Town Board - Regular Meeting

So that I don't say something.

Good evening, everyone. I'd like to call our June 2 meeting to order. And this is the point in the meeting where I asked you to silence your cell phone. So please make sure that that has happened. So they don't ring or beep or buzz during the course of our business. We always start our meeting with a moment of silence. And so now if you would like, please join me for a moment of silence. Thank you, and now if you're able, please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mr. Smith, announcements? Announcements?

Yes, good evening everybody. Just a few announcements for you tonight. Wanted to remind everybody that we are under mandatory water restrictions per Charlotte Water due to ongoing dry conditions. That started on May 15th and will continue until those drought conditions are resolved. Also wanted to be sure to share some really good news with everybody. US News and World Report recently ranked Huntersville as the 36th best place to live in the entire country. We were top three in North Carolina behind Cary and Apex. Those metrics that they judged that on were you had to have good value, be a desirable place to live, have a strong job market, and a good quality of life. So we're very happy to make that list. Thank you. And then also just wanted to pass along one thing from HPD tonight. On June 5th, there is a Red Cross blood drive at HPD headquarters, and that'll be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. That's all I have. Thank you.

a couple of proclamations this month. June is one of my favorite months, not just because it was the month I was born, but because we get to honor some really special events, starting with a proclamation for Pride Month. Whereas all are welcome in the town of Huntersville to live and work, and every resident deserves a place to call home where they are safe and accepted, And whereas the town of Huntersville strives to ensure our town is a place where all people, regardless of race, religion, national origin, gender, disability, or age, are treated with dignity and respect, whereas LGBTQ people in the United States face disparities and discrimination in employment, health care, education, and housing, whereas Pride Month has been celebrated throughout the United States since 1970, and whereas the town of Huntersville promotes inclusivity and equity, safety, dignity, and a welcoming environment for our residents and visitors, And whereas the town of Huntersville is enhanced and strengthened by the cultural, civic, and economic contributions of the LGBTQ community, and we embrace this incredible rich diversity of our population and town staff. Now, therefore, I, Christy Clark, Mayor of Huntersville, do hereby proclaim the month of June as Pride Month in Huntersville, North Carolina. The next one I have is a proclamation for National Gun Violence Awareness Day. Whereas every day in the United States, more than 120 people are killed and more than 200 are injured in incidents involving firearms. And whereas in North Carolina, an average of 1,636 people die each year from firearm related incidents, representing a rate of 15.3 deaths per 100,000 residents. The estimated economic impact to the state exceeds 19.5 billion annually, including approximately 471 million in taxpayer costs. And whereas cities across the nation, including Huntersville, are working to end the senseless violence with evidence-based solutions, and whereas mayors and law enforcement officers, in partnership with local violence innovation activists and resources who know their communities best, are the most familiar with local criminal activity and how to address it, and are best positioned to understand how to keep their citizens safe, And whereas gun violence prevention is more important than ever as we see an increase in firearm homicides and non-fatal shootings across the country, increased calls to investing violence hotlines, and increase in city gun violence. And whereas on January 19, 2013, 15-year-old Hadiyah Pendleton was tragically shot and killed, and so on her birthday, June 2, people across the U.S. recognized National Gun Violence Awareness Day. And whereas anyone can join this campaign by pledging to wear orange on June 7th to help raise awareness about gun violence and pay tribute to Adia and all victims and survivors of gun violence and the loved ones of those victims. And whereas we renew our commitment to reduce gun violence and pledge to do all we can to keep firearms out of the hands of people who should not have access to them and encourage responsible gunnership to help keep our families and communities safe. Now, therefore, I, Christy Clark, do hereby proclaim June 5th as National Gun Violence Awareness Day in Huntersville, North Carolina. And last but definitely not least, our proclamation for Juneteenth Day. Whereas on June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, over two years after President Abraham Lincoln declared all enslaved persons free, Major General Gordon Granger and Union Army troops enforced the Emancipation Proclamation and freed the last enslaved black Americans. And whereas free from the bondage which immorally deprived them from human dignity, Their long overdue emancipation was celebrated on June 19th, Juneteenth, the oldest known celebration commemorating the abolishment of slavery in the United States. And whereas this nationally recognized holiday is an opportunity to celebrate human freedom, reflect on the grievous and ongoing legacy of slavery, and rededicate ourselves to rooting out systemic racism that continues to plague our society as we strive to deliver the full promise of freedom and equality for all Americans. And whereas, as we celebrate Juneteenth, let us recommit ourselves to the work of equity, equality, and justice, remind ourselves of the centuries of struggle, courage, and hope that have brought us this time of progress and possibility, and ensure the events of 1865 are not forgotten. Now, therefore, I, Christy Clark, Mayor of Huntersville, do hereby proclaim the 19th of June as Juneteenth in Huntersville, North Carolina. Thank you. We have some public comments tonight, and we'll start with Alicia Bergsman, former commissioner. You have three minutes.

Good evening, everyone. And I will try not to have my glasses fall off. They're a little bit wiggly. So as someone who was sitting on the dais at Old Town Hall six months ago, I know how rare it is for staff and boards to hear positive feedback during budget season. I want to speak specifically about the decision to increase the solid waste fee so that it more accurately reflects the cost of providing that service. I understand that for many residents, the distinction between a tax and a fee doesn't change the impact on their household budget. That's understandable. Nobody, including myself and probably most of you, like to pay more in taxes or in fees, but I do support this decision. I believe residents deserve transparency about what services actually cost, and I think it is appropriate for the solid waste fee to more accurately reflect the cost of solid waste collection. I do hope you'll continue looking for ways to lessen the burden on fixed income seniors. But overall I believe this is a responsible approach and I encourage you to vote in favor of the budget. And I'd also like to take a minute to wish everyone a happy Pride Month.

Thank you. Next we have Ashley Wiley. You have three minutes.

Madam Mayor, every person seated on this dais was entrusted with something precious, something that does not belong to them, a public office. That office belongs to the people. It belongs to the taxpayers who funded this government, to the families who call Huntersville home, to the veterans who sacrificed for this nation, the teachers who educate our children, the police officers and firefighters who stand watch over our community, and every citizen who takes the time to participate in the democratic process. Public office is not ownership, it's stewardship, and stewardship carries with it a profound responsibility. The responsibility is to listen, to ask difficult questions, to welcome scrutiny rather than fear it. The responsibility is to remember that accountability is not an inconvenience of public service, it's the very foundation of it. Over the last several years, our town has witnessed controversy involving transparency, public records, citizen participation, and now legal threats directed at residents and former elected officials. Whether you agreed with those citizens is not the point. Whether you liked what they had to say is not the point. The point is, their voices matter. The measure of a community is not found in how it treats those who agree with those in power. The measure of a community is found in how it treats those who disagree. A government confident in its actions welcomes questions. A government worthy of trust welcomes scrutiny. And leaders secure in their convictions do not fear criticism, they answer it. Which brings me to my question. Commissioner Quarles, why spend valuable time and energy fighting citizens and former elected officials When there's so much meaningful work left to do for the people in Huntersville, why not devote that same energy towards solving problems, creating opportunities, and improving lives? Why are we not leading the conversation about meaningful property tax relief for disabled veterans who sacrifice so much for our freedoms? Why are we not exploring ways to help senior citizens remain in their homes they spent a lifetime building? Why are we not championing initiatives that help police officers, firefighters, teachers, and town employees live and thrive in the very community that they serve? Imagine the message that would send. Imagine a Huntersville where elected officials compete not over who can criticize the loudest but who can serve the best. Imagine a Huntersville where leadership is measured not by controversy but by accomplishment. Imagine a Huntersville where every elected official begins each day by asking a simple question, what can I do today to improve the lives of the people that entrusted me with this office? That's the Huntersville all residents deserve and the kind of leadership that leaves a legacy. When the years pass and public service comes to an end, people will not remember how many arguments were won. They'll remember whether their leaders improved their lives. Long after the headlines fade, long after the controversies disappear, and after these meetings are adjourned, the people will still be here, raising families, building businesses, paying taxes, and they'll still be depending on their elected leaders to put them first. So tonight, my challenge is simple. Spend less time fighting your neighbors and more time serving them. Spend less time protecting your ego and more time protecting the interests of the people who entrusted you with this government.

