Let Indian Trail residents vote on liquor-by-drink

Editor's note: The writer, recently elected to the Indian Trail Town Council, is responding to an Observer article last Sunday about the spread of liquor-by-the-drink sales through the Charlotte region. Over the past two years, our (Indian Trail) residents have pleaded with a closed-minded Town Council for the opportunity to vote on a referendum for on-premise alcohol sales. Despite all these pleas, the issue of a referendum continues to languish -- whether to allow our residents to decide the issue rather than three council members. Read more

[Tina Howell]

We need restaurants(nice ones) all there is in Indian Trail is what I call FAST FOOD LANE. I'm not a drinker but I would like to not have to drive to Matthews or Charlotte for a nice place to eat. Indian Trail is losing money because people will travel for a restaurant with good food and a drink. If we had better restaurants we would get more people wanting to do business with retail out here and that will bring in more revenue. We need to get out of the STONE AGE! Every area around charlotte is growing with restaurants, retail, theaters,etc. except Indian Trail. I have lived here for 11 years and I'm still waiting for something worth staying in this area for. Please let Indian Trail have some growth!!!

[Rebel Rouser]

Better go ahead an move,because if people want it,you wont get it.

[John Hullinger]

Even if LBTD is passed, don't expect the establishments that Goodall keeps talking about. In my research, restaurants like Macaroni Grill will only locate near a large regional retail mall. Indian Trail is a franchise area for Chili's. Chilis doesn't think that IT has much of a lunch crowd to support their chain.

Don't be disappointed if national chains don't open shop shortly after passage (assuming LBTD is passed by voters).

LBTD is not going to bring the tax revenue that people say it will, look at Matthews, the alcohol tax revenue isn't that much.

[Tired of the Dark Ages]

John, just because you placed one phone call to Chilis with an attempt to support your anti alcohol religious beliefs does NOT make you an expert that proves the rest of the world wrong.

Even if you are speaking accurately about Chilis this does not mean there are no other higher class restaurants who thrive on mixed drink sales that are not willing to locate in Indian Trail.

I don’t know what research you are referring to that you have done but the only research that needs to be done here is common sense and a good look at the rest of the world whose town’s addressed this subject some 70 + years ago and determined that mixed drinks DO bring in revenue.

Face it. With our residential tax relief being only part of the problem, realize that we are no longer a small town. We have 24 thousand + residents here. We deserve services and conveniences that other largely populated towns get. It is as simple as that.

The adult establishment has nothing to do with mixed drink sales that attract higher class restaurants to this town. It infuriates me to see Dan Schallencamp has led people to believe this. Not many of us believe it but unfortunately he has managed play certain people on the council and that is what matters in his attempt to stall and delay the inevitable.

Last night’s latest stunt led silently in the background by Dan and his most recent puppet’s Kathy Broom, Yourself and Lee Godwinn was an embarrassment to this town. I only hope Shirley has enough sense to know Dan S, is playing everyone of you silently behind the public’s back.

Congrats on winning this one for now. We are here and will fight to have our town run in a common sense fashion and will NOT give up.

[Help Us]

Just listen to what you people are saying...

[Darlene Luther]

Quite frankly, I could care less if we get a Chili's. I wouldn't choose Chili's even if it were here in IT. Even anyway, when did Chili's become spoke-restaurant for all others? Let's put all this "chain" business aside...The fact is, many of us transplants want fine, independently run restaurants that offer individual character and ambiance, personal touch, fine food, etc. Even if all chain restaurants decided to avoid IT after we get LBTD (which is unlikely the case anyway), there would be fantastic opportunity here in IT to attract up and coming chefs from Johnson and Wales, as well as other entrepenuers in the restaurant industry. Common sense tells one that with LBTD, we will have the finer restaurants most of us long for.

[help us]

John, why do you lie...

You live in Indian Trail, NC.
If you really reside in California then please resign from the Planning Board.

[Rebel Rouser]

Everyone should know by now,that if it's not there idea,you can forget it! It's bad that they have to bring Al.jr.in every time this issue comes up,he is wrapped around someones finger.??

[John Hullinger]

I don't lie, the location has to do with the server where the internet is routed from.

