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| The Google Earth View of Gleneagles and Park Roads |
As far back as 1989 when the property was originally re-zoned it caused controversy with more than 1,500 Park Road homeowners signing a petition to deny the rezoning request. But, after much hand wringing, Charlotte City Council approved the request.
But it would sit idle until another request was made in 2004 and then finally earthmovers took over and it looked as if something "grand" was indeed on the horizon.
Holes were dug for a massive underground parking lot, trees were cut down and dirt piled more than 100 feet in the air. Then financial end of the deal, collapsed and Ritz and Saks backed out.
4 years later the recession hit and then the rains came.
Over the years Harris has skated around city and county ordinances that would have landed most property owners in superior court. She has used her name to thumb her nose at fellow property owners and environmentalists for nearly 3 decades.
The Harris Land Company at one point put up a fence and the added the now frayed green fabric screen to "hush" the complaints.
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| Trash and a rusting trailer with small tent just visible past the brush |
From the local paper in November of 2014:
The Charlotte City Council had few questions for developer Dee Dee Harris during the public hearing Monday night for her proposed Quail Hollow Village.
Harris is seeking a site-plan change for the 19-acre development, which would include apartments, a hotel, restaurants and office space.
The project would be built on the southeast corner of Park Road and Gleneagles Road. The site has been fenced off for nearly a decade, after a proposed development from 2004 fell through. The property has several large craters, which were going to be underground parking.
No one spoke in opposition to the project, which could be approved by council members in December or January.
Harris told council members she has lined up a developer to build the apartments as well as an owner and management company for the hotel.
The city staff has recommended the project be approved.
Among the requests are for two drive-thru windows, one of which can be used for an “eating/drinking/entertainment establishment,” according to the city agenda.
It turns out that her promises of development and continued "we have investors" was nothing more than a pipe dream. Now with the PGA Championship is less than six months away, the property that Harris once said would be home to a much needed hotel built in time for the event, finally has it's first long term tenants. A rumored homeless encampment.
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| How many homeless people can say they have a Gleneagles Address? |
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| Homeless Camp Along I-77 |
And why not, the "gated community" has a pond, access to McDonalds and CATS Buses, several churches in the area provide warming shelters and hot meals on cold nights.
Look over the fence along Park Road you'll find tires and appliances. The pond which was once the excavation for the underground parking deck is now home to ducks, geese and Great Blue Herons.
With Dee Dee's luck it has gained, Piping Plovers, Heelspliter mussels, Ridley turtles and Pondberry plants all endangered species.
Maybe it is now time for the Charlotte City Council to take action, time to stop looking the other way, literally we need to drain the swamp now and toss the homeless out. After all the PGA Championship buses will pass the eyesore everyday. Sure from your car you see nothing, but on the bus to the tournament? Its pretty bad.
Note: CP has been talking to a bearded homeless guy named Marvin. You might have seen him around SouthPark. Long gray ZZ-Top beard a tall man about 50 maybe younger, since living on the street will age you pretty quick. Marvin first alerted CP to the homeless camp, telling me he used to live at Gleneagles but "got run out" by the rough crowd down there. Intrigued CP had a look around last week and didn't find anyone. A lot of trash cardboard boxes signs of life by hard to say homeless or just kids.
May just have to take Marvin down there for a tour. I'll let you know.
11 comments:
Cedar I know for a fact there are homeless people living in there. CMPD chased a bunch out last year before the Wells Fargo Tournament. I'm sure they went back in just as soon as the event was over. But I'd be careful poking around back in there, some of those people aren't right.
Which would explain the campfire burning nightly out there.
Shameful. Why doesn't the city enforce the law? DeeDee's hole is a blight upon the community, and the city "leaders" are a freaking joke. City should take ownership of this land, and quit treating the wealthy different than any other citizen. I guess those campaign contributions really do pay off.
Maybe one of the homeless will commit a crime, have one committed against them while on the property,and sue the landowner for negligence.
City Council does nothing about this blight and law-breaking because:
1 - they are incompetent
2 - they are corrupt
3 - they get huge campaign donations and (possibly) other perks
Call Greenpeace and other similar organizations locally about the endangered species. Probably the easiest way to get action to clean up the area AND preserve it, now that Harris turned it in to a nature preserve for endangered species. It looks like current tax bill (showing paid) is $137K annually, and the City wants that money, too, but will want tax increase for new business--unless they give one of their "development specials' that both destroys the land and gives back our tax money to the rich developer.
Maybe the endangered species will win. Or at least require a large, open green area that would have been concrete.
Homeless people are often crime victims, sometimes criminal, often mentally ill, and always homeless. In America, people should not have to live outside of shelter, safety, food, and health care. They need a place to live and a way to make a living. Not a fence to hide them.
They don't care what people think, those to idiots Cameron and Deedee think their shit don't think and they hate Johnny totally jealous of his success with the PGA Tour event.
DeeDee even opposed the Colony Apartment deal and the Hilton Garden Hotel. The only people to file a protest on both projects.
at this point a park with walking trails picnic area all integrated with the nearby school and athletic fields really makes sense. You already have a water feature and parking at the school, Park Road Park up the street is over utilized always maxed out during the summer.
I wonder what Rep. Dipshit, aka Andy Dulin/Woodenheaded Puppet, would have to say about this? He helped get this mess started over a decade ago, and the steaming pile is still here. He was the favorite son of the local developers, and his do-nothing attitude is finally paying off, at least for the mosquitos.
Can't imagine the destruction this fool will leave in his path now that he's a state rep.
I think it is time to update this story and find out if anything has changed. I hate driving by that empty lot.
Any chance on doing an update to this story. So hard to find information on this empty lot
Would love to see if anything is in the works for this eye sore
Anyway to do a part 2 of this story and see if anything has changed
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