Ms. Wiley, your time is up. Do something right this while you're trying to thank you and say you're sorry to get what that was really this while your time is up. Next is hope Wiley you have 3 minutes.

I want to speak about something that should consider everyone in our community. When citizens speak up about issues affecting their town, they should not have to fear threats or intimidation for expressing their views. Case and dissent letters were sent to multiple individuals, including former commissioners for speaking publicly. Whether you agree with what was said is not the point. A healthy democracy depends on open discussion, disagreement, and the ability of citizens to question their elected officials. Public service comes with accountability, elected officials, and entrusted with power by the people, and that power should never be used to discourage criticism or silence opposing voices. The answer to speech you disagree with is more speech, more facts, and more transparency, not illegal threats. Our community deserves leaders who listen, engage, and respond to concerns with honesty and respect. When citizens feel afraid to speak out, trusting government is damaged. Huntersville is stronger than that. We are a community built on participation, civil engagement, and the right of everyone. resident to have a voice we should encourage open dialogue even when conversations are difficult silencing citizens is not governments listening to them is thank you thank you miss bj you're up next you have three minutes

I don't know if your policy has changed but used to you come up and say your name and where you live Betty Jane BJ Caldwell 14521 New Haven Drive Huntersville North Carolina once upon a time sixty years ago in 1965 the town was under the jurisdiction of segregation separate but equal the law of the land in those sixty years some mindsets have regressed to 1965 If a Negro, black person who lived here was asked, where do you live? The answer was always the same, the colored sections of town. Potts Town, across the hill, the bottom, Delwood Drive, Gibson Park, or New Haven Park. Vermillion, a very upscale modern development, was built with only one street for neighbors to drive to their homes. It was designed to become an adjacent property to all the colored sections, and these streets would be used to access their homes also. Today, the colored sections are about to lose their identity because of gentrification. But we're still here, over 150 years of living within the 250 years of the rest of America. The town is glad too because of its desire for high-density plans for connectivity throughout Huntersville. Because of this, some residents are harassed from neighbors who have issues with anyone driving while black on their neighborhood streets. Yet speeding vehicles are very visible on our streets. Freedom takes on a different meaning to individuals of a diverse race. For some whites who have been free since America's 250 years at the expense of the Native American, But for blacks, freedom takes on a psychological meaning as our lives and safety have always been compromised and at risk. For us, the fight to gain freedom is not one we can win and have not won, yet we have to continue to fight for it even if it never comes. Now that segregation is back in the hearts and mind of many, just know that the black majority is destined to become the majority. And that is why freedom of the mind is a very important asset to have to hold and to use. Thank you for your time.

Thank you, Miss Conwell. Lastly, we have Michelle Clark. You have three minutes.

Hi, neighbors. My name is Michelle Clark. I moved here about 12 years ago with four generations of my family. We moved here primarily for the safety of Huntersville, the school systems. I bought my house on the backside of Torrance Creek with all the possibilities in front of us. Didn't quite pan out the way that we thought it was going to, and we're so excited with the North Carolina educational opportunities and what that would mean for my nieces moving forward. So I'm here to speak about Elysium School of Innovation, and they are offering groundbreaking innovation in education, and it's bringing tremendous value to Huntersville by attracting families who are seeking forward-thinking opportunities, strengthening our community, and helping prepare students with skills and confidence needed for future success. I strongly support this school as a first-line educational option. Elysium embodies the vision of the opportunity of scholarships and empowers the families to make meaningful educational choices. The impact that the school has had on my two nieces coming from public schools has been undeniable. Life altering and has changed our entire family dynamics. It's been their best year yet professionally and educationally. They said they were challenged for the very first time this year. felt safe in their environment and supported. The educational scholarship was created to put educational decisions in the hands of the family. And Elysium is bringing that principle to life by providing high quality options for students whose needs may not be fully met in the traditional school setting. I am here to support Elysium and support parent choice, educational innovation, and the belief that the funding should follow the students to an environment where they can succeed best. I ENCOURAGE THIS BOARD TO RECOGNIZE THE VALUE ALYSIUM BRINGS TO OUR COMMUNITY AND SUPPORT OPPORTUNITIES THAT EXPAND EDUCATIONAL ACCESS AND EXCELLENCE FOR NORTH CAROLINA FAMILIES. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS AGENDA CHANGES. DO WE HAVE ANY AGENDA CHANGES THIS EVENING? IF NOT, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE AGENDA?

I make a motion to adopt the agenda.

And is there a second?

Second.

Any discussion? All those in favor, please raise your hand. Any opposed? And the motion carries unanimously. Number nine, the consent agenda. Is there a motion to adopt the consent agenda?

I make a motion to approve the consent agenda.

And is there a second?

I'll second it.

Any discussion? All those in favor, please raise your hand. Any opposed?

And the motion carries unanimously.

Item number 10A, conduct a public hearing on petition R26-03 Vermillion Village.

Good afternoon. Everything's moving very efficiently today. So we have rezoning 26-03, which is the amendment to Vermilion Village. Just as a timeline of this application, the community meeting was held in April of this year, and obviously today is the public hearing. The request has been submitted by MPV Properties LLC to modify a section of the existing conditional district rezoning plan. Yes, and I'll clarify which section is being proposed to be amended. As some background, the original Vermilion Village rezoning was approved in 2017, and The first modification was approved in 2021. There were several things that changed in the first modification. I'm not gonna go through the entire list. I'm happy to answer any questions about those modifications, but I'm only gonna highlight the ones that are relevant to the application that's being submitted with the current rezoning. So between the original rezoning approval and the first amendment, um, there was a reduction in the total area of commercial space and there were some specific commercial uses that were removed. So the current rezoning, which was the first revision, allows for commercial and residential uses. And there are a couple of conditions with that. One of them is that all permitted uses within the town center zoning district are allowed. The first floor commercial, the first floor of the commercial and mixed use buildings are to be limited to commercial uses permitted by right. And then there was a limit set to the maximum area of healthcare services to 11,200 square feet. The application that's currently submitted is proposing to reduce the occupiable stories of the shop front buildings on Huntersville Concord Road from two stories to one story. And it's also then subsequently proposing to reduce the total commercial space as well. And while there are revisions to the occupiable second story, the elevations that are currently proposed for the shop front buildings would keep a facade of a second story to best meet the intent of the original approval. So this is another version, second, the buildings B and C. The previous was building A. So one of the reasons why we want to just highlight the changes with the commercial area has to do with consistency with the downtown plan and consistency with the 2040 plan. There was a lot of conversation in the previous rezonings about the commercial space in Vermillion Village from the public and from board members at the time. And, um, the preference by both parties for activated commercial space to encourage people to be in the downtown, um, spending time for leisure, um, at restaurants, retail, et cetera. And so, um, when the downtown plan was adopted, which it was adopted after the first rezoning amendment, it included the site plan for Vermillion village. And so one of the kind of the criteria here that was related to Vermilion Village is criteria three, which indicates that there is a recommendation for three to four story buildings. As I mentioned, Vermilion Village was already approved when this was adopted. So one of the recommendations that staff is including, um, to best meet the intent of the downtown plan is for activated uses, um, as a part of our recommendations, which we'll get to. So another element of the downtown plan was for proposed active frontages, which highlights the buildings that were a part of the Vermillion village rezoning area. The 2040 plan includes this area in the mixed-use center that includes the kind of greater region that we're in right now. We don't find necessarily that the revision that's being proposed is necessarily consistent with a mixed-use center with the reduction of commercial. However, we do find that the development overall is consistent with the 2040 plan. Okay, so one of the most critical components of staff's recommendations are going to be with the uses, specifically the commercial uses. We've had some conversation with the applicant about it. Um, and we're still working through that. So to best meet the intent, um, that the residents at the time and board members at the time expressed to have activated commercial, um, with the minimum being reduced staff have proposed that there is a minimum threshold for activated commercial use. We haven't completely worked on what the specific uses would include yet. We're thinking at a minimum retail uses, restaurant uses, things that are going to encourage people to be in the downtown area. but that's not finalized. Applicant is working on that as well. The applicant has currently proposed 5,000 square feet. There's something peculiar with that though, and I'll go back a slide to explain why So the applicant is submitting on behalf of shopfront building, well, technically shopfront buildings A, B, and C, but the amendment is with shopfront buildings B and C. So there is another commercial building in the site that they are not developing. However, with reducing the commercial space for these two buildings, it would then reduce the overall total of commercial space. The 5,000 square feet that they're committing would be among the shopfront buildings A, B, and C. They couldn't commit to the building that's in the rear, technically the north of the development. There was also a condition that there is a maximum area of healthcare service space. Staff are now also recommending that that be just removed. The most significant conversation piece is mentioned was there being activated commercial space. And so staff find that if there is a minimum OF THAT ACTIVATED COMMERCIAL SPACE IN THE SHOP FRONT BUILDINGS. WE DON'T SEE THE NEED FOR A MAXIMUM LIMIT ON OTHER USES THAT ARE PERMITTED BY RIGHT. the total list of our recommendations it also obviously includes the uh... minimum for the commercial spaces elevations were not a part of the previous package which is why you don't have them yet but uh... we're recommending and obviously requiring as well that the elevations are submitted the development is technically technically was obviously approved under a previous ordinance and staff recommended that it is no longer vested for future applications. We're still working through that with the applicant as well. One of the most significant parts of that has to do with the vesting with regards to as-built submittals for the SCMs. standard comment that all outstanding staff comments are addressed and then any remaining conditions from the previous rezoning we're recommending to be adopted as a function of the development of the rezoning approval. Happy to take any questions.