Tired of the Dark Ages, this is the last time that I will address you and your pseudo ideas and thoughts. Since you are too coward to state your real name and attack others behind a pseudonym.

You have no idea what research I have done, so I don't have to defend it.

I have not written to or spoke on the phone with Dan Shallencamp for several months. I am not tied to any group. True it is that my religion bans the consumption of alcohol, but I have never opped the rights of someone to choose for themselve.

Do your own research and you will find the facts.

With all due respect to people such as Darlene Luther, who are respectable people, ITCFP is a cancer to Indian Trail. I will do what I can to keep ITCFP from controlling this town. I believe we have four good council members running this town, and I hope they keep things progressing. ITCFP is a negative group.

BTW, what the planning board did on Tuesday was not intended to, nor does it legally, stop LBTD. I don't care if LBTD passes or not.

Watch ITCFP, the next issue they will pound will be a police department for IT. Maybe we need it, maybe we don't, but they will push it regardless.

Say what you will about me, afterall, most of what you say is simply not true. but if you must lie to make people believe and support you, then have at it.

[Kathy]

To: Tired of the Dark Ages. I take offense to your remarks. I will not engage in name calling as you seem so willing to do. I take offense that you would link the decision to table the Adult Ordiance for a couple of weeks with any issue regarding liquor by the drink. They are two different issues. I am amazed that you do not support the planning boards decision to notify those who will be the most greatly affected. I thought your group was all for the people having a voice. That is what the planning board voted to do. Give the people a voice. Would you not want to be informed if this was happening to you?

As for you calling me a puppet, I laugh.....First of all, I would say since the elections in November I have had probably one conversation with Dan. I think I have had one with Lee after a town council meeting and I have had one with John Hullinger.

Instead of writting such negative remarks and untruths, I invite you to call me. I would be happy to explain any decision that I make and why I made them. We should be working together as citizens of this town to help make this the best place to live for everyone. We will all have different opinions and ideas but that should not mean we have to attack each other. Find common ground. Find the ideas and interest that you can agree on and do something positive. You might find that those you have grown to hate are not that bad.

Thank you,
Kathy Broom

[Rebel Rouser]

It looks like the town got a lawyer that knows the laws in NC,from the article in the County Edge,like whats been said for a long time,you cant zone out anything,also there's more than 10 areas that a lounge can be built,look at the maps.Also a lot of talk of political favors,look at the board members,is it possible one is a spouse of a town empolyee?

[Tired of the Dark Ages]

My name is Lisa Yow!

Just Kidding. I couldn't resist that one. Now John your ridiculous remark about being a coward and asking me to state my real name does not fly here. You are completely off base. I could care less who knows my name even though it is my right to use the username that suits the situation just as is was for our Mayor. I am Kelly Layburn but that should not matter to you as it should not have mattered to Dan Schallencamp who Lisa Yow was. Mr Schallencamp wasted so much time that should have been spent being productive for our town. Instead of working out the traffic issues on his committee and being productive in all other issues of playing catch up with the over growth of this town, he chose instead to waste that time snooping around behind peoples backs and trying to be negative just for the kick of hurting others. What a shame. He actually called me on the phone to ask me to be his private detective and get the real name of Lisa Yow when he found out I was the Website admin for the Brandon Oaks message boards. His priorities are in the wrong place. With all the issues facing this town, he is supposed to be using that energy helping the town. Instead he wasted our valuable tax dollars on useless things like being a snoop and hurting other people. This is NOT what we elected him to do.

John and Kathy, The rest of us would like to see the priorities of the rest of the council and planning board to be in a more positive and productive place. Please don't waste your time with negative actions like Mr. Shallencamp has done by being a snoop and stalling productivity. Mrs. Broom your latest issue with the requiremtnt to send letters to residents about the adult ordinance appears to the public to be a famous Dan delay tactic. It may or may not be so but if you truly were loyal you would have had a letter in place to send to these residents the night of the last meeting so these ordinances would be signed off on right then and there.

You guys are new on the town and we all appreciate the volunteer work but only if it is done correctly. Please be productive instead and get us the long overdue mixed drink referendum approved for the May ballot. If there are truly issues that you have with the adult ordinance and they are legitimate issues you can have those cleared up in time to push them thought by next meeting. Your loyalty to this town will be proven by having these approved and all wrinkles ironed out before the next meeting so these ordinances or signed sealed and delivered that night. There are a couple of terms used in the business world that I do not see being practiced here. Deadlines and Accountability. Everyone in the real world gets presented with a deadline to get a certain assignment accomplished and are held accountable if they have failed to do the job.

