Three projects set for the Buncombe County Board of Adjustment's October meetingcould bring 740 new apartments to Arden, all within a few miles of each other.

While the agenda isn't yet available for the meeting, the county's project portal shows the three proposals, offCrescent Hill Road, Clayton Road and Rockwood Road in Arden, are all set for the Oct. 13 agenda, with 252, 216 and 272 units respectively, and all need special use permits.

A project proposing more than 250 new residential units in 10 buildings on just under 25 acres between Lower Laurel Drive and Watson Road, first went before the board on July 15and has already met opposition with 11 applications for standing on file with the county.

Dubbed Crescent Hill Apartments, the project is an effort by Southwood Realty, seeking a conditional use permit to allow the development, a clubhouse, pool and playground.

Plans show a proposed 10.2 units per acre wouldbe allowed under the current zoning, which allows up to 12 units per acre, but the developer is seeking permission to exceed the normal 35-foot height limit for its three-story buildings that top out at almost 47 feet.

The mostly vacant site is home to several single-family homes, and neighbors voiced a number of concerns about the development, topped by the new traffic load on Watson Road, which they say is already crowded with cut-through traffic between Hendersonville and Airport roads.

More: New Arden apartments: 252 units in 10 buildings set for Crescent Hill Road

A traffic study included in the special use permit application recommends separate right and left turn lines at the intersection of Crescent Hill Road and Hendersonville Road for an expected 1,372 new daily trips once the project is completed.

Jon Fillman, a neighbor representing more than 40 others, said July 15 the project was out of character with the single-family residential neighborhood, and asked the board to allow more time for neighbors to organize.

James Randolph, with Sterling Asheville Apartments, LLC of Mishawaka, Indiana, is looking to build 216 new residential units in three four-story buildings on 18.5 acres on Clayton Road, between Sunshine Chevrolet and the entrance to Biltmore Church, near Long Shoals Road.

It's the company's first foray into Asheville, though they have properties across the Southeast, including in Charlotte, Raleigh/Cary and Wilmington, Randolph said.

"We identified Asheville as being a market we want to be in, because ofthe amazing growth metrics that we're seeing," he said. "We've been hunting a site in Asheville for a while, and the site out there off Long Shoals Road and Clayton Road where we wound up, we thought was a good location as far as proximity to economic drivers."

Randolph mentioned the recently announced Pratt & Whitney plant, locating about 2 miles away.

The applicationon file with the county saysthe site would allow 222 units total based on the 12-unit-per-acre limit for the current Employment District and Public Service Districtzoning. As proposed, thedevelopment would constitute 11.67 units per acre.

Plans show three buildings and associated parking lots in the triangle of land between Thunderland Circle, the entrance to Biltmore Church, and a powerline cut adjacent to The Aventine Asheville apartment complex.

An included traffic study estimates 1,175 new trips per day, including 73 trips in the a.m. peak hour and 93 trips in the p.m. peak hour.

Randolph said while plans are for the rents to be competitive in the market, including even with or below the complex right next to the property, "This is a100% market-rate deal for us," and developers don't have an affordable component programmed as part of the project.

"We're going to be positioned competitively with the concept that's out there, so they will be market-rate," he said.

If all goes well with the Board of Adjustment, Randolph said developers hope to move into further due diligence and design and close on the land, currently owned by Biltmore Baptist Church, early in 2022, with construction starting in the third quarter of 2022.

More: Woodfin Board of Adjustment unanimously approves comprehensive plan

The third phase of Audubon Place Apartments is proposing 272 units on just more than 24 currently woodedacres between Interstate 26 and Rockwood Road, across the street from the first two phases of the apartment complex.

In a total of 14 buildings, plans showfive, 68-foot tall, four-story apartment buildings, eight garages, one 28,000-square-foot clubhouse and associated parking lots along Rockwood Road.

According to the staff report on the application, the property is split between R-3 Residential and Employment zoning districts. Each has different maximum building heights, 35 feet and 90feet respectively.