Commissioner Walsh.

Okay, so I'm a little math challenged. Can you go back three or four slides where Keep going. Keep going. Right there. So I'm focusing on the 25%. So I was here when this rezoning was done. And obviously the intent there was to have activated commercial retail restaurants, whatever, not just Monday through Friday, nine to five. So there's three buildings there, the three buildings and that fourth pad that's kind of by the water tower. is the 43,000 square feet.

That would be the new total. Yes.

Okay. And you're saying we're including that fourth building that they're not a part of as a part of that 25% or not, or it's 25% of these three buildings on the front here.

It would, the applicant is proposing 5,000 square feet among these three buildings on the front.

So what is the total of these three buildings less that fourth building? Because you said 43,000 includes the fourth pad? Yes. 31,500 square feet. So they're only committing to basically 5,000 of the roughly 30,000?

Yes, which I think worked out to about 12% of their three buildings, the 5,000 square feet.

Okay. When the applicant will talk. Sure. Thanks.

Any other questions for staff?

Okay.

Do we have the, oh.

Sorry. Commissioner Cornett? This might be for the applicant, but what are we solving for for doing, removing this?

So there have been some challenges expressed with being able to lease the space. The applicant can elaborate a bit about that, but that's part of the challenge. And so essentially before we can move on with construction, there are certain types of guarantees that are anticipated before construction can begin.

Does the applicant here to questions or do a presentation? Yes, okay Come on

Thank you, Lauren. I'm Robert Irvin from Irvin Law Group, and appreciate your time, Mayor and Commissioners. I'm representing MPV Properties, and we have Bailey Patrick here tonight from MPV. Just a quick rundown of MPV. As you know, they're retail experts of the area, the entire Southeast. They do a lot of mixed-use developments, a lot of commercial space. And one of the key things they do is they are committed to making a positive impact on the community and, you know, respecting the environment and respecting the, you know, capital resources of the towns that they develop in. As Lauren gave you a rundown, it's really the property that we're focused on is right up along Huntersville Concord. It says two parcels right in the blue right here, as you can see. And then this is a little bit closer. You can kind of see the square footage of each building on this property. And I think the key thing here is that the reduction from two-story to one-story, it comes down to the ability to lease the properties. I think Bailey's here to talk about it a little bit too, but leasing these properties, you want to have them about 50% leased before you can start the construction on these buildings. And with a project like this, there are some parking issues when a first floor tenant comes in, they're worried that the second floor is gonna take up some of their parking. And so that's a concern with being able to bring some like high quality tenants and the tenants that MPV really wants to have. And as Lauren said, they're MPVs willing to commit to 5,000 square feet of, I put non-office activated commercial space because I think it's focused on what Lauren said, restaurants, retail, coffee shops, it's not an insurance office, it's not a law office, it's not something that's just Monday to Friday, 9 to 5. And then one thing we didn't talk about is if you look at building A along the north right there, when talking with Brian and Lauren, we talked about enhancing that buffer a little bit because I think when the original project was done, they found some... nothing major, but just some issues with the buffer in the slope. So Bailey's committed to enhance that buffer and it's about 300 feet of buffer. So that will help, you know, just separate this project in the parking lot from the neighbors next door. And then there's also, as you can see, between buildings B and C and then to the left of Building C, there is some open space patio and playground just i think that's just for the potential tenants that could come in there's no uh we don't have any definitive tenants yet but that's just you know a little bit of an addition to what was on the previous plan And here's the previous plan. You can see a little bit closer that Lauren went through. And this gives a little bit of a 3D view of what it will look like. Obviously, the apartments aren't done here. But this kind of gives you an idea of what the buildings will look like. They'll still have that two-story look. They'll still have... the good articulation, good texture, good materials will be used as you can see here, the variety of different materials that are used. I think it'll look great. And, you know, we can look at these elevations some more. But I think if you all have any questions, I think that would be that'd be great. So thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, everyone. My name is Bailey Patrick. I'm a development partner at MPV Properties. I've been there for 11 years now, worked on a variety of different projects in the greater Charlotte area, really focused within an hour or so drive to Charlotte. Just a couple of things I wanted to clarify. So we control this piece on We're 31,500 square feet are planned. We do not control the back water tower property. That's Nate Bowman controls that piece. So when we came came up with the 5,000 square feet, that's for our 31,500 piece. So it's about 15, 16%, whereas the town proposed 25%. I think we can get close to or at that 25% if we have to. We were not trying to shortchange the whole project. We just have no control over Nate's parcel. I was brought in to this deal about a year and a half ago. The first thing I wanted to do, honestly, was to reduce the second story because we have trouble leasing that everywhere we go. you don't see it built very much anymore, and the second generation tenants you see, they can't pay rent. It's a lot of times not the types of businesses you want. So I wanted to make that change a year and a half ago, but we tried to work within the parameters of what was previously approved just to give you all some numbers on so previously over 44,000 square feet was planned in building B and C and there's 85 parking spaces there so that's that's about two spaces per thousand square feet which is there would have been a total disaster parking wise usually want 5 to 6000 parking spaces per 1000 square feet. So with this new plan we're we're under 5 so we're still a little light, but it's it's the right ratio for retail parking restaurant parking medical parking. Similarly, we've we've slightly reduced the the building a footprint, but really just so it's kind of a cohesive look and it had a strange truck or if you go to the If you go to it had kind of a truck court design in the back as if it was going to be. I don't know what what kind of use that would have been. It was before my time, but I think we've we've come up with a better plan that has patio spaces. You can see in this old plan, there's no patio between those building B and C. We don't have, I know there was a comment about daycare, maybe people not being excited about a daycare. We don't have a daycare lined up. This building C that has 12,000 square feet and a playground, that's simply kind of to show what could go there, but it's very possible it could be a coffee shop and a nice lawn area for people to hang out with, like who knows what it could be, but we wanted to show that there versus just showing grass or landscaping or whatever it could be. I'll stop there happy to answer any questions we Like Robert was saying we have no interest in doing a controversial project We want to do what's right and best for the area and we think we we just need a plan That's a little bit more suited for the market from a square footage standpoint with how much demand there is we we have one we had two tenants signed for one of the buildings at one point we lost one because it I We couldn't get off the ground because we couldn't lease enough space. So we have one retail tenant interested, but we just cannot get any interest with the previous plan, unfortunately. And I'm happy to answer any questions.

Commissioner Walsh.

So, yeah, I think 16% is probably a little bit low on commercial. So, and again, I'm not asking you to divulge, you know, anything, but if it's not retail restaurants, give me some idea, and it's not a daycare, what are we talking about? What kind of businesses?