Continuted in next comment…..

[Tired of the Dark Ages]

My name is Lisa Yow!

Just Kidding. I couldn't resist that one. Now John your ridiculous remark about being a coward and asking me to state my real name does not fly here. You are completely off base. I could care less who knows my name even though it is my right to use the username that suits the situation just as is was for our Mayor. I am Kelly Layburn but that should not matter to you as it should not have mattered to Dan Schallencamp who Lisa Yow was. Mr Schallencamp wasted so much time that should have been spent being productive for our town. Instead of working out the traffic issues on his committee and being productive in all other issues of playing catch up with the over growth of this town, he chose instead to waste that time snooping around behind peoples backs and trying to be negative just for the kick of hurting others. What a shame. He actually called me on the phone to ask me to be his private detective and get the real name of Lisa Yow when he found out I was the Website admin for the Brandon Oaks message boards. His priorities are in the wrong place. With all the issues facing this town, he is supposed to be using that energy helping the town. Instead he wasted our valuable tax dollars on useless things like being a snoop and hurting other people. This is NOT what we elected him to do.

John and Kathy, The rest of us would like to see the priorities of the rest of the council and planning board to be in a more positive and productive place. Please don't waste your time with negative actions like Mr. Shallencamp has done by being a snoop and stalling productivity. Mrs. Broom your latest issue with the requiremtnt to send letters to residents about the adult ordinance appears to the public to be a famous Dan delay tactic. It may or may not be so but if you truly were loyal you would have had a letter in place to send to these residents the night of the last meeting so these ordinances would be signed off on right then and there.

You guys are new on the town and we all appreciate the volunteer work but only if it is done correctly. Please be productive instead and get us the long overdue mixed drink referendum approved for the May ballot. If there are truly issues that you have with the adult ordinance and they are legitimate issues you can have those cleared up in time to push them thought by next meeting. Your loyalty to this town will be proven by having these approved and all wrinkles ironed out before the next meeting so these ordinances or signed sealed and delivered that night. There are a couple of terms used in the business world that I do not see being practiced here. Deadlines and Accountability. Everyone in the real world gets presented with a deadline to get a certain assignment accomplished and are held accountable if they have failed to do the job.

[Tired of the Dark Ages]

Indian Trail residents are looking for a town that has a balance of services and conveniences. We are no longer a small town. We are 24 plus residents who require modern civilization with choices of places to eat, shop and family entertainment. We need balance so that there is something for everyone and every mood. If your mood brings you to fast food then fine. If your mood brings you to finer dining than that should be fine too. However you are telling me that is not fine. Right now we are not balanced. Instead we are one sided. The type of restaurant to eat in should be mine not yours. Without the mixed drink referendum we do not stand a chance at this. Not even a movie theatre or bowling alley to bring my family too. Not even a hotel to put my extended family up in. Not even an outdoor entertainment location to bring my family to enjoy live music and entertainment. Without this mixed drink referendum none of this will exist. As of now this is NOT a family friendly town. Please help us make it one and be proactive rather than reactive in form of stalls and delays.

Oh and Kathy Broom, Trust me. You do not want to hear from me on the phone, unless you plan on starting the conversation with a sincere apology for bad mouthing my husband when he gave a heartfelt speech at a council meeting about September 11th. You wrote a negative statement in the paper about how you thought his speech was bad and nothing but a temper tantrum. You insulted me, my husband and thousands of people who died and lost their loved ones when you did that. That was an incredible speech that was felt in the heart of everyone in that room. That fact that you are the one who did not get the purpose of that speech shows the public that you are not qualified to be sitting on the planning board or making any decisions for this town. Well lady you have NOT seen a temper tantrum yet. But you might see one given by the residents of the town if you negatively affect this town’s reputation the way Dan Schallencamp has done so far. Please do the job you have been given in a professional matter with consideration to deadlines, timelines and commitments. This is your chance to show us that you can get the job done correctly and in a productive time frame.

Thank you.

