Marvin News

Firefighters battle blazes set by lightning strikes STEVE LYTTLE and CLEVE R. WOOTSON Jr.

“Blakeney is not like SouthPark with older homes and apartment dwellers”

Long range photo of what The Apartments at Blakeney look like. Shot of Blakeney pool with apartments in the background. via Charlotte.com

“We ought to be able to vote on this”

Village of Marvin council members plan to discuss an annexation plan that would add 1,855 western Union County acres and almost double the town's population. via The Charlotte Observer

“Even if he did do it, he'd still be welcome at my home. He could still come visit us”

Burlington Police arrested a man wanted in connection to a cold-case in Ohio. They arrested Marvin Lee Smith, Jr., 51, on a fugitive from justice warrant at his job at Wal-Mart on March 28. via WFMY-TV Greensboro

“It becomes apparent to us that Providence Glen homeowners are good enough to serve the people in Marvin, but just not good enough to live there”

Marvin, one of North Carolina's wealthiest towns, is set to vote Tuesday on whether to annex an upscale subdivision, hoping to end a debate about what qualifies a neighborhood for admission into the western Union County town.

The controversy began in February, when the village council voted to add the Weddington Chase neighborhood of mostly $600,000 and $700,000 homes at Providence and New Town roads.

The same night, the council declined to add Providence Glen, an adjacent subdivision of $300,000 to $400,000 homes. Both had asked to be annexed. Read more

Editor's note: The writer is a retired Union County Schools superintendent and chair of Union Smart Start.Young children here in Union County deserve the best we can give them.

The Week of the Young Child, April 13-19, is a time for us to recognize the needs of young children and thank the adults involved in their education and care.

The board of directors and staff of Union Smart Start are very aware that parents, teachers, caregivers and other adults play vitally important roles in the lives of young children, and we salute their efforts. Read more

“It just doesn't seem fair that we have to keep paying for their growth.”

The Smith Farm covers more than 200 acres in eastern Union County. It's just 16 miles from the suburbs of Indian Trail, but it might as well be on the other side of the world.

Indian Trail, a Charlotte bedroom community, teems with subdivisions, strip malls and traffic.

Meanwhile, to the east is open country, all farmland and forests and almost no public water and sewer service.

The divide has created a challenge for county leaders struggling to serve communities that share little more than the Union County name. Read more

“He was the best owner you could have”

The pilot of a single-engine plane registered to a Charlotte homebuilding company was killed in a crash in the Weddington Chase neighborhood in Marvin in western Union County. via Charlotte.com

“I thought it was going to hit my house”

The pilot of a single-engine plane registered to a Charlotte homebuilding company was killed in a crash shortly before 5 p.m. today in the Weddington Chase neighborhood in Marvin in western Union County, Union County homeland security officials said.

Nine-year-old Cole Lancaster was jumping on a trampoline outside his house in Weddington Chase when he saw the plane flying toward him.

'It looked like it was out of control,' said Cole, a third-grader at Sandy Ridge Elementary School. 'It was moving back and forth.' Read more

More than 80 Union County subdivisions would be affected if the school board next month approves proposed student reassignment plans.

During a school board work session Tuesday night, Union County schools superintendent Ed Davis presented reassignment plans for several schools.

More than 100 people showed up to hear the proposals. The board didn't vote.

To relieve overcrowded Sun Valley Middle and High, Davis recommended the board reassign the Antioch Elementary attendance area to Weddington schools. Some 300 Sun Valley Middle students would go to Weddington Middle and 228 Sun Valley High schoolers would go to Weddington High. Rising juniors and seniors would remain where they are. Read more

Union County schools superintendent Ed Davis will present a reassignment plan for several schools at a school board work session tonight.

One plan includes reassigning students who attend Sun Valley Middle and High. Officials say the move is needed to relieve overcrowding at the schools.

Davis also will outline an assignment plan for middle and high school 'C,' both slated to open in August 2009 off Cuthbertson Road in the Marvin and Weddington area.

