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Transportation
If polled, 4 out of 5 residents in Belmont would agree that traffic is the number one issue in Belmont and I intend to make it my number one priority as a councilman. There are numerous areas in need of immediate attention and there are multiple options to acomplish them. A few specific examples are outlined as follows:
South Point Road
South Point is a single bottle neck caused by school traffic and student drop off in the morning commute. This doesn't require millions of dollars in road widening to improve. Even a 6 lane highway will be stopped by traffic lights out of sync and students crossing the road from the Harris Teeter Complex. I intend to work with NCDOT to add a traffic light at Stowe/McKee Farm and synchronize the traffic lights to prioritize through traffic. Funneling pedestrians to a single crossing point will also improve functionality of the intersection and these could all be funded under the existing city budget surplus. We don't need to sit around waiting for someone else to pay for it and we don't need massive bonds.
Pedestrian Improvements
Belmont has some beautiful historic architecture, but the sidewalks out front could use some love. Repairing existing sidewalks and improving curb ramps is important for everyone, be it those in wheelchairs, the elderly, moms with strollers, or kids on bikes.
School Drop-Off
The school system is not managing congestion due to student drop off. I will work with the school system, NCDOT, and our police department to implement a stacking plan for drop offs and create an improved system that discourages the free-for-all drop off on commercial properties that currently decreases student safety.
Infrastructure
We think of infrastructure as being roads and bridges, but there is so much more that keeps the government in service to the people. In addition to working on transportation, I will implement a program to upgrade water mains, sewer mains, and our stormwater infrastructure.
Utility Upgrades
There are water and sewer mains that are older then most residents of the city. The service life of many of these mains was 50 years or potentially less. While the sewer overflows and pump stations on the peninsula should continue to get our attention, we need to develop an upgrade schedule for the capital improvement program on our oldest mains. A system that only addresses immediate repairs is a failed system.
Stormwater Improvements
Belmont lies partially in the critical watershed of Lake Wylie and the Catawba River Basin where we get our drinking water. The city has taken a back seat to the County in monitoring stormwater and protecting our natural resources. I intend to propose changes to the stormwater ordinance that improve the city's capacity to protect our streams and enforcing annual monitoring of stormwater infrastructure.
Development
We have all grown to be hesitant of development because it assumes more development equals more traffic, more crime, more [insert negative attribute here], but we forget the benefits of new development. It can also mean revitalizing a depressed area, putting a family in a new home, or adding another option to buy groceries on the way home from work. Our current plan to address development is just say "No", but good leaders don't just say "no" - they negotiate to find better solutions for everyone. I will be a voice of leadership in sorting through good and bad developments for Belmont.
East Belmont Crescent Project
This is a project that received my support as a member of the Planning & Zoning Board and would have received my support as a councilman. This is a no-brainer project that should have received unanimous approval and was a missed opportunity for the city when it was voted down. The project was a major revitalization to the Catawba corridor, donated the Frady Field park to the city for permanent use, and came with $5M in County funding to improve the Park Street and Catawba Street intersection.
The Wilkinson Boulevard Corridor
The city has decided that they want to revitalize the Wilkinson Corridor, but they also only want to allow "unsavory" land uses and apartments on Wilkinson at the same time. This represents an underlying theme of not having a plan. We should be working with the Gaston Economic Development Commission, local developers and land owners to open up Wilkinson Boulevard to development opportunities instead of waiting for opportunities to land in our lap. This is the Gateway to Belmont and should be given more attention.
Comprehensive Land Use Plan
The city is in the process of upgrading the comprehensive land use plan, which is the guiding vision for the future development in the city. As a professional engineer and experienced member of the Planning & Zoning Board, I add critical expertise to contribute to this project and set the stage for Belmont's future.
Image Source: Queen City News
Henry Chapel Subdivision: When development doesn't make sense, I will vote it down, as I have in the past.
North Belmont
North Belmont is a symptom of several priority points related to a lack of vision. When the Caromont Hospital was approved in 2020, it should have kick-started initiatives to open up development in the north as a medical hub. Instead, we have kept it isolated as Belmont's industrial Park with only a single high-profile project coming online; an industrial building off Hickory Grove Road. Mount Holly capitalized on this opportunity, while we sat idle, saying "No" to everyone else.
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With investments in extensions to the water and sewer district, paired with planning initiatives and partnerships with Belmont Abbey College, we can transform North Belmont into the most desirable part of town for business and we can add to the tax base without increasing traffic on the peninsula.
Parks & Recreation
The parks in Belmont serve as the primary public space for the community, but they are currently failing to serve the entire community. Most of the park infrastructure is in the city core and only accessible by car to residents at the tip of the peninsula and in North Belmont. I will work to increase the number of parks, spread out throughout the city and get public works the resources needed to maintain them. The park system should serve all of Belmont.
City Rec
In addition to increasing the number of parks and improving the amenities of the park system, a current barrier to citizens to enjoy our park system is the membership fee at City Rec. The City Rec facility should be no different than any of our public parks;
FREE TO ENJOY.
North Belmont Park
North Belmont deserves a park at the same level of service as the rest of the city. I will work to get a North Belmont Park on the Capital Improvement Plan that properly serves North Belmont.
Visit Davis Park, one of Belmont's hidden gems!