[Tired of the Dark Ages]

Of course you know that meant 24 thousand plus residents. in the second line of the last posting. We have grown too fast. Why didn't someone step in and manage that while it was happening?

[Rebel Rouser]

Tired of the Dark Ages wrote:

Of course you know that meant 24 thousand plus residents. in the second line of the last posting. We have grown too fast. Why didn't someone step in and manage that while it was happening?

If you will check IT grew by annexation,a majority of the developments are a result of County zoning,check the towns web site,it shows what the county approved and what the town approved.As for the LBD,you are wasting your breath,they have there people in place to stop anything positive,the only thing positive that happened was they picked a lawyer that knows the laws.He's not going to say yes to make himself look good.I believe he will open a lot of eyes.

[John Hullinger]

Kelly,
Thank you for revealing your identity. With regard to LBD, I really don't care if it passes or not, so I am not going to do anything to delay or expedite it. Personally, I felt that it was important for the people in the area to know that today, an adult establishment can go in a lot of different areas, but after this new ordinance passes, there are only two areas, and one is in there back yard.
I don't understand people's animosity toward Mr. Schallenkamp. I think he is doing a good job. I also do not see a "King Dan's Court". I can only speak for myself, but I am not particularly tied to him, but I believe he has the towns best interest at heart. We definitely do not agree on everything, and even during the election, he did something that really bothered me. Him and I talked about it, and I understand that he had good intentions.
I believe we have a pretty good council right now, and I think the town will continue to move forward.

[Tired of the Dark Ages]

Indian Trail ABC Store Approval Needed along with Liquor By the Drink. Let’s Do This Right the First Time!

In order for this town to obtain the full financial benefit from LBTD (mixed drink sales) we need to also include the ABC Store referendum on our May 2008 Ballot. At a recent Indian Trail Town Council meeting we had the opportunity to hear some interesting facts and figures during a presentation given by Danny Sellers, Director of the Education Division of the NC State Alcohol Beverage Control Commission. Many of his facts cleared up a lot of inaccurate information that is circling around Indian Trail concerning alcohol and mixed drink sales and the benefits it may or may not bring to our residents. A great reason we all learned to have ABC Store approval along with a LBTD (mixed drink) approval is so that Indian Trail can keep the much needed tax revenue that is earned by mixed drinks/wine/beer sales in restaurants. According to our ABC Commission if we do not have both the LBTD AND an ABC Store approval then the mixed drink tax revenue generated from LBTD in Indian Trail restaurants will go to the nearest town with an ABC Store instead of our town (which in our case is Monroe). Imagine Monroe cashing in on OUR tax dollars just because we decided to ask for a Mixed Drink Referendum without the ABC Store Referendum to go with it? A strange fact but this was confirmed by Mr. Sellers during his presentation to Indian Trail on February 12th.

Mr. Sellers was very informative during his presentation and also went on to mention that a portion of LBTD tax revenue would also go to Local Law Enforcement for our town if we have LBTD AND an ABC Store approval. This revenue allocated to Local Law Enforcement sounds like it could help provide great start-up funds for our much needed Indian Trail Police Department. For more information on the breakdown of the revenue and where it goes you can visit the NC ABC Commission Website at: http://www.ncabc.com/pricing/revenuechart.asp ....

We have ONE Town Council meeting left to bring this issue to a conclusion. Tuesday February 26th is the absolute LAST chance to get this on the May 2008 ballot and save this town’s residents an enormous amount of money. Let’s do this right the first time and put both LBTD (mixed drink sales) and the ABC Store referendum on the ballot for this May of 2008. I ask that our town council please not pass up this last opportunity to put both of these together on the ballot and get this done correctly the first time in a way that fully benefits this town. The residents of Indian Trail can take it from there and decide what is right for the resident’s of Indian Trail through a fair democratic process in the voting booth.

Kelly Layburn
Concerned Resident of Indian Trail who is Tired of the Dark Ages.

[Rebel Rouser]

According to last nights meeting,some council members have feathers,also sounds like they may have had a secret meeting the way it was worded.

[Saturn]

Not surprised by the outcome. Make promises to get elected, make promises to keep citizens at bay and then vote as they always intended.
It's time to get serious about the petition for an election recall - enough is enough.