Along with the height variation, applicant Payne Kassinger with Rockwood Road Land LLC and Flycatcher LLC are seeking to decrease the amount of required parking from 1.75 spaces per unit, or 476 total, to 1.5 spaces per unit, or 408 total.

At 11.29 units per acre, the project density is within the 12-per-acre density allowed in both the R-3 and EMP zoning districts, the application says.

"The majority of the perimeter of the site will not be affected by the proposed development," the application says. "These areas are currently vegetated and will remain in its vegetated state."

A traffic study included with the application shows planned access points from Rockwood Road, and says the project is expected to generate 2,287 daily trips, including 140 a.m. peak-hour and 176 p.m. peak-hour trips.

It recommends lengthening the traffic signal cycle at the intersection of Airport Road and Rockwood Road from 120 seconds to 130 seconds during the p.m. peak-hour timeframe.

The Board of Adjustment will take up all three at itsOct. 13 virtual meeting, starting at noon.

Derek Lacey covers health care, growth and development for the Asheville Citizen Times. Reach him at DLacey@gannett.com or 828-417-4842 and find him on Twitter @DerekAVL.

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740 apartments in 3 projects, all in Arden, on board's Oct. 13 agenda - Citizen Times

A pattern of taking the temples to the people is continuing for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

President Russell M. Nelson announced 13 new temples and the renovation of the Provo Utah Temple at the conclusion of general conference Sunday.

We thank all who are working on our new temples, he said. They are being built all over the world.

Four of the 13 will be built in the western region of the United States, adding to nine new temples announced last April, several of which are already under or close to construction.

Heres a look at how some are reacting to plans for new temples in Heber Valley, Utah; a second temple in Rexburg, Idaho; and in Cody, Wyoming.

News of a temple in Heber Valley was surprising and not surprising for Kelsey Berg, a seventh generation Latter-day Saint in the area.

Bergs thoughts turned to her family heritage while discussing the temple, and she paused to look in the Family Tree App for some of the names of her own Swiss and German ancestors who settled in the Heber Valley. Some are buried in the Midway cemetery.

We think our valley is pretty special, said Berg, who graduated from Wasatch High School in 2007. To see our special valley get a temple is pretty cool. Its something our ancestors sacrificed for, and to be able to perform those ordinances in the valley will be pretty cool.

Steve Carliles pioneer ancestors also settled in Heber Valley, and much of his extended family still lives in there today. He said his phone vibrated with messages following the announcement and there were expressions of joy.

Everybody is really excited ... ecstatic, he said. For me, its really exciting to think about all of our family celebrating on the other side of the veil, and what it means for them. Its a cool thing.

Carlile believes the new temple will be a huge blessing for both those who reside in the valley and those who visit or vacation there.

I feel strongly that the temple is going to add significantly to the reason that people will be drawn to the valley, said Carlile, who graduated from Wasatch High in 1999. The blessings of having a temple there will be shared with those who are of our faith and those who might not be that are drawn in, to really enjoy Heavenly Fathers creations. Having a temple there will bless all who enjoy the valley.

Rexburg Mayor Jerry Merrill said church officials called him earlier this year to ask about the possibility of a second temple. He kept this information private and said he was delighted to hear about Sundays announcement about the Rexburg North Temple, Merrill told the Idaho State Journal.

I knew they were considering it, but I didnt know for sure. You never know for sure until they make the announcement, Merrill told the Idaho State Journal. (When) I had a conversation with people from the church, they were asking about what the citys attitude would be toward a second temple.

The new temple is expected to serve Latter-day Saints living in Sugar City, St. Anthony, Ashton, and parts of Montana. Sugar City Second Ward Bishop Glade Pennock echoed the mayor with joyful feelings at the news.

Its a great thing. There was a need for a second one, Pennock told the Idaho State Journal. I was really hoping for a Sugar City Temple. I thought that would be the sweetest temple on earth.

Another Sugar City resident, D.J. Teichert, was thrilled with the news. The current temple stays rather busy with just Brigham Young University-Idaho students, he said.

