Updated 1:11 p.m.
Davidson’s Town Board will hold a closed session at the end of its meeting Tuesday night to hear an update from the town attorney about Community One Bank’s lawsuit over rezoning of the former Davidson East site off N.C. 73. In its first meeting of the new year, the board also will hear about Mecklenburg County’s proposal for new fire tax districts in unincorporated areas. And commissioners are expected to adopt a resolution authorizing the town staff to work on the Red Line Regional Rail Project and to to clarify the town procedure for groups to request permits to serve alcohol on public property. Read the full story

Map shows the parcel where Davidson Day School hopes to put a second campus.

MOORESVILLE – Mooresville commissioners last week approved the rezoning of 190 acres between Faith and Mackwood roads, clearing the way for Davidson Day School to build a separate campus for its upper school – grades 7-12.

The rezoning request had been on hold while commissioners considered the proposal. Last month, Davidson Day officials said they hope to purchase the land this month. The parcel lies east of N.C. 115 and north of Faith Road. Read the full story

Lauren Blackburn looks at a map with citizens during Thursday's meeting at Town Hall (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Participants in Thursday's session marked up a map of the West Side of Davidson. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

If historical growth trends continue, Davidson’s population could more than double from its current 11,000 over the next few decades. That’s expected whether the proposed commuter rail line to Charlotte gets built or not, according to town planning manager Lauren Blackburn.

The rail line would only speed that growth, Ms. Blackburn said Thursday night at Town Hall, at the latest in a series of meetings to gather citizen input on development along the rail corridor.

The question is, how will Davidson develop in response to that growth? Read the full story

To the Editor:

When we moved to Davidson a year ago after a four year exhaustive search of ideal small towns nationwide, we thought the place couldn’t get any better. Well we were wrong. Even during the past year, so many wonderful refinements have taken place. This special little haven just keeps evolving, year after year.

Now, we have another opportunity to make a great place even greater. In my mind, the downtown Davidson rail yard project offers a win-win for all involved: citizens, visitors, seniors, children, teens, merchants and more. In addition to train travelers, cyclists and walkers will benefit, too. (See Real Estate & Home, Dec. 14, 2011, “Meetings seek input on updated rail station area plan.”)

The first place that immediately came to mind when reading about various plans for the property is the fairly new Railyard project in Santa Fe, NM. For those who haven’t been there, I have enclosed a plan and two links describing its make up and the acclaim it has received. And it has done all this while weathering a recession, with much growth still to come.

The best part of the Railyard is its integration of diverse uses: children’s park, picnic areas, amphitheater, restaurants and shops, farmers market, art and wellness facilities, teen centers and more. Given the available, largely undeveloped land available for this same type of project in Davidson, I believe we have an ideal chance to carve out our own community gathering space (supplementing the Green, of course) before other inevitable and perhaps less focused redevelopment takes place someday.

Andrea Nordstrom Caughey, River Run

RELATED LINKS

Dec. 14, 2011, DavidsonNews.net, “Meetings seek public input on updated rail station area plan.”

July 11, 2011, SustainableCitiesCollective.com, “Santa Fe Railyard Redevelopment Creates Rich Urban Experience”

Sept. 19, 2011, “How Art, Culture, and Community Drove Transit Oriented Development in Santa Fe”

Map and tenant list of The Railyard, in Santa Fe, (PDF) via RailyardSantaFe.com

Town planners will hold another meeting at Town Hall Thursday night as they update planning for the area around a future commuter rail station in downtown Davidson. Meanwhile, Davidson’s Town Board will meet four days next week, including the first regular meeting of the new year Tuesday and its annual retreat Wednesday to Friday. And two other regional groups meet next week: the Lake Norman Marine Commission on Monday, Jan. 9, and the Lake Norman Transportation Commission on Wednesday, Jan. 11. Read the full story

Two-hour parking signs have gone up on the north end of South Street, near the Stowe's Corner building (left).

The town has adopted parking limits on an area of South Street near downtown in response to residents’ concerns about overflow parking from the nearby Stowe’s Corner building and CVS. The changes include parking permits for residents and a 2-hour limit on parking for patrons of Main Street businesses. Meanwhile, the cost of a parking ticket in downtown Davidson is going up on Jan. 1. Read the full story

Life can’t get much better than in the Davidson Dog Park. Friends are there, everyone gets along (dogs and humans) and there’s plenty to do with balls and Frisbees and books. Yes, books — there’s a lending library for humans. Leave one, pick one up. Read Chip Dawson’s report on our PETS & ANIMALS page.

These signs were installed on Concord Road last year when the NC DOT resurfaced the road. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

By ROLEY ALTIZER

Since the spring of 2004, I’ve been obsessed with walking. From Dec. 14, 2004, (the day I started keeping records) to Dec. 5, 2011, I had walked 8,220 miles throughout town.

I started walking during the spring of 2004 as part of my rehabilitation after having brain surgeries—after I could be trusted to walk from McConnell to the Post Office and back.

I’ve always been an observant and analytical person, so during my years of walking I’ve made hundreds of mental notes about pedestrian safety here in town. Read the full story