We have one prospect right now that's, I would call it a, you know, a Chuck E. Cheese bounce house type space that would, I would say compliment the discovery place downtown. I've taken my three kids to, to that discovery place and we go and we look for somewhere to go downtown after, and there's not a lot of options. I think something like that could go here and could really, I mean, people would stay, um, You know, there's coffee shops, there's... I don't think... We've sent the project to all the big restaurateurs in Charlotte. It's a little green. They like to be closer to a grocery store. There's just things it's not hitting from just a high-end restaurant standpoint. I do think a restaurant would do great. I think a breakfast place would do great. We're trying to get all those kind of groups. Trust me, we do not want to do dentists and orthodontists and that kind of use, like... Is that better than nothing? There's a debate there, but we're we're committed to trying to find retail tenants because that's what's best for us. That's what's best for the for the neighborhood. But but I can't tell you who's going to go there right now.

Okay. To your point, it'd be nice not to have just Monday through Friday, nine to five and 16% is probably a little low. Thank you.

Any other questions?

I mean, I think we could so one of those buildings is 7500 square feet. It would if we could go up to 7500 square feet, whatever that percentages that makes sense to me because then you leave the other buildings for maybe single users and you just you keep that prime 7500 foot building is. I think we'd be willing to commit to that right now so.

Do you have a question? No, okay.

So what I think I'm understanding is like it's basically economics. The two-story building just isn't feasible in the current climate for businesses. And so you're looking to kind of downsize so that it is more appealing to tenants. And the parking situation was a factor in that, just to summarize.

Correct. And right now in the current financing environment, you need about 50% of the project pre-lease to get it going. Under the previous plan, we would have had to pre-lease an entire first floor with zero leases on the second floor just to get started. You can't get that many tenants to commit to that much space before you even build it.

Thank you. Commissioner Walsh.

Sorry, just one more on the parking. I think you missed it. I think you said we needed 5000 spaces. What like for a project of this size, the 31500, how many spaces do you need?

So we would want at least five per thousand square feet. So call it 150 plus spaces for all three of these buildings. And right now we've got 85 plus 93. So we'd be probably closer to five and a half, six per thousand, which is, which is what we would want before it was far too low. You would have had a, you would have had neighbors complaining all the time if we could have gotten it off the ground about how little parking in particular for B and C. Gotcha. Thank you.

We do not have any public comments for this, so if there's no other questions, we'll conclude this public hearing.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. We're on to item 10B, conduct a public hearing on rezoning petition R26-04, a request by Tony Thompson.

Good evening. All right, so the applicant, Tory Thompson, is proposing to rezone 8.7 acres of land along Babe Stilwell Farm Road from neighborhood residential to neighborhood residential with conditions for a school. The site is currently vacant. It is currently surrounded by single family residential and running through the middle of the site, we have a 250 foot wide Duke Power easement So the project does not require a TIA analysis, though staff does still need a vehicle stacking plan from the applicant. Additionally, along Babe Stillwell Road, a 10-foot side path will be provided. And along the perimeter of the rezoning site, there will be a 30-foot undisturbed buffer. And within the green area of the buffer, there's not currently any vegetation. So that buffer will be planted according to the buffer requirements. And then all other landscaping and tree save requirements will be met. Let's go back. So civic building type requires that when or recommends when a building doesn't front directly on the road frontage, that it fronts on something else. It can be an urban open space. So what you see in that red box is the urban open space that the applicant provided. While they did provide that, staff felt that the urban open space provided wasn't large enough and functional enough and it didn't front in front of all four of the buildings to kind of meet the intent of the ordinance. So we have worked with the applicant and the applicant did recently provide us an updated plan showing that. So you can see here they provided a large green surrounded by sidewalks and landscaping. Additionally, the applicant is planning to phase this project into four separate phases. They've also updated this to show that urban open space, which you can see here. Phase one will include building one, a portion of the open space in the parking lot and include all the driveway and right of way infrastructure. And as they build out, they plan to add to that urban open space in that parking lot. This is the applicant's conceptual elevations. On top of this, they have also provided staff's recommended schematic language notes to ensure that what's provided is generally what will be built. We do have a few comments and concerns regarding the elevations as is. We'd like some more details to show exactly if this is the elevation for each of the four buildings, as well as ironing out exactly what those dimensions will be. Additionally, they're showing that a large proportion of the facade of the buildings will be built with metal materials. The civic building type does not allow more than 30% of the facade to be metal, so the applicant will need an additional modification for that material. Staff would be in support or could be in support of that modification as the buildings will be about 260 feet back from the road frontage and partially screened by the required landscaping on the site. And then we come to modification one, which is a request to allow the proposed buildings to be set back further from the street because of that large amount of frontage being taken up by the Duke Duke Energy right-of-way where no buildings are allowed to be built. Article 4.13 civic building type generally requires civic buildings to be built within 0 to 25 foot range from the right-of-way. In this case, as I already said, they're proposing at least 260 feet from that Babe Stilwell Road. Staff can be in support of this modification. As you can see here in the yellow on the screen, that's the only area along the road frontage where you could build because of that right of way, that Duke Power right of way. So because of that, it makes it very hard to put any structures along that road. The 2040 Huntersville Community Plan does support this project. IT IS LOCATED WITHIN THE MEDIUM DENSITY FUTURE LAND USE CHARACTER AREA. JUST TO ADD, SCHOOLS ARE ALLOWED BY RIGHT AND BECAUSE OF THE MODIFICATION THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE FOR THE CONDITIONAL REZONING. POLICY EOS 3 DOES SUPPORT THIS PROJECT. as it prioritizes tree canopy on the lot. The NR zoning district requires 10% specimen and canopy tree save, and the applicant's gonna be providing 30% canopy tree save and 82% specimen save. Additionally, policy PS 6.1 supports this project as the school's gonna be adding further capacity to the town. Currently, with the submitted rezoning site plan, policies LU 7.1 and policies LU 8.2 don't support this project because of the urban open space that we felt did not meet the full intent of the ordinance and our concerns regarding the elevations. And with that, staff could be in support of this project as long as the following conditions are met. that the additional details regarding the elevations are provided, that all buildings front on an urban open space and the larger and more functional urban open space is provided, further details regarding the phasing plan are provided, and that the vehicle stacking plan is provided. And then all other minor staff comments are addressed. And if you have any questions, I can answer those. And the app can is also here and has a presentation as well.

Nathan, my apologies if I missed it, but I did not hear you enter your staff report into the record. Would you mind doing so, please?

Sure. I will add my staff report into the record.

Commissioner Walsh.

Can you go back to the phasing, the slide that was phasing?

Yep.

So what is that over in phase three to the right?

Once they get to phase three, that's where they'll trigger their stormwater requirements, and that's the SCM.

Gotcha. So what happens if they only do phase one and two, just runs off?

Then I don't believe they'll meet the threshold to require an SCM on the site. Gotcha.

Okay, thank you.

Commissioner corner.

So I have a question about the traffic on how to go in I know like my daughter school, there's a huge line we have to move people around I don't understand how like phase one we be able to get people in now.

Yeah, I'll let the applicant address that from what I understand there will be enough space for them to to go around the median that you can kind of see here to see if I can draw.

I can't.

Yeah, right here. I believe they should be able to go around that and back out, but with details I'll let the applicant address that.

Okay. And do we know how many students the school will?

I believe it was 150, but I'll let the applicant confirm that.

Okay.

Any other questions for Nathan? Okay, we'll have the applicant.