Its going to be great to have two temples in Rexburg, said Teichert, who was recently released as a young single adult bishop on BYU-Idahos campus. It will be a great blessing to our community and I think give more people an opportunity to go regularly. ... You can see the hand of the Lord in this area. Madison County is one of the fastest growing counties in the nation. The prophet is aware of what is going on here and sees the demand in the future for more people to be in the temple. So we are just thrilled.

The announcement of a second temple in Rexburg comes two weeks after the beginning of the open house for the Pocatello Idaho Temple. A rendering and the location of the Burley Idaho Temple has also been selected, although a groundbreaking date has not been scheduled.

Andrew Jacobsen, who serves as stake president in Cody, Wyoming, told the local newspaper the temple announcement surprised local leadership but will save hours of travel in the future, according to the Cody Enterprise.

Right now the closest temple for Latter-day Saints in Cody is in Billings, Montana, about 100 miles to the north.

Its very exciting, Jacobsen told the Cody Enterprise. Its a big deal for us. It gives us a lot closer access to a temple. ... Having it this close will make it easier.

It will mean a lot to those good people, said Darwin Thompson, whose mission boundaries included Cody when he served as a missionary to Montana in the late 1970s.

For some Latter-day Saints, the mention of Cody, Wyoming, brought to mind Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites, a popular fiction series by author Chris Heimerdinger in which a family uses a cave near Cody to be magically transported back to Book of Mormon times. Cody is Heimerdingers hometown.

All of the people I was sitting in the room with looked at me when it was announced, Heimerdinger said. I thought the news of Madagascar getting a temple was pretty exciting, too.

A short time later when he looked on Facebook, a friend had already posted the message, Did you hear that Cody, Wyoming, is getting a temple? The first thing I thought of was the Tennis Shoes series, Heimerdinger said.

Somebody beat me to it, he said. My Facebook page went nuts yesterday. In fact, I got more attention for a post that I made there about the announcement than anything that I have posted in a long time.

While his book series may have brought some added attention to Cody over the years, nothing should overshadow the faith and sacrifice of many extraordinary Latter-day Saints living in the Bighorn Basin, the author said.

I think they deserve a lot more credit than I do, Heimerdinger said. The idea that Cody is receiving a temple is an extraordinary thing. I never imagined that.

Temples always had the reputation of being really big and massive, and they had to be in a major metropolitan area. So the whole idea of smaller temples, more accessible to people in smaller communities, thats been an extraordinary transition over the last 20 years. So its exciting news.

The Cody temple news comes one week before the groundbreaking of the Casper Wyoming Temple on Oct. 9.

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Latter-day Saints react to new temples in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming - Deseret News

Your patriotic fervor wont have to go home by nighttime in the City of Falls Church, but there wont be much of a reason to stay here.

Thats because, for the second year in a row, Falls Church wont be hosting a fireworks spectacle for residents on the field of the now-Meridian High Schools turf. Finishing up the construction on Meridians campus makes it too unsafe for the pyrotechnics to find a spot where they can launch the fireworks for droves of locals to see.

Theyre connecting the middle school to the high school for a little bit, and the fields are still completely under construction, said Danny Schlitt, the director of the City of Falls Churchs Recreation and Parks department. We just didnt have the ability to line everything up and have everything ready to go.

The City isnt totally bailing on Fourth of July fun. The reading of the Declaration of Independence will return at 2 p.m. on Sunday, though this time outdoors at Falls Church Episcopal (bring a chair). There is another holiday-themed scavenger hunt that younger Falls Church residents can participate in from 9 a.m. 6:30 p.m. on Independence Day (Sunday). Scavengers will have to find 13 historical markers throughout the City and match each one of the 13 colonies they find on that historical marker on the form they print out.

Sudden M Pac will also be playing in Cherry Hill Park from 4:30 6 p.m. for those who want to take in a show before they find a spot to watch a show.

But dont make plans for the fireworks to return next year just yet.

I intend to meet with school representatives, the City Fire Marshal and a pyrotechnician to determine whether or not, with the placement of the new building, we can still hold a legitimate fireworks show for thousands of people, Schlitt said. That is where we are moving forward and hoping that we can once again have a firework shoot in the future on site up there.

