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Gospel-singing
Evangelist Jack Taylor and the Gospel Singers will have an old-fashioned gospel-singing at the Stanley Community Center.
The event is Saturday at 7 p.m. The public is invited.
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Traffic becomes a concern
By THOMAS LARK
- Thu, May 8, 2008
BELMONT—As Belmont and eastern Gaston County continue to grow, traffic concomitantly increases.
This major concern was a topic of discussion at Monday’s regular meeting of the Belmont City Council. At issue was the soon-to-open New Bridge Day Care, which faces an already busy Central Avenue, according to Belmont residents Augusta Smith and Richard Turner.
A former city council candidate whose traffic concerns are well known, Turner said he was worried for the safety of his fellow residents and the children soon to be served at the site. Turner also said he wondered whether such a site presented zoning problems.
Mayor Dr. Richard Boyce told him it did not.
Smith, who resides on nearby Poplar Street, said, “It seems like a very unsafe situation already,” and she advocated a four-way stop and speed humps as good ideas.
Councilwoman Martha Stowe resides in Stowe Manor, which is directly beside the site in question. Stowe said that representatives of the day care center have already discussed with her the possibility of renting parking space on the historic mansion’s grounds in the hopes of mitigating traffic problems.
In a post-meeting interview, Smith said she was simply concerned about traffic safety. She added that on Poplar Street, posted as a 20-miles-per-hour zone, drivers routinely travel well over twice as fast.
In other news, the council unanimously passed two land-related items and a tax matter, following motions and seconds respectively made by councilmen Charlie Flowers and Charlie Martin.
•It approved the adoption of an ordinance annexing four tracts of land (about 55.72 acres) south of Lower Armstrong Road and west of South Point Road.
•It approved the adoption of an ordinance to rezone said land to the designation of General Residential (GR).
•It approved a resolution establishing the City of Belmont occupancy tax, which could generate as much as $40,000 a year, according to City Manager Barry Webb. This also means the creation of a Belmont Tourism Development Authority, said Webb, and this organization would benefit from the tax monies raised.
And Oscar Reid told the council that the Belmont Neighborhood Partners would recognize the accomplishments of local kids, 6-15 years of age, May 18 at 4 p.m. at Mount Moriah Baptist Church. The event is part of the RAMS (Responsibility and Motivated Service) program, said Reid.
“We’re trying to uplift our children,” he said, “and to ‘scoot ’em up,’ as my father used to say.”
He added that A.C. Stowe and the Rev. Kenneth Alexander would be among the scheduled speakers. The Belmont Mass Choir will perform gospel music.
The Belmont City Council’s next regular meeting will be June 2 at 7 p.m. at Belmont City Hall.
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