Hi, everyone. My name is Tori Thompson, and this is Tess. Let me just, I'm going to see if I can get all this working right. So thank you so much for your time, and I'm so grateful to be here. So my name's Tori Thompson. I'm the founder and CEO of Elysium School of Innovation. I'm a mom of four, and I founded Elysium because I believe students deserve an education that combines academic excellence, real world experiences, entrepreneurship, and innovation. My journey in education began with the Breakthrough Collaborative at the University of Texas in Austin, where I mentored first-generation college-bound students and discovered the transformational power of high expectations and meaningful relationships. From there, I worked with Scott Forsman one of the nation's leading educational publishers, contributing to literacy and curriculum development projects while gaining insight in how educational materials are designed and implemented at scale. I later taught in both public and independent school settings, including working with the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity in Massachusetts, supporting students from diverse backgrounds and helping bridge educational opportunity gaps. Recognizing the need for more personalized support, I founded Home Based Tutoring, where I work closely with families to provide individualized academic coaching, college preparation, and enrichment opportunities. Through that work, I developed a deep understanding of what parents want from education and where traditional models often fall short. We are not a big corporation. This is a small organization with student focus, and what I'm trying to provide here is an educational environment that fits the community and meets the needs of young people today. Our purpose is advancing education, and I'm trying to get this done to give these students a permanent school building so that they know that they have a place here in Huntersville, that they have a future here. I think, okay. So from my understanding zoning-wise, schools are supposed to be built in residential areas. So by right, a school can be here, but the only thing that we're asking is that it be allowed to be built at the back end of this property due to the Duke Power easement. So this isn't necessarily rezoning the property out of residential, it's just a condition allowing for something that is allowable had Duke not needed that for residential areas. society, I guess. I don't know. Students come to kind of answer some of your questions. We are a micro-hybrid school. And so students come either Monday, Wednesday, or Tuesday, Thursday. So we try to have them in field work on Fridays. And so that means that Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will be very, very peaceful for our neighbors. And our school hours currently are from 9 to 2.40. So not in high peak times and not anything that would disturb our neighbors necessarily. I mean, I guess if they work from home, but we're really nice and it'd be fun to hear laughter and childhood awesomeness. So what I'm trying to provide here is an educational environment that fits the community and meets the needs of young people today. This is not going to be a massive school. We are going to start with one building, and then as demand increases, we have a feeder school through the community school of Davidson's ripple program, which is also a hybrid school in Huntersville. but it stops at fifth grade, and so we are the extension of that, and 75% of our students come from that, and then the rest are enrolled through traditional enrollment. Andy Snyder is my chief operating officer, and I just wanna give you an example of how awesome she is. Every great vision needs exceptional execution, and that's where Andy comes in. Andy brings more than 25 years of educational leadership experience and spent over two decades helping build the Community School of Davidson alongside the founder Joy Warner. And today the Community School of Davidson is widely recognized as one of North Carolina's premier schools and has earned national recognition as one of the top performing schools in the country. She later founded the Ripple Program, an innovative hybrid learning model that became highly successful and an example of personalized and flexible learning. And the reason Andy is so valuable to Elysium is simple. It's because she's done this before and she's awesome. Wouldn't we want that for the top school in Huntersville to be here, one of the top schools to be here? I understand that CSD was supposed to come to Huntersville but wasn't able to, and now that's in another town. It increases the livability and people wanting to be here if the schools are high performing. Dr. Emily Fraser-Rath is our chief academics officer. Innovation means very little if academic outcomes don't follow. So Dr. Emily brings a unique and powerful combination of academic, technological, and leadership experience. Emily previously served as a professor at Davidson College. She worked as a content engineer for Google, and she currently serves as executive director of educational initiatives for the Black German Heritage and Research Association. Her expertise spans curriculum development, instructional design, artificial intelligence, and assessment systems, and interdisciplinary learning. At Elysium, Emily leads academic strategy, curriculum development, assessment, instructional coaching, and AI integration. She helps ensure that our students are mastering academic content, but also thriving as individuals. And that's my team. They're amazing. And those are our kids. So they are actually mentored by the Davidson College Entrepreneurship Club. Each of our students, our goal for them is to graduate with a business, college credit, and some kind of shadowing program. Not necessarily an internship, because they're too young, but that's a goal. I should go to the next slide here. I believe we're the only middle school in North Carolina to offer college courses to middle school students. 25% of our kids got credit and finished History 100. I'm waiting on a few more students, so our percentage might be a little higher, but we're pretty proud that they were able to do that, that we were able to give them that opportunity. Healthy, happy, intelligent, and innovative. Elysium doesn't just ask something of Huntersville, it gives something back. Here's how a school advances the goals of the town has set for the 2040 community plan. We love being outdoors. We plan on having as much outdoor possibility. We want our classrooms to open up to the outdoors. We plan on putting hiking where there are no buildings. We love the green urban open space that you guys requested of us. We just can't do it all at once. Our students won the design award for the whitewater competition and they got fifth place in the state for their future cities project where they designed a future city that eliminated food waste. This next year they'll be designing a future city that will have fire prevention written into it. So we're pretty proud of them and I just think that that would be great for Huntersville to have students that also think about the future of what a town and a city could be. Let's see. I'm determined to build what's best for our community. These students feel like family to me. I truly feel like their aunt. This is a difficult parcel to work with but we want to build where we can help the community and if you turn us down we'll have to find another place but this is a wonderful area for the vision that we have and that you have for Huntersville. The site helps us fulfill the mission for the school in a way that everybody wins. The children win, and the community win, and they're winning competitions all the time, so that's pretty fun too. Smart growth means the right use in the right places, protecting infrastructure, green space, and what residents love. We are low traffic by design just because we're a hybrid school and our kids don't come every single day. We want to protect your tree canopy. We want safe and supervised campus. We want to protect these kids as much as you do, but we really feel like they're family and in some cases they are. So it's like I hear you. I want to do this for everyone. So as a family, just recently we had a family move to Huntersville into the Lotta Nature Preserve, the Lotta neighborhood, in hopes that their daughter would get into our school. She's currently on our wait list in sixth grade, but this is an example of a positive driver for the community. They might have moved somewhere else, but this family chose Huntersville because of us, and high performing schools increase everyone's property value and their quality of life. So we meet real family demands, we keep kids close to home, and we're a good neighbor because this is our community. So everyone wants innovative projects that keep Huntersville's character. A school built on innovation is exactly that. The community wants innovation projects that keeps Huntersville's character. It shows a lot about a community's character when we prioritize youth academics. And this is for the children in our community. I would like to just kind of show you a little bit about our students and how they're scoring. They are in the 86th percentile for sixth grade reading, that's the median, and 92% are above the 75th percentile. 77% of our sixth graders are at the median in math and 92% are above the national median. For seventh grade, 93% are above and 75% are above the math. So we are having extremely powerful growth because we have teachers, we have technology, we have hands-on academics, and then we have the parents that are still involved. So our students are outperforming on a national level and they're getting college credit and may even have a whole semester done by the time they get to high school. The typical Elysium student reads above I will just kind of say this to us for North Carolina 31% of all North Carolinian schools are D's or F's and as a nation 22% of seniors are graduating at a Proficient level and as a nation half of our adult population Reads at a seventh or eighth grade level and our students are outperforming all of these metrics and So I don't really have much. I'll talk to you on this one, I guess. So smart infrastructure and sensitivity growth, what Huntersville has prioritized. We are a small hybrid school that adds minimal loads to the roads, utilities, and services. We want as much outdoor space, probably more than you guys want. Existing trees and setbacks, we have doubled the setback. I guess the requirement is 30, and we've moved all buildings 60 away from any housing on the back end. And then safety in and around our schools, we have a secure staffed and well-supervised campus. We have a very low student to staff ratio, so that means we have more staff than a traditional school would. We are a family-oriented and community character, so a local parent-founded school that keeps families learning and close to home. We have strong academic outcomes, students reading above the 85th percentile and 75th percentile for math nationally. Innovation that keeps the town's charm. We are STEAM, entrepreneur and college, early college credit. So we have innovation is our mission, and that is in your 2040 plan. I would just like to say most schools prepare kids for the world as it is, and we prepare them to build a better one. We are here to enable that purpose. Thank you for your time.

Questions? Thank you. Do we have any questions? Mayor Pro Tem Hunt.

Will you plan to have any after school or aftercare programs? I saw your site said you don't currently, but will you plan to?

That is not in the plan, no.

Okay. So you talked about your hybrid schedule. How many students would be on campus at one time?

So the max, I mean he said 150, I have it at 140, but let's say 150, that sounds nice. We don't wanna be big, we're very community oriented. We do have also virtual students, so our enrollment, we kind of like to see ourselves in between what a traditional school would be and what a homeschool family. So we're not trying to keep these kids there more than needed. So no to the after-school programs, but we would have a Monday-Wednesday cohort and a Tuesday-Thursday cohort. And I would say that the max of those two cohorts all together, so that's four phases, would be 150. So 44 for like phase 1 44 for phase 2 and then so the idea would be after everything's built out we would have phase 1 would turn into a intermediate school 6 7 phase 2 would turn into a middle school 8 9 and then a junior high like a junior high 8 9 and then high school would be 10 11 and then that fourth building would be the 12th grade building so it wouldn't actually have 44 in it it would just be like little office pod type things for the 12th graders does that make sense so that's a lot to visualize but okay next question sorry and then we have any special events I I if we did you know it would be like an entrepreneurship fair where the kids would like set up on the urban open space where they would sell their little knickknacks and stuff or like a little fair but no big like huge events i just don't want to commit to saying no to never having that but that's not like a big plan sure like maybe two days three days a year i don't know Something like that. We're new, so I don't have everything planned.

