‘Only going to get worse’: Neighbors concerned after Belmont transportation bond doesn’t pass

BELMONT, N.C. — Some Belmont residents are stunned that a transportation bond referendum that would have improved roads throughout the city failed by a wide margin on Tuesday.

Some of the planned changes would have happened on South Point Road where there’s a new school and neighborhood.

One resident says the neighborhood is so new that sometimes there are more homebuilders there than homeowners.

Jeff Haughton lives within a block of Central Avenue. He thought the $25 million bond to improve roads would help, but 55% of voters disagreed.

He says some mornings, getting beyond the stop sign at the end of the block feels impossible.

“It could be a couple of minutes to 10 to 15 minutes,” he said.

Haughton says the problem is a building boom on a stretch of land to the south that was underdeveloped. But that’s changed fast.

“In five years, it’s gone from very little development on the south end to now almost fully developed and it continues to grow,” he said.

He approved the plans to turn the two-lane road into four lanes, part of the proposed bond.

It would have also added sidewalks, bike lanes, and extra lanes in serval places around the city including David Klocker’s neighborhood in North Belmont.

“We need to improve things around here,” he said.

Klocker has a hunch as to why some people voted against the bond.

“They don’t want their taxes to go up. Period,” he said.

For $100,000 of property value, it would cost $42.50 in extra property taxes. In 2028, that cost would jump to $72.50.

Haughton says the vote against the bond leaves him stuck.

“The situation is only going to get worse,” Haughton said.

One local leader told Channel 9′s Ken Lemon that some people were confused about the bond.

He says people with well water thought it was for water and sewer improvements they didn’t need.

He thinks the city can get the plan approved in two years with more discussions about how it will help.

VIDEO: Belmont pauses new development until traffic, water system problems solved

Belmont pauses new development until traffic, water system problems solved

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