The way its always been done is that the fireworks would set up their mortars in the deep centerfield of the adjacent baseball field. The fire marshal would go by and make sure it had the proper spacing set up so itd be safe for people on the synthetic turf field.

State regulations require that, for every inch in diameter of the shells being fired, it requires 100 feet of separation between the mortars themselves and the audiences. With the City using three-inch shells these past years, that means 300 feet of distance are needed.

Achieving that isnt really a problem for Schlitt he mentioned how advanced pyrotechnics have become that fireworks can be shot off in certain small, enclosed spaces. It mainly comes down to the fire marshals approval, and the school systems comfort level with such a production.

Ive talked to some pyrotechnicians and they firmly believe we can pull off a show that is worthy of what the community and the citizenry expect, Schlitt said. It really then becomes a decision point between the fire marshal and the schools, since they own the facilities and just put millions of dollars into the new school, as to whether or not we can safely shoot.

This move away from a fireworks show didnt surprise Schlitt. He said he knew two years ago that there was no chance the 2020 fireworks show was going to happen, and felt that this year would have only been possible if the schools construction was well ahead of schedule.

For those looking for other shows nearby, they should check out some celebrations nearby jurisdictions are holding.Fairfax City will hold its 55th annual Independence Day parade on July 3.

The parade will begin at 10 a.m. at 4100 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, rain or shine and will loop around downtown Fairfax, along Chain Bridge Road, Main Street, University Drive and Armstrong Street. Nine high school marching bands as well as many large inflatable parade balloons, floats and clowns will be some of the entries.

On July 4, there will be an evening show with music and dancing at 6:30 p.m. at Fairfax High School (3501 Lion Run, Fairfax). On-stage entertainment begins at 6:30 p.m. with a fireworks display that follows. The rain date for the fireworks only is July 5. Items that may puncture the synthetic turf, smoking, alcohol and animals (except service animals) are not permitted on the football field.

The Town of Herndon will also be holding a fireworks show on the night of July 4, with the show expected to start at 9 p.m. The Town of Vienna, likewise, will hold fireworks display that night at Yeonas Park (1319 Ross Drive, Vienna SW), starting at 9:30 p.m.

Of course, there will also be fireworks on the National Mall inside Washington, D.C. A good vantage point for those is Gravelly Point Park in Arlington or along the waterfront in Old Town Alexandria.Schlitt ever the optimist did say he wouldnt rule out a show for next year. Right now, he puts the probability of it happening around 60 percent.

If we figure theres any kind of safety risk, then well certainly have to see if we can come up with a Plan B, Schlitt said.

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No July 4 Fireworks for 2nd Year in a Row Due to School Construction - Falls Church News Press

Another Catholic church in western Canada has burned down, but this time the structure was not on Indigenous land.

Historic Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Morinville, Alberta, was destroyed in a fire Wednesday that officials are suspecting was arson.

Today in Morinville, leglise de Saint-Jean-Baptiste was destroyed in what appears to have been a criminal act of arson, Albertas premier, Jason Kenney, said in a statement. This historic church was in the heart of Morinville and a key part of the spiritual life of Albertas francophone community.

Iain Bushell, Morinvilles general manager of infrastructure and community services, told the National Post that the early morning blaze was so fierce that firefighters could not enter the 114-year-old building, and the roof collapsed a short time later. He said the church was of very old construction so an awful lot of wood, so it went very quickly and it was a very difficult fire to fight.

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Another Catholic church in Canada burns to the ground - Aleteia EN

Neighborhood Planning Unit B will vote next week on a proposal to rezone about 12.5-acres for Church at Wieucas planned 457-unit mixed-use project in Buckhead, according to its Tuesday meeting agenda.

Opt out at anytime

Church at Wieuca announced in March that it was partnering with Atlanta-based real estate company Greenstone Properties on the project, which is centered on the formers North Buckhead church building at 3626 Peachtree Rd. NE. The church submitted a rezoning application for the project in late May calling for more than 450 units as well as a 512,000-square-foot office tower at the northeastern corner of Wieuca and Peachtree Roads.

