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June 29, 2005
Goodwill coming soon
Attention bargain hunters: The city released its new business license listing today. One business set to open is the new Goodwill thrift store, within Wendover Crossing. That's the development at Penny and Wendover, near the Mi Pueblo.
Posted by at 11:42 AM | Comments (3)
Child care center closing
I'm always surprised to learn that a north High Point child care center is closing because it seems like a center is such a sure bet in a place filled with families where new neighborhoods are being built all the time.
But one of them has closed: The Children's Center, run by Oakview Baptist Church. You can read the story below. If you're searching for quality child care in your area, the Guilford Child Development Center can help with placement. The center can be reached at 887-8224 or at www.ucdccip.org
Thirteen months after The Children's Center opened, parents and staff learned the child care center would close for financial reasons.
The faith-based center at north High Point's Oak View Baptist Church will close Aug. 12, leaving 27 teachers and administrators without jobs and forcing the parents of 60 children to find a new child care option.
"Looking for child care is such an emotional decision because your child is your life," said Jackie Todd, whose 2-year-old son, Wade, has been at The Children's Center for about a year. She's now spending her days making calls and visits to other High Point child care centers.
Todd and other Children's Center clients learned Friday that the center would close.
The center's director, Blake Aldridge, also got the news last week.
"We're not too happy. It was out of the blue," Aldridge said.
The decision to close The Children's Center was made by Oak View Baptist's finance committee and deacons, according to the Rev. Steve Smith, the church's pastor.
The center loses money each month, Smith said.
Smith said he wishes the church did not have to close the center. He is calling other area child care centers to find those with immediate openings.
There are about 20 other centers in north High Point.
The main problem, Smith said, was child-teacher ratios enforced by the state. The ratios meant a lot was spent on employee costs, Smith said.
The church originally launched the center because it has a large number of families with young children in the congregation.
The Children's Center is licensed for up to 135 children, but has fewer than half that number enrolled.
"We're a church, not a day care," Smith said. "We were trying to provide that service, but it just didn't work out financially. I hate it for everyone. But that's where we're at."
Posted by at 11:37 AM | Comments (0)
Panel says development would be too far from city
HIGH POINT - A proposal to build 204 homes in Davidson County is too far away from High Point's edge for the city to adequately provide services to them, a panel said Tuesday.
The Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-1 to recommend City Council not approve the proposed Shugart Management development along Joe Moore and Burton roads to Shugart Management.
Council has the final vote and will hold a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 1.
The 97-acre property in question - which High Point legally can annex - is in an area of northeast Davidson that city does not feel is ready for growth and development.
The Northeast Davidson Area Plan, established in 2002, designates the area for future growth and says that the city should allow only developments close to existing homes that are within the city’s limits.
About 30 Davidson County residents attended the commission's meeting. All who spoke questioned whether the city and Davidson County could handle the project.
"Why are we going to put that many people in the neighborhood and not support them?" Terra Bryson, a resident of Joe Moore Road, asked the commission.
Residents said the development would create a safety hazard on narrow country roads, continue to strain already overcrowded schools and a sewer system at capacity as well as be too far away for High Point's public safety agencies to reach new residents quickly.
Tom Terrell, a lawyer representing Shugart, said the houses would be less than a half-mile from an existing development within High Point’s boundaries. He added that the property is close to an area the city deems ready for development.
Terrell stressed the proposed development would have a density of about two homes per acre, less than half of what High Point recommends for property in northeast Davidson. He said the scale of the development would not overburden roads, schools or sewer systems.
Plus, Terrell said, the development would not destroy the rural setting of the property. Thirty acres are to remain undeveloped, he said.
"This is development with the land," he said. "You don’t see that very often."
City planners had recommended the development not be approved because it is in the area for future growth. They questioned whether the city could afford to provide public services.
Planners also said that approving one development in the area would set a precedent for developing that area of the city in a piecemeal fashion.
"There would be no rationale to deny similar requests in the near future," said Gregg Morris, a city planner.
Terrell and developer Grover Shugart stressed High Point has allowed other developments that are far from the city lines.
"With what has been taken in before, there’s no reason for this to be different," Shugart said.
