Local News - November 2003

Local leaders unveil projects

Chamber retreat

By AL DOZIER, Staff Writer

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BLOWING ROCK—Look for new schools, an expansion at Gaston College’s Lincoln campus and a major renovation of City Hall and the fire department if plans unveiled this weekend are carried out.

City and county officials got a peek into the future during reports to business leaders at the annual Lincolnton/Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce retreat Saturday at Blowing Rock’s Chetola Resort.

 Underlying those presentations were implied, if not outright requests for support from the chamber, an organization made up of some 500 businesses and individuals that can quickly poll members and endorse or denounce any proposal or initiative.

More than 30 chamber participants at the retreat appeared supportive of most of the presentations made by leaders from Lincoln County’s government and school system.

The city of Lincolnton’s plans for an expansion of City Hall and the downtown fire station are already under way, with bids expected to be awarded in January, according to City Manager Jeff Emory. The project will provide new buildings and a different façade for City Hall and the fire station.

“It’s going to change downtown, Emory said. “It’s desperately, desperately needed.”

City employees will have to move out of City Hall for awhile and work out of another building downtown, while fire department personnel will set up temporary quarters on site.

Gaston College’s Lincoln Campus hopes to relieve crowded computer labs and library space and make room for science classrooms.

 The college will need some financial assistance but has found generous support in the past. Jerry Cochrane, chairman of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners, said campaign to help fund the addition would begin next year.

Rosalind Welder, dean at the Lincoln campus, said enrollment has expanded rapidly since the college opened in 1998 and has now reach about 2,000. She said a new building would provide space for science classrooms where chemistry and biology would be taught. The addition would help the school fulfill a goal to provide all of the courses necessary in Lincolnton for students interested in college transfer.

Jim Watson, Superintendent of Lincoln County schools reviewed the school building needs which he said must be addressed in the near future if the system is going to accommodate an enrollment expected to increase by 1,500 students during the next five years.

They include a new middle school for the western part of the county at a cost of $15 million. A new elementary school costing around $8 million is needed in the west to relieve overcrowding at Union, Love Memorial and North Brook. Another $18 million is needed for expansions at Lincolnton High, West Lincoln High and East Lincoln High. The expansion would add 150 to 175 student capacity to each school. Another $6 million in renovations and repairs are needed throughout the school district.

“The immediate need is $47 million,” he said.

To get that amount of money the county would have to pursue a bond issue that would go to the voters of Lincoln County for approval.

 Watson said after his presentation that he would seek to have the bond on a ballot in the spring elections next year.

County Manager Stan Kiser briefed the group on the county’s latest effort to manage, and fund, new growth: the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance. An APFO ties development approval to the availability of public services. It does provide the county with a source of revenue by providing a formula for a developer to contribute what is needed to bring services to an acceptable level.

Kiser also noted that schools funding was a major issue for the county to cope with in the coming years.. “The coming school bonds will double the county’s debt,” he said.

Barry Matherly, Director of the Lincoln Economic Development Authority, gave an upbeat message about the success of existing business in Lincoln County and underscored his determination to make them his top priority.

“It’s your bread and butter,” he said.

At the conclusion of the meeting incoming Board Chairman Stephen Starnes called for a “brainstorming session” that set priorities for the coming year.

 Supporting the schools’ building initiative, and the Gaston College expansion were high on the list. The chamber also voiced support for getting water and sewer to the Lincolnton/Lincoln County airport and encouraging downtown development. The always thorny question of how to get more east Lincoln business into the chamber prompted a prolonged debate that included suggestions for removing the “Lincolnton” from the chamber’s name and leaving it as the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce.

 The issue was referred to an internal committee for further study.

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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