adjustment is a more formal board. Matters decided by the Board of Adjustment are not sent to the Council. Anyone seeking to overturn a decision by the Board of Adjustment has to take the matter to Superior Court. Unlike the planning board, the decisions on the Board of Adjustment are fact base only, and in a quasai judicial manner.
If you have the time and desire to participate on either board, please submit your application to the Town Clerk. I believe they are taking applications until sometime in late May. Call to find out more.....

Planning Board Sends MOU Up

2007-04-27T09:22:00.000-07:00

On Thursday April 26th the Indian Trail Planning Board voted to accept the MOU for the APFO as presented by the county with a positive recommendation and send it to the Council for a vote.
The vote was 4-2 in favor of acceptance. Now the ball is back in the hands of the council.
Both sides of the issue were discussed with very legitimate arguments on both sides. The concerns varied from the fee itself, easing of school overcrowding, higher costs to the home buyer. There is no cost to the town, and the MOU can be disoved on our part if any changes to the APFO don't agree with the direction the town wants to go in. The APFO currently has 2 lawsuits against it, both brought by developers in the county.

The MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) is an agreement that the town will work with the county in association with the APFO (Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance). The IT Town Attorney is OK with the MOU. It is not binding to the town and can be voided if the county makes changes to the APFO that the town does not agree with. If...because of using the APFO guidelines, the town happens to get sued by an over zealous developer, the county will handle the defense of the APFO.
The APFO is not designed to stop growth...in fact, it encourages growth in parts of the county that are lacking growth. It attempts to defer/delay more development in the higher density parts of the county where school overcrowding is overwhelming us. Currently, .64 cents of every tax dollar collected goes for school construction. The county is responsible for the school construction and that is why the APFO was designed with schools in mind. The county does not control roads, water, or sewer. That is not to say they are not important, the county doesn't control them. (What they do control of water and sewer is a mess)
The fees associated with the APFO are designed as a deterrant to building right away...the money only represents about 20% of the construction costs.
The APFO is being challenged currently by two lawsuits. The courts could throw the power of the APFO out or not? If that happens the MOU is a moot point. If not, the county will start the implementation and go from there. No one you will talk to will be 100% in favor of the APFO. No one knows if this will work. But it is a start and its better than nothing. We have seen throughout the county how nothing works. If it doesn't work...change it, throw it out or come up with something else. Right now no viable alternatives have been presented and yet our schools become more over crowded every day. Something has to be done to ease the school situation. There is talk of a .01 cent sales tax or a transfer fee from the sale of existing houses, but nothing set in stone yet...the APFO is not the magic bullet that can guarantee sucess, nothing will but it is seemingly worth a shot.