STEELE CREEK NEWS
How to Make the
Most out of being Annexed
(July 3, 2005) On
July 1, Charlotte added over 12 square miles and 15,000 persons to
the city, and about two thirds of that was in Steele Creek. Annexed
areas include virtually all new residential developments in Steele
Creek that aren't already in the city, plus the lower density areas
in between and adjacent to them. Click on the maps below to see more
details. (You will need to
download free
Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these images.)
For
a review and discussion of Charlotte's annexation process, see the
following news story:
Study Areas for
2005 Annexation Identified in Steele Creek (Steele Creek
Residents Association, November 25, 2004)
If you live in
one of these areas you'll see an approximately 17% increase in your
tax bill this fall, but
you'll also be receiving new city services. Not all of these are
automatic. The city offers several opportunities for individuals and
groups to benefit from city programs. Now that you're in the city,
you might as well take advantage of them. Here's a run down of some
of the services that are available to new Charlotte residents:
Solid Waste
You should already
have received your rollout container, recycling bin, and
informational brochures. Four trucks will come by each week to
collect rollout garbage, recycling, yard waste, and bulky items. You
will need to call to schedule bulky item pickup. For more
information, visit the
Solid Waste "Welcome to the Neighborhood" web page or
call Solid Waste Customer Services at 704-336-2673.
Streets
Programs offered
through Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT) offer
neighborhoods perhaps their greatest opportunity to impact the
community. For more information on any of the items described below,
visit the
Charlotte Department of Transportation web site or call
704-336-3893.
Before
pursuing any CDOT services, you must first determine if your
streets are now maintained by the city. If not part of the city
system, not only will CDOT not maintain the streets, but also Solid
Waste and and other departments may not provide services along them.
All public
roads in unincorporated areas in North Carolina are maintained by
the North Carolina DOT.
Developers of
residential subdivisions must build streets to meet state and local
codes. For streets in unincorporated areas, developers generally
apply to NC DOT to have the state take over maintenance.
When annexation occurs,
the NC DOT turns over most streets to the city. Exceptions are
numbered highways and certain other major thoroughfares.
However,
developers do not always turn over the streets to the state. Be sure
to call CDOT to find out if your streets are now maintained by the
city. If not, CDOT staff must review engineering plans to ensure
compliance with code before accepting maintenance.
If you live on a
private, unimproved road, it might not meet code and be accepted by
the city. Be sure to contact CDOT to find out what improvements will
be needed.
CDOT not only
maintains the streets but also street signs and sidewalks. If a
street name sign, stop sign, or other sign is missing or damaged,
call CDOT to request replacement or repairs.
Contact CDOT about
installation of street lights and traffic calming devices, such as
25 mph speed limits, speed humps, and multi-way stop signs. These
generally require support from the community through petition
signatures.
Visit the
Charlotte Department of Transportation web site to review
these and other services available. Be sure to take advantage of any
that you believe will benefit your community.
Neighborhood
Development
Neighborhood
Development provides a range of public services designed to help
maintain and improve the quality of life in Charlotte's
neighborhoods. Among these are code enforcement and Neighborhood
Matching Grants. For more information, see below or visit the
Neighborhood Development web site.
Code Enforcement:
Are there areas in
your neighborhood that are not maintaining their property in a safe,
clean manner that is consistent with city code? Has graffiti
appeared on street signs, walls, or other neighborhood structures?
If so, you may report these to City/County Customer Service Center
at 704-336-7600. Inspectors will review the problem and work with
property owners to correct it. For more information, visit the
Code Enforcement web site.
Neighborhood Services:
The Neighborhood Matching Grants Program,
administered by the Neighborhood Services staff, awards funds to
neighborhood-based organizations, including homeowners associations,
for projects that will make neighborhoods better places to live,
work, play and shop. For the last application cycle in March, areas
with a median household income of no more than $75,267 were
eligible. Several Steele Creek areas met this requirement, including
the Crossings and neighborhoods along Sandy Porter Road and
Brown-Grier Road.
This program provides a great opportunity for
neighborhoods to obtain funds for community improvement projects,
especially for newer homeowner associations that have not yet built
up funds. One area neighborhood that was annexed in 2001 applied for
and received a grant for over $9,000 to help pay for street lights.
For more
information on the program, including eligibility and the schedule
for the next grants cycle, contact the Neighborhood Matching Grants
staff at 704-336-2349 or visit the
Neighborhood Matching Grants web page.
Neighborhood
Services staff also provide training for neighborhood leaders and
other services. See more at the
Neighborhood Services web site.
Tree Co-op
Charlotte's cooperative tree replacement program offers
neighborhoods the opportunity to partner with the City to remove and
replace dead or diseased trees in Charlotte neighborhoods. It is
administered through the office of the Charlotte
City Arborist in the City Engineering Department.
Neighborhoods
also may arrange to have trees planted in public right-of-ways
adjacent to common areas or private lots for a nominal fee. For more
information, contact Craig Monroe at 704-336-5753.
Water and Sewer
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities Department (CMUD), a City
department, already provides water and sewer services throughout
many areas of Mecklenburg County and uses the same rates and service
policies for both City and non-City customers. If water and sewer
services aren't yet available in annexation areas, the City will
install water and/or sewer lines within two years of the date the
annexation becomes effective. For more information or to find
contact information, visit the
CMUD Customer Service
web page.
Fire
The
Charlotte Fire Department has constructed Temporary Station 37 on
Sledge Road near Shopton Road West. This station has one engine
company and will have a minimum of four persons on duty at all
times. Along with existing Station 26 located on S Tryon Street
north of Westinghouse Boulevard, this temporary station will serve
the newly annexed areas until two new permanent stations are built.
One station
will be located on Shopton Road West west of Withers Cove at
Limehurst Place. This site was donated by Crescent Properties,
developers of The Sanctuary. It has access to Lake Wylie and
eventually will house boats for use in water rescue. This station
should be open in 2007.
The second
station will be built on Highway 49 just north of Shopton Road West
and should be open in 2008.
See an
excerpt for the
Annexation Public Meeting on September 9, 2004 for
additional details.
Police
The
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department will continue to service
both incorporated and unincorporated areas in Steele Creek. For more
information contact the Steele Creek Division at 704-336-8671 or see
the
Steele Creek Division web page.
Other
Please visit
the Charlotte-Mecklenburg web site at
www.charmeck.org to find out more about Charlotte
departments and the services they offer. The city provides certain
services automatically, but for others, you have to ask. Whether as
individuals or homeowner associations, it will be to your benefit to
ask and take advantage of them.
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