Yeah, okay, understood. I think the vision that some people have, the traffic it's going to create, like Hopewell or like Norman Charter, or people are picturing these really big schools that have all kinds of traffic, but what I'm hearing you say is that's not going to happen.

No, what's actually important is for us to keep the community feel, to be able to make sure we know all of our students. I had someone tell me once that their kid got ice cream at the end of the school year and they got a big X on their arm. And they came home and they were like, why do you have an X on your arm? And they were like, so we didn't get two ice creams. And the mom was like, I can't believe they didn't know by the end of the year all the kids. And that is not our goal at all. Our goal is very intentional and very purposeful. And if we ever did grow Out of this particular location we'd open up something in South Charlotte or something in Troutman. We're not wanting this to be big If our enrollment numbers show higher, it's most likely because of our virtual students that we do support But we support them like they are taking classes online They're not coming to campus and then they're meeting us for our field experiences that are on Fridays again not on campus and they're getting coached by our teachers again not on campus and So if we ever, that's not the plan and not the goal at all. The goal is to make sure these kids have a very close community, intimate education that's just beyond anything I could have hoped for. It's better than I imagined, I guess I should say.

Okay, thank you.

Yeah, thank you, I appreciate it. Commissioner Walsh.

Yeah, just back to the math again. So 150 students, so that means like on Monday and Wednesday, there are 75? No, well, that's not the idea.

Once we have all buildings built out, it would be max of 150 on Monday, Tuesday, or like Monday, Wednesday, and Tuesday, Thursday. So it could possibly be at the max enrollment, but not at the same time. 300.

300 students, but only 150 would be on campus at a time. Yes, sir. Okay, no problem.

Yes, and it would be phased based on the buildings that we've built. And we're only building as we get the enrollment.

Right, I was just looking at it. Yeah. It's sort of built out.

No, totally. I appreciate that.

And then in terms of activity on campus. Mm-hmm.

sports activities any of that so we have our students so her niece for instance takes aviation and is 13 learning how to fly a plane my children are in whitewater kayaking we have an international barefoot water skier our students are very active physically and we encourage it and they're able to take on those things because they have extra time with the way our schedule works with their remote days but we do not have currently on campus now I will say that urban open space they will probably play soccer there but we won't have a soccer team for the school we may put a basketball hoop up in the parking area for lunchtime but we don't have a gym we're not planning on having a gym we're not planning on having like big If we did ever do that, it would be kind of like CSD does where they have Spartan Park or like Pine Lake Prep. They have the separate field house area. This site does not allow for that. But we might have like a golf club go down to the golf.

I gotcha. You know what I mean? No future football stadium.

No, no, no, no lights even. No, there's no room for that. And we just won't have the numbers. I don't know. I don't want to be pummeled. I don't want to watch that. I don't know. We may like hook up with like, I don't know, another small micro school, but it won't be at this location. So I don't want to say no sports ever, but just not here like that.

Thank you.

Yeah, thank you. I appreciate it. I hope that answered it. Okay.

I wanna go back to the stacking plan for 150 cars. Maybe we go back to the site plan.

Yeah, let's see if we can find it. Let me see if I can find it. Is it this one? Hold on, let's do the phasing one. Nope, I don't know, where'd the phasing one go? Keep going back. Keep going. Somebody tell me when. That's not, oh wait, that is us, almost there.

There we go, okay, yeah, how can I help you on that one? Okay, so, obviously this is a residential street, you know, I work at Huntersville Elementary, also a residential street as well, the cars back up, we get a lot of complaints about this, this is a common situation over there, and it does take about, you know, 35 minutes to get the car riders, you know, through the car rider line.

How many students did you have at that school?

um well we have way more but um our car rider line is is probably equivalent actually um because we have buses and um so that's different um so it's about the same i think it's about the same number of cars would be going through your line there are 150 cars right because it would be 150 individual students unless they carpooled

Most of them, by the time we get to phase four, one of the things that you kind of notice with hybrid families slash homeschool families is they tend to have a few more children than the normal two.

I guess and so they will and a lot of people do carpool so I would probably say you could knock like 20 of that off but yeah okay so we'll say like there's 130 multiple family members in one car kind of thing um so 130 that's a that's still a decent number um what how will you handle that in the impact on the community because it it will you know I'm a little worried This is a thing of schools. This is a fact of nature of schools, that there's a car rider line, and so it's not.

Well, we don't want to cause any traffic, and we don't want parents waiting. I think that's one of the things when I drive by traditional schools, I'm like, I cannot believe they're waiting 30 minutes in line for their students. We start currently with our one class, we start at nine, but what we could do as needed if we ever had those issues, one, parents park usually if they're gonna stay. If they're gonna wait, they park. The other thing too is we can stagger start times. We are very flexible in our scheduling and the families are very flexible because this is not supposed to be like a high stress type of school. It's kind of a little crunchy, but in the best way possible. And so we could do, like, some classes start at 9, sometimes classes start at 9.20, some classes start, you know, we can be very flexible, and then that would mean instead of getting out at 2.40, you'd get out at 3, and then that would help alleviate some of that traffic, but I just don't even know if that's going to be an issue yet. But it's something that we can always plan for because I don't want parents waiting and I don't want kids waiting for 35 minutes. That sounds terrible. That's a waste of time. And we are all about being efficient in no... I guess we don't really do worksheets the same way traditional schools do either. Everything is very intentional, and so I'm happy to make accommodations accordingly. But we don't know what we don't know yet, I guess. And currently where we rent classroom space, I mean literally in three minutes they're out of there. So I don't know what to tell you. We're just not your typical school. But because we are private and not public, we are able to make any adjustments that we need to accommodate the students.

I just wanted to like kind of forward plan for the community there. You know, that's part of the deal for us is anticipation of what will come as you...

I mean, we could say once we hit phase two, so we could say like the lower school and the junior high start at nine, which would be 80 students, which... fits perfectly into all of that. And then when we get phase three and four, so we'd have a nine o'clock and then we could have a 920 or 930. And that means everybody's out and the next phase is in, but those are also times that are not high traffic times because people have already started work. And we are in the middle of the day. So the only people we'd ever really be bothering are people that are home already. And I you know when I was talking to neighbors and stuff We really want to be respectful of them as well But they were worried about people speeding and I don't know if this I believe having a school there would actually help the neighborhood instead of harm it because of You can't really be speeding in that area. You guys are also expanding 77. I think one of the issues, it really isn't our school's fault or would be our school's fault is that this particular neighborhood sometimes gets used as a cut through. That's something that maybe we can contact Waze or Apple or whoever gives you the alternate route. We'll save you five minutes. They're putting that out there, and that is, again, not our fault. But I would also say, if it's not us here, it's probably going to be the next people coming, our high-density apartments or condos or whatever. And that, I would say, those people are leaving at high peak times. Those people are coming in late at night. And then there's auditory issues. We are probably the best use case. We are not there all the time, and we are not there when you want to be sleeping. And so I really hope that the maybe minor inconvenience that I hope we don't even cause is worth what else could by right go there. Commissioner Quarles?

I WOULD LIKE TO JUST GIVE YOU A RECOMMENDATION. YES, SIR. BEFORE YOU GO TO THE PLANNING BOARD OR COME BACK TO US, I LIVE RIGHT OFF OF BATESFIELD ROAD, AND WE HAVE HOPE WALL HIGH SCHOOL THERE. YES, SIR. BUT IN ADDITION, ON BATESFIELD ROAD, THE RECORD ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE RESIDENTIAL AREA IS ASPIRE SCHOOL, SIMILAR TO WHAT YOUR PROPOSAL BEFORE.

THE BIG, YEAH, THE BIG HIGH SCHOOL.

I WOULD RECOMMEND OR SUGGEST THAT YOU GO TALK TO THE ADMINISTRATORS AT ASPIRE SCHOOL AS WELL AS DRIVE FURTHER DOWN BATESFIELD ROAD BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE LATE-NOMINATE CHARTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. which also have traffic on that same road around the same time. So you don't need to reinvent the wheel. I would suggest you go and talk to them and see how they're adjusting to the traffic or to the residents who leave at certain times. We know you have three schools operating around the same time of the clock.