Davis is expected to recommend moving elementary school 'L,' also set to open in August 2009, from Cuthbertson Road to the Hemby Bridge area. Read more

“There were no real surprises from four years ago”

The highest percentage increases in Union County median home values were scattered from Marvin village to Marshville township, according to the county's latest revaluation figures released last week.

Unincorporated Vance and Jackson townships topped the list of areas with the greatest percentage jumps in median home values, at 64 and 37 percent.

The village of Marvin had a 36 percent increase. Three unincorporated townships also saw big jumps: Goose Creek, 32 percent, Sandy Ridge, 31 percent and Marshville, 31 percent. Read more

“I hope everybody can try and heal together”

A Marvin councilman says he has changed his mind on a controversial annexation issue and will vote to take in the Providence Glen neighborhood at April's monthly council meeting.

Speaking at Tuesday night's meeting, Nick Dispenziere said he has joined councilwoman Vicki Lawton and mayor John Ciaramella in support of annexing Providence Glen.

Dispenziere's change could give the Providence Glen annexation the support it needs to pass. Council members Marc Curtis and Terri Patton oppose it. Read more

“These are not small homes by any stretch”

Michelle Redmon's home sits on almost half an acre on Avanti Drive in western Union County. The 3,300-square-foot, 6-year-old house is worth about $400,000, she estimates.

It's more than enough for herself, her husband, Philip, and 8-year-old son Mitchel, she says.

Although it's surrounded by three similar homes annexed by the Village of Marvin, she wonders whether her house isn't good enough for the village. Marvin's council last month rejected a request to annex much of Providence Glen, Redmon's neighborhood of $400,000 homes on less than an acre. Read more

“Most of us bought homes with the expectation we would be added to Marvin”

Residents of a western Union County subdivision are steamed because the village of Marvin refused their request for annexation.

They're questioning whether council members are trying to make the town of about 3,000 a haven for wealthy people.

The council voted 3-1 Tuesday night against annexing Providence Glen, a 99-acre subdivision of 110 homes at Providence and New Town roads. It sits east of much of Marvin, near Weddington.

Providence Glen is just west of Weddington Chase, a 250-acre subdivision of 287 homes that Marvin annexed Tuesday by a 4-0 vote. Read more

Residents of a western Union County subdivision are steamed because the Village of Marvin refused their request for annexation. via Charlotte.com

K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOLS

$4,000 donation to Walter Bickett

For seven years, Allen Tate Realtors has donated thousands of dollars and hours to Walter Bickett Elementary in Monroe. Tate employees have read to children, assisted in the school's media center and also held annual fundraisers that benefit the school.The company recently gave $4,000, bringing Tate's total monetary gifts in the past seven years to about $25,000.

'We feel that public education is a quality-of-life issue. It's so important to us and we get very excited about being involved with it,' said Ron Sumrow, Tate area manager. The money will go toward classroom libraries and providing basic needs of students. Read more

How the town should fill its vacant administrator and planner positions, and how the council can communicate better with staff are two key issues the Marvin Village Council plans to discuss during its retreat ... via Charlotte.com

“It's less to do with this site specifically and more to do with our national pullback”

Marvin-area Wal-Mart opponents are expressing glee and caution after news that their nemesis is moving on after six years of legal battle.

They're pleased the Arkansas-based retailer is offering to sell 28 acres at Rea and Tom Short roads. They're even more thrilled that a Wal-Mart spokeswoman said this week the company will not build a Supercenter on the site.

'Today I'm jumping for joy,' said resident Ginger Leppert, who sent an effusive e-mail to her family. 'After more than 6 years, Wal-Mart is walking away from our back yard!!!' it said. Read more

“So we need to still be diligent in our efforts.”

Wal-Mart is selling the site of a planned Supercenter in the Marvin area in western Union County, ending a contentious, six-year battle with nearby residents.

The Arkansas-based retailer is advertising to sell the land at the intersection of Rea and Tom Short roads, according to wal-martrealty.com.

The 28-acre site, under the heading 'available land' on the Web site, is listed at $8 million.

'We are not going to build on that site,' Wal-Mart spokeswoman Tara Stewart said Tuesday. Read more