But Robert Janson said the city already has trouble providing services to residents in his Wynn Gate neighborhood, the city community closest to the proposal.
"There are no services," he said. "They don’t exist."
Contact Amy Dominello at 883-4422, Ext. 248, or adominello@news-record.com
Posted by Amy Dominello at 3:22 AM | Comments (0)
Plan has no park in fast-growth area
HIGH POINT - A proposal to expand and upgrade Davidson County parks does not include any new parks for the area of the county into which High Point is growing.
The goal of the 161-page plan released Tuesday is to improve tourism and recreation opportunities across Davidson County.
The plan says the northern and the central portions of Davidson County are growing fast, and continued population growth will mean increasing demands on recreation facilities.
"We haven't developed the facilities to meet the demand," said Charles Parnell, Davidson County's recreation director.
The plan examines the six existing parks in Davidson County, which mostly accommodate team sports or family recreation. The report did not examine city parks in Thomasville, Denton, Lexington or High Point or recreation facilities owned by schools or private organizations.
Much of High Point's new development is in northeast Davidson County and some residents there believe the county cannot keep up with the growth.
Parnell said the plan takes into account the whole county, not just one segment.
But, he said, a new park could be built in north Davidson, close to the area where High Point is growing.
The plan recommends expanding and improving the county’s existing parks, with the exception of the 3.8-acre Reedy Creek Park along N.C. 150 in north Davidson County. In regards to that park, the task force recommends that another larger park be built, west of Lake Thom-a-Lex. Reedy Creek would then be used for adult sports.
There’s a possibility that two other large park projects could be built in north Davidson, Parnell said. The plan recommends a large, multipurpose sports complex as well as an agriculture complex be built somewhere in the county. Building those parks depends on the availability of land and demand, he said.
Also proposed are 75 miles of greenway that could possibly connect much of the county.
The entire parks plan would cost $29 million. Annual operating costs could range between $1.7 million and $2.7 million. The county would have to determine if and how to pay for the projects, possibly through fees or increased taxes.
The report has been more than a year in the making. Task forces held community meetings throughout the county.
The report may be adopted by Davidson County leaders, who would use it as a guide for future parks and tourism investments, said Jo Ellen Edwards, the project coordinator with the Tourism Development Partnership for Davidson County.
Contact Amy Dominello at 883-4422, Ext. 248, or adominello@news-record.com
Posted by Amy Dominello at 3:00 AM | Comments (0)
June 22, 2005
No second
At the close of Tuesday's Jamestown Town Council meeting, Councilman Keith Volz read a proposal he'd written, regarding the so-called Jamestown Bypass. I only gave this a mention in my story today, since I focused on the town adopting its budget.
The Jamestown Bypass is the unofficial name of improvements to Greensboro-High Point Road, which include a path around Jamestown's core. Proponents say it will ease traffic between Greensboro and High Point. Opponents say Business 85 does the same thing, and the new project could substantially hurt downtown businesses in Jamestown.
The proposal calls for the town to write a letter to the NC Department of Transportation, asking for the project's delay. The motion died for lack of a second.
Volz's proposal: "Mayor and Council to send the State Hwy Dept a letter requesting that the proposed Jamestown By-Pass be put on hold until a solution is found that will: 1. Resolve the traffic problems created by the three large traffic generators which are in close proximity to one another (High School, GTCC and YMCA). 2. Help the businesses and citizens of Jamestown by widening the present High Point / Greensboro Rd. to alleviate crowded traffic conditions. The widening request should focus on a healthy but efficient flow of traffic during peak travel times. 3. Reconsider old 85 as the by-pass around Jamestown for those who do not want to travel into or visit Jamestown."
Posted by at 9:03 AM | Comments (1)
June 21, 2005
Robbery in north High Point
Just posted online is this disturbing item. If you live in north High Point like I do, you're very familiar with the intersection of Lassiter and Eastchester...
HIGH POINT — A 23-year-old man told police a passenger in another car robbed him at gunpoint while waiting at a traffic light Monday night.
About 9:05 p.m., Hayden Hicks was sitting at the intersection of Eastchester and Lassiter drives when a vehicle pulled up beside him, according to High Point police.
The passenger got out and approached Hicks with a small handgun. He then pointed it at him and demanded money, police said.
