Kannapolis Council says no to further road-name debate

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 2, 2009

By Hugh Fisher
hfisher@salisburypost.com
KANNAPOLIS ó A request to revisit the renaming of Rogers Lake Road got a resounding rebuff at Monday’s City Council meeting.
Councilman Gene McCombs moved to add the item to the agenda at the end of the business session after consulting with City Attorney Walter Safrit.
“My purpose in that is that I was a bit confused when we took that action last time,” McCombs told fellow council members.
At the June 23 council session, members voted to rename sections of Rogers Lake Road, with a portion leading out to Boy Scout Camp Road to become part of Isenhour Road and another portion near Main Street to become part of Lowrance Avenue.
McCombs said he had received feedback from residents and wanted to bring the matter back before the council.
His suggestion was that the Isenhour portion be called Calvin Rogers Road, while the portion adjacent to Lowrance be renamed Old Rogers Lake Road.
However, the vote to add the item to the agenda failed on a 4-3 vote, with councilmen Richard Anderson, Kenneth Geathers and Roger Haas and Mayor Bob Misenheimer voting against.
Mayor Pro Tem Randy Cauthen and Councilman Darrell Hinnant joined McCombs in favor of the measure.
“I had some of the folks at the public hearing who were concerned with the renaming, and two others who were residents of Rogers Lake Road,” McCombs said after the meeting. “And this was just my attempt to try to accommodate them, because they live out there.”
In other business, the council:
– Heard a proclamation from Misenheimer naming July as Kannapolis Firefighter Appreciation Month, honoring firefighters for their work raising funds on behalf of the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
– Voted unanimously to approve a resolution accepting the N.C. League of Municipalities’ Green Challenge, an effort to help communities become energy efficient and environmentally friendly.
Under the program, Kannapolis will voluntarily undergo audits and examine its services to find ways to conserve energy and save money and resources. If successful, the city will be honored this fall with an award.
– Tabled until the July 28 regular meeting a discussion of updates to the Coddle Creek Area land-use plan.
– Received the first reading of an amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance relating to multi-family residential design standards.
The change will exempt developments in the Center City area from certain regulations. The matter will be taken up at the July 28 regular meeting.
– Witnessed the ceremonial swearing-in of two new Kannapolis Police officers, Jeffrey Gaydos and Steven Webb, who officially joined the department in June.