BY DEBBIE PAGE

The Troutman Town Council approved a 256 single-family home development, located between Apple Hill Road and Falls Cove phase 7, on Thursday night.

Town Planner Andrew Ventresca recommended approval because the project, which is located off Flower House Loop north, met the town’s future land-use plan and UDO requirements.

Prestige Development representative Alex Bonda said the project would include a cabana amenity structure and pool. All homes, ranging from 1,500 to 3,000 square feet, would be front-loaded, with hardy plank, stone, wood, or brick exterior materials and vinyl used only as trim.

The homes will be two-story, with the possibility of attic areas or a rear walk-out basement level added on some sloped lots. All will have a two-car garage and space for two cars in the driveway.

Prices will be in the $450,000 range, with completion expected by 2030. A builder has not been selected.

The density is 2.46 homes per acre. The maximum allowed density is 12 homes per acre in the requested mixed residential conditional zoning. The Future Land Use Plan calls for medium density of 2 to 3 homes per acre.

The nearly 104-acre development will have 10 percent open space. Though a buffer is not required, Prestige added a 50-foot buffer around the perimeter of most of the development, with a 25-foot buffer in a small area, in response to neighbors’ concerns.

There is a 100-foot buffer along Rocky Creek, which divides the development. Because the parcel is in the watershed area, the development will have retention ponds to control storm water.

Road connections will be made to Streamwood Road through Falls Cove and Apple Hill Road to Flower House Loop.

The traffic impact analysis (TIA), which studied 14 intersections, recommended a westbound turn lane onto the southern leg of Flower House from Charlotte Highway or a southbound turn lane from Flower House south onto Charlotte Highway, depending on possible right-of-way acquisition.

The TIA also recommended more lane storage on Houston Road going west toward Flower House Loop, a left turn lane on Autumn Leaf Road turning left onto Main Street, and a right turn lane on Streamwood Road onto Perth. All recommendations are pending review by the NCDOT and could be modified.

The realignment of the intersection of South Main Street, Houston and Flower House Road is in progress and is now in the utility relocation phase, with construction scheduled to begin next year.

So that the Falls Cove subdivision can finish paving its roads with construction nearly completed there, resident George Harris asked during the public hearing that the Falls Cove connection not be opened until the fire marshal requires it. When it opens, Harris asked that the road be limited to residential traffic to avoid damaging the newly paved roads.

In October, the Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval of the project with conditions, which were accepted by the developer, including similar materials on accessory structures, front facia with brick or stone, utility wires underground, bump-outs for visitor street parking, and the pool and cabana built by construction of the 100th home.

The council passed the development 3-1, with council member Nick Jaroszynski voting against it.

DATA CENTERS ADDED TO UDO

A text amendment requested by CI 77 Troutman LLC to allow data centers in the heavy industrial districts in the Unified Development Ordinance also unanimously passed.

CI-77 is developing an 88.5-acre site at Houston Road and I-77 near the water tower. Edged, an eco-friendly data center company (https://www.edged.us/) which has data centers in the Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, Kansas City, Phoenix, and Columbus areas, is interested in this site as a possible Charlotte area data center.

This type of HI use adds little traffic and has noise reduction measures. It uses no water to cool the servers, relying instead on a chemical-based recycled rooftop chilling system. The center will develop its own electrical substation separate from the surrounding area.

The company’s equipment would also provide a boost to the town and county tax base.

Though the text amendment request was made with this project in mind, the ordinance will apply to all of Troutman’s planning jurisdiction.

ABC QUARTERLY REPORT

ABC Board Chair Layton Getsinger presented the ABC Store first quarter report, which included a 4.7 percent increase over first quarter 2023. Sales reached $841,550, or 27 percent of the projected $3.1 million in this year’s budget.

Sales in July and August were strong, with both months surpassing over $298,000 in sales. September sales dipped to $248,434 but were still 4.8 percent over September of last year.

Net profits were $68,226, which represents 33 percent of the projected 2024-25 budget profits of $209,282.

Getsinger’s new projection is that sales will reach $3.35 million for this fiscal year, based on sales so far.

Distributions for the quarter were $11,928.50 to the town coffers and $2,982 each to ESC Park, Troutman Parks and Recreation, the J. Hoyt Hayes Memorial Troutman Friends of the Library, and the Troutman Iredell-Statesville Schools ($745.50 each to Troutman Elementary and Middle, the Career Academy and Technical School, and South Iredell High).

The Troutman Police Department received $3,895, and the Drug-Alcohol Coalition of Iredell received $5,543 for alcohol education.

Getsinger said the Christmas packages are on the shelves, which now boast $254,500 in inventory for the busy holiday season.

The ABC Board has gotten all the pieces in place to move forward on the second store near the southern Flower House Loop area, but the board is waiting for the economy to strengthen before starting construction.

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH

Town Manager Ron Wyatt recognized Public Works Director Austin Waugh as the town’s Employee of the Month for October. Wyatt applauded Waugh’s leadership in his growing department and his dedication to continuing his education to grow as a leader and to continually improve his performance.

Wyatt also expressed pride in Waugh and some of his Public Works team who lent their skills to assist with recovery efforts in Western North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene flooding. Waugh also took off several days to accompany his church’s team to help.

Mayor Teross Young thanked Waugh for taking care of neighbors in Troutman as well as those in Western NC.

OTHER BUSINESS

The council unanimously approved:

♦ An annexation request for 2.445 acres at 149 Pinewood Road for utility service.

♦ A rezoning request for 18 acres adjacent to CATS from suburban residential to light industrial.

♦ A text amendment to add periodic review of surety bonds for development projects to protect the town from rising construction costs to finish required improvements not completed by developers who opt to post a bond in lieu of the work.

♦ Removal of the 2016 requirement that no one person can serve on the ABC Board for longer than eight continuous years of service since no other town board has such limits.

♦ Reappointment of Layton Getsinger to the Town of Troutman ABC Board for an additional three-year term.

♦ Reappointments of Hap Williams and Darrell Nantz to the Design Review Board for additional three-year terms and appointment of Karen VanVliet to fill a vacant seat ending in January.

♦ The facades for the future site of Animal Hospital on South Main (750 South Main Street) and for the Quik Trip to be constructed adjacent to the Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins at the I-77 interchange area.

♦ An annexation request for nearly an acre at 203 Timber Lake Drive for water service to be considered on December 12.

UPCOMING EVENTS

♦ Tree Lighting – ESC Park, Thursday, December 5, 6 p.m.

♦ Christmas Parade – Eastway Drive – Saturday, December 7, 11 a.m.

♦ Jingle Run 5K – Town Hall – Sunday, December 15, 3 p.m.