Calendar:
Sunday, October 24 - Tuesday, October 26
NC League of Municipalities Conference, Raleigh, NC
Wednesday, October 27
12:00 pm - Housing and Neighborhood Development Committee Meeting, Room CH-14. AGENDA: Housing Trust Fund - FYO5 Allocation; Gentrification - Part II; Section 8 Data - Follow up Information; Committee Policy Calendar and Agenda
5:30 pm - MTC Meeting, Room 267
Thursday, October 28
5:00 pm - Community Safety Meeting, Room 280AGENDA: Fencing Requirements for Carnivals; November 18 Community Policing Retreat
6:00 pm - District 2 Town Hall Meeting, One University Park Baptist Church, 2348 Keller Avenue
Friday, October 29
8:30 am - Mayor’s Task Force on Cultural Facilities Meeting, Room CH-14
You are invited on November 12 to the Mayor’s International Business Breakfast from 7:45 am to 9:00 am at the Charlotte Convention Center in Room 203. The purpose of this breakfast is to welcome the international business community to Charlotte, share information about City services with them and to learn their perspective on ways to improve the attractiveness of Charlotte for international business. The Mayor’s International Cabinet and Charlotte Sister Cities are co-hosting this event with the City of Charlotte. Please contact Lorne Lassiter at 704-336-2174 by November 5 if you plan to attend. We look forward to your attendance at this event.
Information Items:
FY 2005 Annexation Public Hearings: Follow Up
Staff Resource: Jonathan Wells, 704-336-4090
At the October 11, 2005 annexation public hearing, several issues were raised by citizens to which staff have responded.
Citizens from the Caldwell qualifying area commented that they hadn’t been given sufficient notice of the availability of the sewer and water extension request form required by state statute to be submitted to the City Clerk within five days after the public hearing. One citizen, Tom Kelly, in particular expressed concern that without timely access to the form, citizens would be unable to meet that deadline. The form - whose availability was initially described in a July 30 letter to all property owners in annexation qualifying areas - was subsequently posted on the City’s Internet site, and several blank copies of the form were hand-delivered to Mr. Kelly’s home.
Another speaker, Richard Vinroot, expressed concern that the Mallard Creek Church East qualifying area in fact did not qualify by his calculations, inasmuch as he used actual population counts in apartment complexes in the area, as opposed to the estimated populations staff derived from field housing counts and U.S. Census statistics for the area. Staff has met with Mr. Vinroot and is now evaluating the numbers he provided.
Finally, several residents of the 11500 block of Shopton Road West (a private street) expressed concern with not knowing whether their street would be eligible for City maintenance following annexation, and whether potential City maintenance of their street would enable extension of
sewer and water service into their neighborhood. The street is not constructed to City street standards but might qualify under the Non System Residential Street Program. Staff has organized a meeting between residents and representatives of CDOT, CMUD, Engineering, and Planning for October 26 at 7:00 pm at Steele Creek Presbyterian Church (7407 Steele Creek Road) to answer residents’ questions and explore possibilities.
Shops on Freedom Shopping Center Renovation
Staff Resource: Tom Warshauer, 704-336-4522
Economic Development has worked with the owner of Shops on Freedom to renovate this 1960’s shopping center, which includes 250,000 square feet of retail space. The shopping center has experienced high vacancy rates in the past two years, but now sees new tenant interest with facade renovations under construction. The City assisted in this renovation with a $40,000 Facade Grant.
The story of this renovation was featured in a recent Charlotte Observer article regarding Shops on Freedom. A copy is attached.