Following NPU Bs vote on Tuesday, the rezoning application will go before the city of Atlantas Zoning Review Board in early August, according to the planning units meeting agenda.

With the assistance of project management firm DaVinci Development Collaborative, the church is currently considering three architecture firms and expects to choose one for the project in July, according to a project update posted on its website.

Church at Wieuca Associate Pastor Joshua M. Speight told What Now Atlanta in early June that the church hopes construction for the project could begin as early as the fall of 2022.

The development team said in its rezoning application that the project site plan is meant to account for the projects location in a transitional area. Bordering single-family homes, the sites northern half would hold 18 detached cottage homes and 39 townhomes, while its southern portion would hold a 400-unit multifamily tower and office building that could each reach a maximum height of 415 feet along Wieuca Road.

The proposed new development will complement the surrounding area with probable elements to include Class AAA office, high-rise multifamily residential, single-family and other for-sale residential options, Greenstone Properties PartnerHarvey Rudysaid in a statement earlier this year.

The churchs sanctuary and steeple will remain as a central component of the project, which also calls for a new reformatted campus for Church at Wieuca. Also to remain are Wieuca Day School, Wieuca After School, Camp Wieuca, and Claire Gibbs House.

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Neighborhood Planning To Vote On Rezoning For 457-Unit Church-Centered Buckhead Project - What Now Atlanta

FAIRFIELD COUNTY The new fire station thats planned nearLake Wateree came out of its initial bid process with disappointing results:Not a single company bid on the project.

Fairfield County Fire Chief Jason Pope says he isnt surewhy no bids came in, but the details of the design and the surprising recentincrease in the price of construction materials may have been factors.

His plan is to redesign the project with the goal of makingit simpler and, perhaps, easier to bid on.

We didnt have anyone really call us or say why they didnt bid.

As to the exact reason I couldnt tell you. We didnt haveanybody really call us and tell us why they would or would not bid, Pope toldthe Fairfield County Council at Monday nights meeting. However, what I cantell you is that our plan going forward [is that] were going to revisit thearchitectural drawings and were going to make it a little bit simpler.

Then, he explained in an interview Tuesday, they will activelyseek bidders.

Given the high price of lumber, he says hes not sure if thebuilding can still be constructed for the budgeted $375,000, which was approvedby the council in February. But he wont know until he gets some bids.

Thats definitely going to be a challenge, he says of current building material costs, which hes been told make the cost of constructing a building with wood comparable to the cost of a metal building.

We put this bid package together last fall, and then themoney was approved in February of this year, and during that time is when thelumber price spike happened, and so were not sure how thats going to affectit, he says.

What we budgeted for the building the price is going tobe higher than that obviously, but without getting bids you dont know whatits going to be.

If the bids come in a lot higher than expected, he says,then the county will have to consider its options whether that meansallocating more funding, delaying the project, or further simplifying the designto cut costs. But first, they need some bids.

We want the fire station built, Pope says. Its going tohelp protect the citizens and the residents of the county, so were going to doeverything we can to get it built.

The new fire station would be the 15th in the countysmostly-volunteer system, which staffs five stations during business hours andrelies on volunteers to cover the rest of the time and the rest of the county.

Pope says new volunteer firefighters are always welcome; thenumber today roughly 165 countywide is slightly more than half of what itwas 25 years ago.

When the countys volunteer fire departments openedbeginning 50 years ago in 1971, he says, they relied on a strong base ofcommunity support. A decade ago, in 2011, the independent departments wereconsolidated under the county fire service as a core function of localgovernment.

The new fire station, a project initiated and pushed intoreality by former County Councilman Jimmy Ray Douglas, is to be built on RiverRoad between the Lake Wateree Presbyterian Church and the recycling center.

The plan includes four bays to house a fire truck, tanker,boat, and EMS vehicle, as well as restrooms, showers, a kitchen, and livingquarters to accommodate firefighters who might man the facility in the future.

Originally proposed in 2007, the project began in earnestabout four years ago, Pope says. It took roughly two years for the county toobtain the 2.4-acre site to build it on, and site work has been completed bycounty public works employees; its now ready for the building.

