LANDIS — About halfway through Monday’s Board of Aldermen meeting, Landis Mayor Mike Mahaley said he had good news to share.

“I would like to announce tonight — this, I think, is going to be good news to everyone,” he said. “I know it was awful good news to me when we heard it.”

After months of negotiations involving him, Town Manager Reed Linn, Public Works Director Ron Miller and members of the Department of Transportation, the intersection of Central and East Ryder avenues will soon reopen.

“They’re going to take that concrete curb out. They’re going to put lights up there. So Central will be open as usual,” Mahaley said.

Linn clarified that the intersection is scheduled to reopen in mid-January.

Mahaley said the town had promised to “quit bugging” the DOT and give it six months to reopen the intersection.

“So we gave them about six months and, honestly, they came through,” Mahaley said.

For the past year, railroad improvements by the DOT have become a nuisance for Landis residents who have either been affected by intersection closures or concerned about safety hazards that new traffic patterns created.

At its February meeting, the board heard complaints from town officials and residents about the intersection of West Ryder Avenue and Main Street, which had recently been reworked for ongoing railroad improvements.

Mahaley said Monday that, while he was relieved to hear about the Central Avenue intersection reopening, he is cautiously optimistic about the timing.

“It’s great news,” Mahaley said. “I think everybody in town complains about it. Now what we’ve got to do is just kind of follow through and watch and make sure something happens around January.”

After he finished his announcement and the audience remained silent, he said: “Can I hear a whoopee or something?”

In other business Monday:

• The board heard two petitions for annexation, one from an individual and one from the town manager.

Patrick Blackwelder asked for annexation of a vacant parcel he owns.

Town Manager Linn, who presented both petitions, said Blackwelder intends to build a home there and wants to live in Landis.

Linn said the land is adjacent to the town limits at Windward Lane and Bonita Drive.

“I think it’s great every time we get a new annexation like this,” Mahaley said. “It’s just a new house, new property tax. It’s good; the town’s growing.”

The second piece of land was acquired by the town several months ago and is next to the Lake Corriher Wilderness Area.

The parcel is 7.49 acres and is in the western part of the area, just south of Lake Corriher. According to Linn’s proposal, the nearest paved road to the parcel is Beaver Road, just off Flat Rock Road.

The board has not yet annexed either property. It accepted both petitions Monday and scheduled a public hearing for each at the next meeting.

The board’s next meeting has been moved to Sept. 11 because of the Labor Day holiday.

Aldermen Dennis Brown and Tommy Garver were absent from Monday’s meeting.

Contact Jessica Coates at 704-797-4222.