Yeah, that's a very high density. And then I believe where Phoenix Montessori is and y'all are getting an elementary school on that street too.

Yes, on the back end, but definitely on Bates 4 because it's very tight on Bates 4 and Hambright Road when the fire school is going in and out of starting class and finishing classes.

Yeah, that high school, I do have a meeting with them later this summer, and I will ask them that, because we are never going to be that big, though, and we are not that close to other schools that are also going in at that time, but I hear you, and I think that that's a valid point, and I think talking to anybody is good to find out more information.

Yeah, I would suggest go before or later this summer.

Yeah, yeah.

Any other questions? Mayor Pro Tem Hunt?

So you said that you have a feeder program through CSD, but those aren't just Davidson kids that are in that program, right? It's Huntersville kids too, potentially?

Yeah, no, there's a lot of Huntersville, and families here right now are from Huntersville. So CSD is a charter school, and so they let students in VIA A LOTTERY SYSTEM. AND SO ANDY STARTED THE RIPPLE PROGRAM AND THAT IS IN YURTS AT SPARTAN PARK. AND I GUESS THAT WOULD ALSO BE A GOOD EXAMPLE OF HOW THERE ISN'T STACKING ISSUES BECAUSE THE PARENTS PARK AND THEY GO IN AND PICK UP THEIR LITTLES. OURS WOULD BE QUICKER BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. That feeds into us in a way that those families understand what a hybrid model looks like and those families understand what it requires to be in a program like ours because it is just as much up to the parents to be as involved as the teachers. So it's a 50-50 partnership, which is what's beautiful about it. But it also, as former teachers, you can also appreciate the fact that if your student's not doing well, it's not just the school's fault. It's a 50-50 partnership. And so you really see a lot more PARENT INVOLVEMENT AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, AND YOU SEE A LOT OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT GROWTH THAT YOU WOULDN'T NORMALLY SEE SOMETIMES IN A TYPICAL SETTING, I WOULD PRESUME TO SAY, AND SO I THINK I'm not sure if I'm answering your question correctly. Now I'm off on a tangent. So can you ask me again so I can make sure I'm... Yeah, there are Huntersville kids too.

There are Huntersville kids, yes.

Sorry, I get off too. I'm like, what are you asking me? No, yeah, there are Huntersville kids. I would say 75% come from the feeder program that already understand it, and then the other... 25% are just specifically Huntersville that find out about us from word of mouth. We don't, we haven't advertised, we haven't gone out into the world to expand. Our mission is really focused on our community.

Thank you.

Thank you. All right, any other questions, board?

Okay, we do have one public comment for this. Thank you, Ms. Thompson. Bonnie Logan, we have three minutes.

I got elected the last minute to speak for everybody for some reason, but I do want to make a correction that Tori made. She made this comment at the meeting at the library. The nine o'clock time is a nightmare because I have to be at work at nine o'clock and I'll leave at a quarter to nine, drive down the Bay of Stilwell and try to turn right onto 73. And I have to sit there until somebody feels sorry for me and says, come on. And that's how I get out. Go bumper to bumper with the rest of them. So nine o'clock is a nightmare. if you want to go the other way you still go out to the right turn around at black both landing and then do a u-turn and go that way because they're denver uh it's just non-stop now it's 73 is backed up all the way to denver they were showing last week on the tv how denver and iron station are now the in place and they're building like lightning and it's going to put more traffic out there and i don't know how the world we're going to survive but the traffic is a god-awful problem up there but anyway uh back 41 years ago i I lived in Charlotte, and I wanted somewhere different. And I found a place out on Babestill Road Farm Road. The name was longer than the road. It's a small, short, dirt road. It was very peaceful, very quiet, and it offered what I was looking for, which is what I call a quality of life. Unfortunately, or fortunately, Huntersville has just grown so much now that the roads are just not sufficient to carry the kind of traffic that we have everywhere. I come for a different way to come here tonight. I went down Sanford and turned right on Old Statesville Road. I was surprised there. Everywhere you go, it's just bumper to bumper. So the traffic will be an issue. It already is because I, you know, lived after 41 years and I've seen it, what it was, what it is and what it can be. And that is a very big, big issue for us out there. Uh, also we're just very concerned that, um, you know, that we're just in, oh, sorry. You know, we've just run out of room up here in Huntersville. There's just not much land or much to build anywhere. So, uh, I guess that's why we're even considering allowing a business in our neighborhood. It is a business. I know it's a school, but it's still a business. She's here to earn money and the town will get their taxes. So it's a win-win situation for them. We have not been told by anybody one advantage or one disadvantage, I mean one advantage or one benefit of anything we will gain by allowing this business in our neighborhood. We feel it's going to depreciate our property. The traffic is going to be a nightmare because the school, as soon as you turn on Babestore or Farm Road, the school is only three houses and right there it is. And that's where the ins and outs are going to go. Well, 73 is a nightmare all the time. and what's going to happen is you're going to have all these people 150 of them once they're at full force 150 people trying to go in that one road and they're going to have a little turnaround but where the rest of them are going to sit they're going to sit on base to a farmer while they're waiting their turn to get in to let the kids out and then when they get the kids out what are they going to do they're going to have to go back out down there and get back on highway 73 again and like i said 73 is already backed up now ma'am your time is up

I have to yes, ma'am.

Oh my God.

Can I say one more thing I've got to ask her to please consider if you have a I'll be fielded and this is the neighborhood. Thank you. You can send us the board email we can with the rest your comments we will appreciate that. All right that concludes item that tend to be so move on to other business 11 a consider adopting the budget ordinance for fiscal year 2027.

Thank you mayor board members appreciate your having this tonight. We initiated our budget calendar in January when we had a planning workshop and talk about the priorities for this year's budget. We've had a couple of workshops here in town specifically where we talked about the solid waste state and we've included in the packet tonight. A budget ordinance proposed budget ordinance that complies with the manager's recommended budget there is one change in it from the manager's recommended budget which is your request that we add a half-year position for economic and business development position. The tax rate is proposed to be unchanged at 22.75 cents, and the solid waste fee is proposed at $2.70. I'm sorry, $270. Happy to respond to any questions or concerns you have.

Can you expand upon the of our you know the background in history of the solid waste fee and how we have arrived at the number we're on now.