In the area where it is to be located, Pope says, there areapproximately 300 homes that are currently more than five road miles from thenearest fire station a distance that means homeowners have increased insurancepremiums and, more importantly, increased risk in the event of a fire.

This fire station will put fire trucks in their back yardavailable to respond, Pope says, and it will significantly reduce theirhomeowners insurance.

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No bidders for construction of new Lake Wateree fire station - The Independent Voice of Blythewood & Fairfield County

CONWAY More than four years after its destruction, construction on a new building for the United Congregational Church of Conway will begin next month.

The church, which had been standing since 1885, was heavily damaged by a tornado that swept through Conway in February 2017. Initially, it was thought the damage could be repaired, but it was finally decided that it could not be salvaged and the church was razed in November 2018.

Bill Leno, the churchs renovation manager, said the insurance companys deliberation about the state of the building went on for months.

We had a real tough time with the insurance company and their engineers evaluating whether it was a loss or wasnt a loss, Leno said. Finally, they decided it was a total loss and that was in late 18. We finally took the building down.

Leno estimated the church spent $500,000 trying to save the building before engineers determined it would not be possible to repair it. He said the steeple was twisted off the building in such a way that it was not feasible to fix it.

After the initial struggle with deciding if the building could be repaired, the church ran into budget issues.

Leno said the designers had to make the windows smaller, eliminate landscaping around the building and cut out plans for a nice steeple because the church cannot afford those things right now.

Its involved many, many changes in the architectural plans because it started with $1.3 million and, of course, we couldnt afford it, Leno said. We finally got the value down to $1 million.

As the churchs future design solidified, Leno said he wanted to make the building more than a church by thinking of ways the community could host events there.

During this whole process of rebuilding the church, it has been the desire of the church membership to make sure we build this building so it is not only the church, but its a community meeting place for Conway, Leno said. A lot of our thinking and planning has gone into that fact, making sure we can accommodate the needs of the community agencies that need it.

The church received $1 million in insurance funds for its damages and Leno said all of that money is going to the reconstruction.

Were not supporting the church, paying for ministry or any other operational things, Leno said.

Construction, being led by Thayer Street Associates Inc. of South Deerfield, is planned to begin July 9 and the tentative completion date is February 2022 five years to the month after the churchs destruction.

After the tornado, the congregation began meeting at Conway Grammar School before the pandemic forced members to migrate to Zoom. As the town emerges from the pandemic, the church has been gathering for in-person services at a campground.

When we first went down, we used the elementary school. When they had a problem with their building with a roof, we housed the school at the church, Leno said. So when we got in trouble, the school housed us. It was a very nice exchange.

Despite not having a church to gather in and the departure of the Rev. Candi Ashenden, Leno said members have been dedicated in attending services.

The core group has continued to meet. Even though its been Zoom, theyre there and have been through it all, Leno said. That says a lot for the survival of the church. They dont have a building, they dont have a minister, they have a virus that put us in limbo and they still stuck together big time.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.

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Conway church to finally be rebuilt after 2017 tornado - The Recorder

Endicotts Zoning Board of Appeals granted Byrne Dairy an area variance of 22 feet, allowing the project to proceed on East Main Street

Maine-Endwell celebrates its Section 4 Class A baseball championship, June 10, 2021 at Union-Endicott.

Maine-Endwell celebrates its Section 4 Class A baseball championship, June 10, 2021 at Union-Endicott.

Kevin Stevens, Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin

ENDICOTT A new Byrne Dairy retail store and fueling facility in Endicott has cleared a major hurdle and is closeto becoming a reality at 301 East Main St. in the village.

Endicotts Zoning Board of Appeals granted Byrne Dairy an area variance to allow the project to move forward. Byrne Dairys request came before the Board of Appeals because the site violates village zoning codes, which preclude such construction within 150 feet of any lot or parcel occupied by a hospital, library, school or church.

