Landis delays grant application

By Shavonne Potts

spotts@salisburypost.com

LANDIS — The Landis Board of Aldermen has decided to delay applying for a state parks and recreation grant in order to get it right.

Town Engineer Mike Acquesta told the board Tuesday that a representative with the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Grant suggested the town wait until next year.

"She suggested that we not rush and haphazardly throw something together," Acquesta said.

The grant would fund a historical passive park and renovation of the old hardware store also located downtown.

The park was the idea of the late D.C. Linn and his family. The family wanted the town to have the 2-acre lot, which sits at North Central Avenue near the Landis Police Department. The hardware store could be used as a community center or possible theater.

The property is currently in a trust with the Foundation for the Carolinas.

The grant representative sat down with Acquesta, staff and others to consider the town's options. The representative said the town should hold public meetings to inform its citizens of the master plan. These would be informal meetings and not necessarily a public hearing, but more as a way to get public input on what the master plan should include.

Alderman Tony Hilton questioned the safety of having events in the old hardware store.

Acquesta said it is structurally sound; however, if they start construction on it, it could become a hazard. He suspects there is asbestos and lead in the paint, which on its own isn't dangerous until someone starts stirring it up. If the town had to wait a year for the grant and then another year for construction, Acquesta said the building would be fine.

The board originally approved applying for the grant at its September meeting.

The board also:

- Swore in returning board members James Furr and Craig Sloop. The two men were the highest vote-getters in the November election. Clerk of Court Jeff Barger administered their oaths of office.

The board also reappointed Sloop as mayor pro tem.

- Received an update on the sanitary sewer video work to map the town's sewer lines.

There were nine contractors throughout the southeast who indicated they were interested in the work. Of those nine, four were out-of-state.

"Some of the bidders wanted to wait until after Christmas and said the town could probably get better deals," Acquesta said.

- Reappointed board members and staff to the Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC), Technical Coordinating Committee (TCC) of the Cabarrus-Rowan Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).

Alderman Tony Hilton and Public Works Director Steve Rowland, respectively, are on TAC as the representative and alternate, while Rowland is the representative on TCC and Town Administrator Reed Linn serves as the alternate.

- Approved a resolution in support of municipal cooperation for the development of the Interstate 85 Corridor.

Mayor Dennis Brown said Landis and Kannapolis have already begun working together. This show of support basically puts in writing that the towns along the corridor agree to work together.

The agreement says the town will work toward the progress of the communities individually and collectively.

Interstate 85 is a major transportation corridor that serves all of Rowan County as an economic development resource having an impact on each community.

- Approved the Oaks of Landis subdivision request to build nine more lots for newly purchased homes for Phase I of its site.

Linn said the company does not build a home until it's bought. Since they've recently sold these homes, they are now ready to build.

- Approved a proposal to revise the town charter to reflect a town manager form of local government instead of town administrator.

"The town administrator has limitations that a town manager doesn't have," Furr said.

This change would make Landis on board with surrounding municipalities.

The easiest way to make the change said Town Attorney Rick Locklear is to have the local representative introduce a bill.

In this case, the local representative would be Fred Steen.

The mayor has already contacted Steen and the indication was that Steen would move forward when the town gave the word.