The Cornelius Town Board approved funding for up to $250,000 on June 19 for a “Zion Avenue Feasibility Study.” The Study aims to examine a road from Zion Avenue (near Antiquity) in Cornelius heading South to Bailey Road less than a mile away. One envisioned route is through the proposed Business Park ending at Bailey Road. Supposedly, there is a “need” for Bailey Road residents to use this road to get to downtown Cornelius. The Study is many months away. Rezoning now for the Business Park puts the cart before the horse. The Business Park Proposal rezoning request should be delayed until the Zion Avenue Connector Feasibility Study is complete. 
Comment to the Town Board on June 19  “As you know, we are not in support of the proposed rezoning on the 36 acres across from Bailey Road Park. It is not a good fit and the Planning Board did not recommend it. Some of those reasons were concerns about safety - for park users, school students, and residents in neighborhoods throughout the area. Proposed “Greenways” to nowhere or highly unsafe pedestrian crossings across Bailey Road should not be accepted as adding value. It is a large imposing commercial set of industrial “flex space buildings” and does not fit the historic rural nature and character of the area. Some fear it may affect property values. Congestion, emissions, noise, air quality, will not be improved by 960 automobiles and 88 large truck trips per day. The community is residential, educational and recreational in nature - not commercial. https://www.change.org/NO-REZONE-BaileyRoad

“I think of the traffic heading South off 115, traffic that will be generated by the Business Park and the Business Campus use dead-ending onto Bailey Road and heading through the neighborhoods, disturbing park users and educational facilities. There will be hundreds, thousands more daily trips all coming out on Bailey Road. I am not sure that this is a solution that appreciates the problem for Bailey Road East residents, students and outdoor park and recreation enthusiasts.”