The property lines of the Union Presbyterian Church across the street and the proposed Byrne Dairy would sit within 128 feet, requiring a 22-foot variance from the Board of Appeals. The fuel canopy would sit 278 feet from the church itself, said Byrne Dairy Vice President of Store Development Christian Brunelle.

Endicotts zoning specifically addresses gas stations, with guidelines on where they can be built in the village.

Ive built 55 of these stores over the years, and Ive seen this in there. Usually its in older zoning, said Brunelle. The reason this specific zoning law isthere is for congregation, the congregation of people. If you look at hospital, library, school, church, its where people used to congregate 30, 40 years ago."

The board voted unanimously to approve the 22-foot zoning variance. Byrne Dairy intends to raze the former Friendlys restaurant on the site and build anew, with plans for a 4,230 square foot building, four fuel pumps, a greenspace and 26 parking spaces. The site at the corner of East Main and South Loder Avenue would include vehicular and pedestrian access on both streets. A 6-foot high privacy fence is planned to shield off neighboring properties to the north and east. Brunelle said the company added another 10 feet to the privacy fence at the request of a neighbor to the east.

Clearing the way: Endicott approves changes to its tobacco retail license law. Could a Byrne Dairy follow?

More:Byrne Dairy wants to open store, gas station in Endicott, but a 2020 law holds it up

Board of Appeals member Lena Bishop raised traffic concerns on East Main and Loder, wondering if traffic patterns will allow motorists to turn left onto Main Street from the site. Brunelle said Byrne Dairy is studying the issue in consultation with the state Department of Transportation, with a decision yet to be determined.

Thats a question thats come up and will continue to come up, said Board Chairman Doug Courtright.

Alberta Gazda was the lone community member to speak during the public hearing on the proposal. Gazda, who resides on West Main Street about a half-mile from the site, said she travels the area every day and believes the Byrne Dairy development would have a horrendous impact on local traffic patterns.

If approved, there will be four fueling stations within seven-tenths of a mile. There is no need or demand for a fourth fueling station within such close proximity, Gazda said. With the onset of electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, I just dont see the fueling station remaining viable down the road.

Courtright said such concerns would be better addressed to the Planning Board, not the Zoning Board of Appeals. The site is currently zoned general commercial.

Endicott traffic: 'Its terrifying to go down that street': Why you'll be slowing down near Endicott school

The planning board based its position on five criteria. Itfound:

In addition to receiving approval from the Zoning and Planning Boards, in May Endicotts Board of Trustees approved amendments to the villages tobacco retail license law that stood in the way of the project.The law prohibited the issuance of new tobacco retail licenses to a business within 1,000 feet of the nearest property line of a school. The proposed Byrne Dairy would sit 286 feet from the southwest corner of the Jennie F. Snapp Middle School property line. The law also limited the total number of tobacco licenses that are issued in the village. The amendments put new guidelines in place governing tobacco licenses in the village.

Chris Potter can be reached at cpotter@gannett.com or on Twitter @ChrisPotter413.To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

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New business on its way to Endicott: Byrne Dairy clears hurdle as project moves forward - Pressconnects

First Baptist Church of Waukon held its 2021 AWANA Grand Prix Car Race earlier this spring at the Church. Pastor Duane Smith gave the AWANA Challenge, and the evening was opened with the pledges to the American flag, the AWANA flag and the Bible. Grand Prix Chairman was Larry Gelo, and he also announced the race.

Jeff Goettel was the Starter Chairman and Chris Kerndt was the Chart Keeper. Judging the cars on Design were Pam Kerndt, Paul Promnitz and Kari Roney. Finish line monitors were Cole Kruse and Gabe Goettel, and weigh-in judges were Dale Roney and Craig Schrick. JoAnn Gelo was in charge of decorations, and refreshments were served by Brenda Schmidt and Jean Buntrock.

The second annual Junior Grand Prix Race was also held earlier this spring featuring young racers from the AWANA Puggles (two-three year olds) and Cubbies (preschool) groups. Puggles racers included Annabelle Roth, Luke Kelley, Wade Tilleraas and Colter Kruse. Cubbies racers were Ivanna Rodriguez, Emma Velarde, Meredith Kelley, Gabriella Roth, Tessalyn Round and Walker Kruse.