Hicks gave him an undisclosed amount of money. The man then returned to his vehicle and fled toward Guyer Street.
Police described the car as an older model blue vehicle, possibly a Chevrolet Caprice.
Anyone with information is asked to call High Point Crimestoppers at 336-889-4000.
Posted by at 11:49 AM | Comments (1)
June 15, 2005
Share the road
If you see a balding, short, paunchy guy chugging and puffing his bike along one of north High Point's streets...Hey! That's me!
Of course, I'm not alone. I see many people pedaling along Clinard Farms and Willard Dairy and Barrow. They pass me like I'm sitting still, which makes me feel even more out of shape than I already am. That's fine, though. It gives me a goal. Maybe soon I'LL be the guy passing some OTHER balding, overweight schlub.
But the problem is...cars also pass cyclists like they're nothing more than roadside annoyances. Motorists often don't slow down at all, nor do they move over to give cyclists a safe berth.
Please be careful. Folks on bikes are your neighbors, co-workers and friends. It stinks that bike lanes are scarce as water buffalo in High Point, but that's the case. Cyclists don't have any choice but to ride at the edge of the traffic lanes...most of which don't even have rudimentary shoulders.
Share the road. Slow down, just for a second. Prove to others that courtesy isn't a forgotten character trait.
Posted by at 9:39 AM | Comments (5)
Wing Ding
From today's News & Record...The Palladium at Deep River plans to add another restaurant: Buffalo Wild Wings. The name's kind of generic, but this is a chain found in 34 states, especially prevalent in college towns. There was one in my hometown of Knoxville, Tenn., and I enjoyed the beer specials...just right for a poverty-stricken college boy. There's a giant location in Chapel Hill, for those more familiar with the ACC than the SEC.
The Palladium is the shopping center with the movie theater. A free-standing Ham's Restaurant is opening there soon, which will lead to the closure of the Ham's at the corner of Skeet Club and Eastchester.
Posted by at 9:32 AM | Comments (3)
June 7, 2005
New Indian restaurant
I've been playing phone tag with the owner, but I wanted to go ahead and tip y'all off to a new Indian restaurant coming to north High Point.
A Taste of India is set to open in the former site of La Cocina Mexican restaurant. It's in the shopping center across Penny Road from Panera Bread.
North High Point already is home to the Ceramic Grill, an Indian restaurant in Oak Hollow Square, the center with Harris Teeter at the corner of Skeet Club and Eastchester.
Those are the only two Indian restaurants I know of in our area. If you know of another in north HP or Jamestown, let me know.
Mmm...tandoori chicken...
Posted by at 9:25 AM | Comments (3)
Goodbye Goody's
The Goody's at Oak Hollow Mall will close at the end of August. The company cited "underperformance" for its decision. That means the mall is losing one of its five anchor tenants. And during a walk-through on Monday, I counted between 12 to 15 empty storefronts.
Mall manager David Pierson chose to ac-cent-u-ate the positive, though. The mall, he noted, is nearly 90 percent filled. New stores are eager to come to the mall. Empty shops? They're an opportunity for creating more diversity among the mall's shopping choices. Sales are up, Pierson said. Traffic is up, he said. I only got a quick glance at figures supplied by the mall itself, though.
I use the mall. I buy used CD's at FYE, Orange Juliuses at Orange Julius, even a lawnmower at Sears. I scarf down fried food at the food court. But I wonder about y'all...How often do you visit Oak Hollow Mall? What, in your opinion, would make the mall your first shopping choice, if it isn't already?
Posted by at 9:12 AM | Comments (2)
June 3, 2005
Garage sale lovers, rejoice!
Laurel Oak Ranch, a large development in northeast Davidson County, is having its semiannual neighborhood-wide garage sale from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday. Thirty homes participated in the last sale, so bargain hunters...start your engines.
Just in case you're not familiar with Laurel Oak Ranch, a Yahoo! map of the location is below. For some reason, my browser won't position itself at the entrance to Laurel Oak, which is at the intersection of Election Oak and Hedgecock. But the below link gives you an overview of the location.
