3/26/09 - Public Meeting for Daniel Road Complex
Public Input Sought For Daniel Road Complex
SPINDALE, NC – A project team working on plans for the county's Daniel Road Complex is gearing up for a pair of public meetings on Monday, March 30. The meetings are designed to allow the public and area elected officials to view the preliminary plans and give feedback. The meetings will be held at the Foundation at Isothermal Community College from 11:30am to 1:30pm and again from 5:30 to 7:30pm. The format of each two hour session will be the same, though citizens can come to both if they choose.
Rutherford County purchased the 112-acre tract bordering Isothermal Community College in May of 2008 in order to address the needs in the county's long range building plan. A consultant, ColeJenest & Stone, was hired and began work in November of 2008 on a master plan for the site. The plan is to be complete by May 2009.
Though the county is not proposing that any money be spent at the site at this time, Board of Commissioners Chairman Brent Washburn says it is important to do the planning now so that things can move quickly when budgets and the economy look better. "It is critical that we prepare ourselves for the future and master planning this site now will put us in a great position to take full advantage of opportunities that will come," said Washburn. "The meetings Monday will be a great chance for the public to see the plans to date and give us additional ideas."
The preliminary plans call for the site to include the Farmers' Market, the Community Pet Center, agricultural arena, multiple athletic/soccer fields, walking trails and other recreational amenities. The property also contains two to three sites suitable for commercial development. The overarching goal for the property is to make a regional destination and improve the local quality of life.
Keven McCammon, who is serving as the chairman of the Daniel Road planning team, says the project is forward-thinking. "This is an extremely important project, a real turning point for Rutherford County and its future," said McCammon. "This project is going to create a lot of energy and be something very positive for our citizens and for the economy."
Consultant Michael Cole of ColeJenest & Stone agrees. "The Daniel Road Complex is a terrific opportunity to consolidate many key county services and amenities and to create a unique economic development tool for attracting residents and visitors to the area," said Cole.
ColeJenest & Stone also did the master plan for neighboring Isothermal Community College. Washburn notes that one of the keys to the site will be redesigning the intersection where the property fronts U.S. 74-A. Currently the stop light on US 74-A is only useable for those entering and exiting the White Oaks Plaza Shopping Center which includes Tractor Supply and Big Lots. The preliminary plan shows the Daniel Road complex entrance from US 74 being redesigned to align with that stop light and allow full access from all directions. This will make the proposed commercial sites much more valuable.
Representatives from ICC serve on the Daniel Road planning team, allowing the college a direct say in what happens on the site. The ICC Board of Trustees was very pleased when the county purchased the property. This master planning process potentially offers a great deal of protection to the college and recommends certain adjacent property be designated for future college expansion.
The proposed location for the Farmer's Market is near the commercial sites with great access and visibility from US 74-A. The committee feels strongly that having the Farmers' Market there will greatly increase its use.
"The Farmers' Market is going to be an awesome thing," said committee member Bruce Hoyle, a local farmer. "It is going to be used daily. A lot of small farmers are growing a variety of produce to be sold and the demand for local produce is increasing." Hoyle said the agricultural arena will be used often for shows featuring animals like cattle, horse, sheep and goats. This will be an economic tool, as it will bring participants from outside Rutherford County to show their animals in the arena. The arena is not intended for animal auctions.
A series of recreational amenities are planned including up to six athletic/soccer fields, playgrounds and miles of walking trails. Eric Wells who serves on the planning team has been heavily involved in youth soccer over the years sees the complex as a huge step forward.
"The Daniel Rd property represents a great opportunity for Rutherford County and Rutherford County Soccer," said Wells. "Youth sports is a quality-of-life issue and therefore an economic development issue. This will give Rutherford County the opportunity of hosting tournaments which will bring larger numbers of travelers meaning more visitors in restaurants and hotels. RCSA currently provides soccer for over 300 local youth twice a year and over 100 who practice year round. We also host 3-4 soccer camps during the summer. That is a lot of exercise and fitness for a lot of kids. The location of this property and the way it has been designed will serve this need now and for years to come."
One of the benefits of planning the complex now is that it will open up major grant opportunities, particularly for recreation. The county has applied for a Parks and Recreation Trust Fund grant of $500,000 to help defray the expense of acquiring the land. Additional grants are possible in the future with of many of them requiring significant planning up front to qualify. There is a potential for the county to qualify for economic stimulus money, particularly for the road and intersection work.
The Daniel Road Complex planning committee consists of Keven McCammon, Stephen Matheny, Steve Duckett, Kerry Giles, Eric Wells, Jerry Stensland, Bruce Hoyle, Sara Hartman, Brad Jones, Barry Jones, John Padgett, Ken Ullrich, Tim Will, Jeff Buchanan, Tommy Harmon, Mike Gavin, Frankie McWhorter, Gerry Luckenbach and Brent Washburn. Additional people have served in various meetings including Bill Howell, Dawn Gentry, Lynne Faltraco, Melissa Cantrell, Melinda Nodine and Betsy Lane. Julie Scherer and John Condrey serve in ex officio roles.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Rutherford County Economic Development Commission
Kerry Giles, Marketing Director
142 E. Main Street, Forest City, NC 28043
(828) 248-1716, (828) 248-1771 FAX
kgiles@rutherfordncedc.com
www.rutherfordncedc.com
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