Belmont pauses new development until traffic, water system problems solved

BELMONT, N.C. — The City of Belmont is putting a moratorium on new developments as leaders work out pain points in the local infrastructure.

In just a few months, people will be able to move into newly constructed homes in Belmont. But they’ll be met with a water system that hasn’t been updated in years and roads that are overwhelmed.

The southern end of Belmont is one of the fastest-growing parts of Gaston County, but people attending Monday night’s city council meeting said that growth has come at a price. Congestion is the easiest to see and is the most frustrating for people living along South Point Road.

“A 10-minute drive is 30 to 45 minutes,” one meeting attendee said.

The problem is there’s a lot of land for new schools and homes. There are plans already in the works for over a thousand new homes in one area, but there are no new plans for roads or for expanding water and sewer.

“Regional wastewater is full. This is not going away,” a meeting attendee said.

Will Neumann is a former member of the state House who lives in Cramerton and works in Belmont.

“I’m looking at a lot of trouble. People are already saying, ‘Hey, we can’t get out,’ or, ‘We are almost having a wreck,’” Neumann said.

The city council said both problems have reached a tipping point. The city manager said they need time to come up with a plan without adding to the problem, so for now, they will stop all new developments. That includes any plan with more than eight lots.

The vote passed unanimously with applause from attendees.

The state legislature usually fights moratoriums, but they are allowed if it’s to address infrastructure needs.

Channel 9′s Ken Lemon is working to find out how far along the city is on its plans for changes. They will have to get help from the state to address the issue of traffic congestion.

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