Glad to do that. So Mecklenburg County so ideally what will happen is tonight you'll adopt a budget that will implement a tax rate and a solid waste fee if you choose to do so tonight. Within, I would say, six business days, we'll hear from Mecklenburg County asking us what our tax rate has been adopted and solid waste fee, if any, has been adopted. And Mecklenburg County is our tax collection agent, and so they'll generate bills early in July. that will go out mid-July to all property owners in Mecklenburg County. Those bills are due upon receipt, but they do not begin to accrue interest until about January 5th. If January 5th is a Saturday or Sunday, it will be the following day, business day, when they begin to accrue interest. We've had the authority to have a solid waste fee for years. I have camped a copy of Mecklenburg County puts on their website. The history of what different tax jurisdictions in Mecklenburg County have adopted for a tax and solid waste fee, if any. Currently in FY26, the current fiscal year, the city of Charlotte and Huntersville are the only two municipalities who choose to adopt a solid waste fee. Our solid waste fee for the last three years has been $154. It's, as best I can tell, the history that I've been able to find and go back to 2005. I don't think there was a solid waste fee in Huntersville in 2005, six or seven, but in 2008, it appears to me that we adopted a $36 solid waste fee. The following year in 09, that solid waste fee was increased to $54 a year where it stayed for approximately six years. Then it went to $72 where it stayed for four years. Then to 84 where it stayed for three years. It was $109 for only fiscal 22. It was $126 for fiscal 23. It's been 154 for FY24, FY25, and FY26. I've been an employee here approximately 10 years. Kevin Fox shares with me that he has been here since the adoption of the original solid waste fee. While I have not been able to vet this out in just a short period of time this afternoon, Kevin assures me that the solid waste fee has never covered 100% of the residential solid waste collection costs that we've had in Huntersville. at a $154 in FY26. I can't do this off all the numbers accurately off the top of my head anymore, but at $154 in FY27, if you chose 154 in FY27 the way you have for the previous last three years, that solid waste fee that residents would pay would only cover somewhere between 55 and 65% of the solid waste costs that we will incur. Please recall, I just commented, Mecklenburg County will generate a bill in July. We're adding residents every single month. And so we get a solid waste bill from our private hauler every single month. I can't recall a single time in my service at the town when that solid waste fee has had the same number of residents two months in a row. And so in spite of the fact that if the bill is generated once a year in July, We're adding residents every month. So if you want to cover 100% of the solid waste charges that we estimate we will incur in FY27, the fee you would need to implement is $270. Everything we do in local government is an estimate. That's what we estimate you would need to charge to cover 100% of the fee. It has to be an estimate because Mecklenburg County is only going to generate a bill once a year. I'm happy to take a breath. There are other municipalities, again, most other municipalities in this county choose not to charge the fee. That means in accounting terminology, I would say they're eating that. There's no such thing as a free lunch. So they're covering the cost of solid waste charges to their private haulers with their tax rate. So you could choose to do that if you want to. We discussed in January how much we would need to increase the tax rate to eat that fee in our tax rate if we chose to do so. It was more than, I don't remember how much it was. We're generating $1.7 million with every penny. So if we need to cover $6 million, six cents, Gavin says, I'm willing to believe him. I'm sure he's right about that. So over the course of my tenure here, I'm going to turn around and look at somebody in the audience now. Over the course of my tenure here, my recollection is Davidson used to charge the fee and chose in about FY23 to stop charging the fee and what I would term roll that they increase their tax rate to generate approximately the level of dollars that they were generating in the previous fee. You can choose to do that or not do that. That's what Davidson chose to do a few years ago. We've talked about the policy decision over the course of this fiscal year in preparation of tonight to decide what we thought, what methodology we'd like to follow about whether it be in the tax rate or a separate fee. And it's my understanding the general consensus was to increase the fees such that the fee would cover 100% of our estimated cost of that private hauling. Kevin Patty, what about left out anything you want to add. What questions can staff respond to about the solid waste they are or other questions you have about the budget.

And I'm going to make you do some math so this amount is the annual amount for a household resident residential household. The monthly that would be how much for pick up weekly and we're cycling 2 times.

All right, so you're asking me to take the 270 which is the and I won't do it in my head for an audience or otherwise 270 divided by 12 months would be 2250 a month 270 divided by 52 weeks. I estimate would be five dollars and nineteen cents Weekly 52 weeks so trash pickup, which is fantastic.

By the way, I don't have to take it to anywhere myself Would be five dollars ish

A week. A week. Okay. And that's for three services. That's your solid waste pickup, your yard waste and recycling. Correct. Yes.

Okay. That was that's that's all I had. Thank you. Any other questions?

If we didn't raise the fee, what would it cost us in a year?

I'm going to guess we're in the middle year of a seven-year contract-ish with our current provider. That contract certainly would allow them to increase the fees they charge us every single time we add a resident, but it also provides them with a CPI increase. every year so our cost if you adopt a 154 fee the way you did the previous three fiscal years if this year it's covering 50 percent 57 percent then when our costs go up but you don't change the fee then we're going to be covering a lower percentage so it's going to go from something like 57 percent to 54 percent and the following year it'd go up to go down to 51 percent so Because our cost is rising, if you don't change this fee, then we're relying on the tax rate to provide more of the cost to cover those solid waste services. I hope that answers your question.

I was going to say like total. What is it like every year? What are we paying total to subsidize that?

The total for over 22,000 residents is over $6 million. Okay.

Any other questions about the budget or the solid waste fee? Super exciting topic. One of my favorites. Okay. So do we have a motion to adopt the budget ordinance for fiscal year 2027?

I would like to make a motion that we consider adopting the budget ordinance for fiscal year 2027.

And is there a second? Second. Any discussion? All those in favor, please raise your hand. Any opposed? And the motion carries unanimously. Thank you. Item number 11B, consider approving purchase agreement to purchase 1.2, whoops, 1.727 acres at 106 Gilead Road. Mr. Roberts.

What you have before you is a picture of where this property is. Probably everyone knows where this is. It's to the west of 760 Craftworks is what you see on the right side of this map. As you said, it's 1.727 acres. This is a purchase agreement for $1.38 million. Happy to answer any questions. This just starts to process due due diligence. Obviously, we would have to come back to the board for a budget amendment later on if the due diligence pans out. I anticipate that budget amendment will come back to the board within 60 to 90 days max.

And can you give a brief history of how we got here to have the opportunity for this property?

Yes, and don't hold me to an exact date. I'm going to have to have Brian Richards come up. Obviously, this property has come before a board for approval with a mix of what I'm going to call Holbrook Apartments Phase 2 is probably the best way to explain it. It had a mix of apartments and retail commercial on the bottom floor. They were looking to combine driveways with 760 and move the driveway of 760 closer to the property highlighted in green. Went through a process. The board at that time approved that project with conditions as any project like this I'm sure there's a maybe Nick can fund it but this is a I'm teasing this is a large project where you get financial backers for a project like this as they go through their due diligence just like we do when we're purchasing property and trying to put things together that financial backer probably backed out ultimately could not find a maybe another financial backer to back that up. And ultimately, they decided to walk from the project, and then that project was presented to the town for potential purchase. That's the short version. That's my version of it. Obviously, I don't know who the financial backer was. Don't know why. Don't know if they got another. Don't know how many times they tried. That's my short version of how we kind of got to where we are.

Thank you. Any other questions? All right, do we have a motion?

I'd like to make a motion to approve agreement for purchase and sale of real property to purchase approximately 1.727 acres located at 106 Gilead Road in Huntersville, North Carolina.

And is there a second? I'll second. Any discussion? All those in favor, please raise your hand. Any opposed? And the motion carries unanimously. Item number 11C, consider approving partition R25-1813729 Eastville Road. Mr. Farber.

All right, good evening again. And I'll submit my staff report into the record. The applicants in Mecklenburg County are proposing to rezone 114 acres of rural to rural with conditions for a regional park in order to build a private driveway that will encroach within a 30-foot post construction buffer. Staff is in support of the project as long as the following conditions are met, which are that all of the specimen tree items are addressed and all other minor staff comments are addressed. I'll also add that the applicant has worked with us on the specimen tree and is ready to submit the updated plans here shortly. And if you have any questions, I can answer those. And the applicant is also here if you have any questions for them.

Any questions? Okay, do we have a motion for item 11C?

I make a motion to approve petition R25-18 Eastfield Park for the installation of a public park with the following conditions. All specimen trees are clearly shown and addressed in the plan. Applicants request for a modification from the zoning ordinance to allow for disturbance of a 30-foot post-construction stream buffer for a driveway crossing is granted provided that applicant provide mitigation technique number six As a fourth in the staff report and all minor staff comments are addressed. With these conditions and modifications, the plan is consistent with the Huntersville 2040 community plan, including policies LU 1.1, EOS 1.1, EOS 8, and EOS 10. It is reasonable and in the public interest because it is consistent with the character of the area and increases resident access to parks.

And is there a second?

I second. I second.

Any discussion? All those in favor, please raise your hand. Any opposed? And the motion carries unanimously. Item number 12, closing comments. Commissioner Coronet, we'll start with you.

Just like to wish everybody happy Pride and thank you for your proclamation.

Commissioner Walsh. Commissioner Rivers.

welcome back miss janet it's a pleasure seeing you we'll continue praying for you and just rest we got this but we're keeping you lifted up and we're happy to see you thank you for being here tonight and also happy juneteenth coming up june 19th and our juneteenth celebration will be on june 18th and i think that's from 6 to 8 p.m if i'm correct Yes, so please come out. It was an amazing event last year and I hope everyone comes out this year.

Mayor Pro Tem Hunt. Commissioner Quarles. Commissioner Smallwood.

I just want to say welcome back, Janet. I'm really looking forward to working with you and just want to wish my mom a happy 86th birthday on Saturday.

Yeah, welcome back and we're so happy that you're here and happy to have you back on our team we're excited to get some more work done together. Now I have a motion to adjourn. Motion to adjourn and is there a second second the discussion. All those in favor please raise your hand. And the post and the motion carries unanimously we are.