Posted by at 9:29 AM | Comments (0)
A new north High Point shopping center
Yes, yes. There are those who might say we already have too many centers in north HP. I disagree. There are some things I dislike about sprawl: growing traffic, decreasing air quality, et al. But I don't have a problem with shopping and eating choices. I mean, if you're going to have to deal with traffic and bad air, shouldn't you at least get something for them?
Anywho...Blue Ridge Companies, the folks who have brought you the Palladium Cinemas and its attached shopping center, are beginning to build Palladium Commons. The new center, which will be right at the corner of Samet and Eastchester, will be anchored by a McAlister's Deli. I'm not familiar with the restaurant, but folks in the office who've eaten at other McAlister's locations were raving about the place. The Commons will be about 25,000 square-feet. By contrast, the Palladium at Deep River (the shopping wings...not including the theater) is roughly 30,000 square-feet.
According to a spokesman for Blue Ridge, announcements about other new tenants in the two centers are immediately forthcoming. I'll keep you posted. I'm still clinging to my dream for a Borders Books and a Fresh Market.
Posted by at 9:19 AM | Comments (0)
June 2, 2005
Does your neighborhood have a Web site?
Laurel Oak Ranch, a large development in northeast Davidson County, has a Web site it uses to keep neighbors informed: of recreational opportunities, get-togethers and other items of interest.
I'm curious...Do any other north High Point or Jamestown neighborhoods have their own Web sites? These often are a great way to learn about good "people stories" involving local folks.
If you have a Web site, please post a comment or send me an e-mail: jhayes@news-record.com
Oh, and if you want to check out the Laurel Oak Ranch site, in case you're interested in starting a site for your neighborhood, here's the link: www.laureloakranch.com
Posted by at 12:02 PM | Comments (0)
Developer plans 144-unit project
A developer is asking the city for permission to build 144 condominiums along Whites Mill Road, near the intersection of Eastchester Drive and Skeet Club Road.
Click here to read "Developer plans 144-unit project"
Posted by Amy Dominello at 10:50 AM | Comments (3)
June 1, 2005
River Twist Kitchen
River Twist, a garden/gifts store on Main Street in Jamestown, has launched River Twist Kitchen. It opened this week, behind River Twist, which is at 116 East Main St.
The restaurant is for take-out only, though a few benches are available outside, and River Twist has a porch with seating. The restaurant specializes in take-and-bake meals, sandwiches, breakfast, salads and desserts. River Twist Kitchen also offers catering.
Scratch-made take-and-bake meals include chicken pot pie for $7.50 or $12.50; meat loaf for $6.95 or $12.95; and twice-baked lasagna for $7.50 or $13.95. Sandwiches cost $4.25 to $6.50. Choices include barbecue pork, fish and burgers. Breakfast includes muffins for 50 cents, an egg for 75 cents and sausage for 85 cents.
Hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, and the restaurant is closed on Sunday.
Call 887-0001 for more information.
Posted by at 3:54 PM | Comments (0)
Pennybyrn at Maryfield
On Wednesday, the city's Technical Review Committee will consider a site plan for an expansion to Pennybyrn at Maryfield, a retirement community in High Point, just across the Jamestown city limits.
Plans call for 133 apartments and 18 cottages, all of which would be targeted toward independent seniors. Construction could begin next month and would take a bit less than two years to complete.
To learn more, check out Maryfield/Pennybyrn's Web site: http://www.maryfieldliving.org/
Posted by at 9:24 AM | Comments (0)
Las Vegas vs. High Point
It's June 1, and I just got back from a week in Vegas. I lived there for a while, met my wife there, and she's still got family there. It was my first time back in six years.
Anywho...at the last furniture market, there was a lot of loose talk from buyers about how the upcoming Las Vegas furniture market could be the death knell for High Point. Not just the market, mind you, but for the city itself.
But I don't know about that...North High Point seems to be going pretty strong, with its various office parks, including the very large Piedmont Centre. And while some of the businesses in that park cater to the furniture industry, many don't.
Let's just pretend for a second that the gloomy prognostications come true and the High Point furniture market vanishes. How much of an impact do you believe this would have on north High Point? Could Sin City be the end of our fair city? Should High Point start offering 99-cent shrimp cocktails and showgirls to compete with our competitor to the west?
Posted by at 9:08 AM | Comments (2)