Racers brought in their favorite Hot Wheels cars from home, and if they didnt have one, one was provided for them. A new feature was added to the event this year with tractor races, and fellow Truth and Training clubber Trevor Round deserves a great amount of appreciation for supplying a variety of little tractors for fellow clubbers to choose from.

Ribbons and trophies were awarded to all 10 racers in that Junior Grand Prix event. Various award categories for the cars and tractors included Fastest, Best Fuel Economy, Farthest Distance Traveled, Best Brakes, Prettiest, Most Sporty, Most Colorful, Tallest, Most Patriotic, Most Resembling a Monster Truck, Funniest, and Smallest.

Judges for this years Junior Grand Prix included Cubbies Director Jomarie Scholtes and Cubbies Leader Lauran White. Master of Ceremonies duties were performed by Puggles Co-Directors Tristan Round and Linda Seibert, with Jim Seibert in charge of construction and design of the race track. An empty carpet roll for the event was also provided by Floors Plus of Waukon.

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Vari, a Texas-based workspace innovation company, and Adolfson & Peterson Construction (AP), a top national construction management firm and general contractor, recently broke ground on VariSpace Coppell in Coppell, Texas. The180,000-SF office building, located at 450 North Freeport Parkway, will serve as Varis new global headquarters as well as a multi-tenant campus.

VariSpaceis a space-as-a-service offering from Vari, and VariSpace Coppell is the companys third location in DFW, following the success ofVariSpace Las Colinas and VariSpace Southlake.All VariSpace locations offer first-class amenities, flexible space solutions in Class A buildings and are outfitted with Vari workspace products.

With the state of traditional office space in limbo, more and more North Texas companies are realizing the value of flexible workspace concepts like VariSpace Coppell, said Granger Hassmann, Vice President of Preconstruction and Estimating for AP. Varis bold vision is just the type of innovative spirit AP embraces, and were excited to partner with BOKA Powell and Corgan to help Vari execute on its mission in DFW.

With this groundbreaking, were moving forward with the development of our new global headquarters, said Jason McCann, Co-Founder and CEO of Vari. VariSpace Coppell will be one of the most innovative buildings in North Texas and will showcase our flexible workspace design and the future of workspace. Coppell has been our home since Vari first started in 2012, and it is the perfect location for our future growth.

The tilt-wall building will sit on a 10-acre site with surface parking and feature 120,000 rentable square feet of flexible office space with large exterior balconies that will allow companies and tenants to tailor areas to meet their specific needs. The building will also incorporate an open lobby concept with large, open staircases and touch-free building applications. Building amenities include a fitness facility and grab-and-go food services.

BOKA Powell designed the core, shell and site. Corgan designed the buildings interiors.

As part of a four-year journey with Vari to create a proof of concept for the idea of building-as-service, BOKA Powell is honored to be the architect for the new VariSpace Coppell project, said Andrew Bennett, Design Principal at BOKA Powell. The architecture of the new building represents that disruptor attitude by taking a simple efficient building box and stretching in two directions. Simple moves, yet identifiable as a brand a purpose-built building for a company with a purpose.

VariSpace Coppell continues the evolution of the workplace as a service, said Lindsay Wilson, President of Corgan. This project turns the physical space into an amenity itself, arriving precisely at a moment where the adaptability of the workplace is being redefined. Its hard to describe the environment the Vari team creates for collaboration and curiosity on their projects. It is a true partnership with everyone involved.

Notable projects by AP Gulf States include PGA of Americas new headquarters in Frisco; the Arlington ISD Arts and Athletics Complex in Arlington; several education facilities for the University of Texas and Fort Worth ISD; and Park Cities Presbyterian Church in Dallas. In addition, APs Midland-based West Texas office is currently working on Texas Techs Health Science Center project and Potter Countys District Courts Building in Amarillo, while the Central Texas office is working with Northside ISD on several projects.

Excerpt from:
Construction begins on Vari's new global HQ in Dallas-Fort Worth area - REjournals.com