QUESTION:  What’s being built near the NC 119 bypass where it goes over U.S ANSWER: There are two construction projects in the vicinity identified by the questioner on both sides of the existing Cambro Manufacturing plant off of West Holt Street to provide rail access for local industries Cambro held a ceremonial groundbreaking last June announcing that the current plant built in 2015 (now occupying 476,857 square feet) would be supplemented by a second 379,672-square foot warehouse facility that would nearly double the company’s footprint within the North Carolina Industrial Center in Mebane Completion of a second facility for Cambro would bring the company’s total square footage in Mebane to a total of 856,529 square feet based on the plans that have been filed with the city by Greensboro-based Triad Design Group The current Mebane facility is the Huntington Beach California-based company’s only East Coast manufacturing plant The new facility is being built by Samet Corporation and is targeted to open in the fall of 2025 Cambro director of logistics Michael Ortiz had previously told The Alamance News last year The new plant will be equipped with 56 dock doors and two drive-in doors; Cambro expects to add up to 60 additional employees to the more than 100 who now work for the company at its Mebane location Alex Talamantes is the company’s plant manager Cambro describes itself as a family-owned manufacturing company that produces more than 17,000 products used in the food and beverage industry The new facility is being built on 25.4 acres along N.C near the intersection with West Holt Street The existing site (at 1268 Holt Street) and the Cambro site under construction are both on Holt Street and are straddled by an overhead bypass for NC 119 Cambro’s existing facility is located near a planned “transload facility” and a rail loop that Samet hopes to establish on four acres at the corner of West Holt Street and Lake Latham Road in Mebane to serve the North Carolina Industrial Center (NCIC) That is the second construction site to which the questioner apparently refers “The current location is a combined facility of both manufacturing and logistics,” Ortiz outlined in an interview with the newspaper last summer “We are expanding on the manufacturing side [Cambro CEO and president] Argyle Campbell owns that land so that is the property we’re going to [expand on] The new building is going to be used for 100 percent storage.” for approximately $1.3 million in January 2020 based on documents on file with Alamance County’s Register of Deeds The proposed 379,672-square-foot second facility would be built on 14 acres within the overall site based on based on preliminary plans that have been developed for the Cambro expansion The facility would be surrounded on three sides by a 40-foot buffer with opaque fencing ranging between four and eight feet high that would be built on top of retaining walls Shrubs and trees would be planted along the eastern side of the property to provide a vegetative buffer between the manufacturing facility and approximately half a dozen adjacent residential properties Any existing vegetation also will remain in place according to the plans that Triad Design Group has submitted to the city for the Cambro expansion   The site plans show that a 26-foot wide gravel access road for emergency vehicles also would be built along one edge of the property The existing facility is located near the rail line The promise of a future rail spur beside Cambro’s plant was one of the things that lured the company to decide to build in Mebane 10 years ago Alamance County’s commissioners agreed in 2023 to provide $300,843 for the transload facility that had been planned for nearly a decade but only became viable when the North Carolina General Assembly earmarked $2.6 million for a new transload facility in the biennial state budget passed in late 2021 The latest estimated cost to build the transload facility was $3.2 million as of early 2023 prompting Alamance County chamber officials to seek additional funding from the city of Mebane and Alamance County government to cover the construction costs then the economic development director for the Alamance County Area Chamber of Commerce told the county commissioners in the spring of 2023 that the transload facility “would open up opportunities for manufacturers everybody” to have direct rail access to ship and receive rail cargo — A Piedmont Triad man is facing several sexual exploitation charges following a lengthy investigation by the Invictus Task Force members of the Invictus Task Force initiated an investigation after receiving a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children officials said 58-year-old Raymond Wargo Jr He was subsequently charged with ten counts of Second-Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor He was taken to the Alamance County Detention Center There are few noteworthy distinctions between the hospitals that two of the state’s hospital systems – Cone Health and Duke Novant – are competing to build in Mebane an Alamance News analysis of their proposals reveals Cone Health and Duke University Health System (in partnership with Novant Health) both filed Certificate of Need (CON) applications with the state Department of Health and Human Services on April 15 seeking state approval to build what would become the city of Mebane’s first hospital Each hospital system is seeking state approval to build a hospital with 46 acute-care beds in Mebane State law currently requires healthcare providers to obtain prior approval by the Healthcare Planning and Certificate of Need Section within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in order to expand or build new facilities in the state Each hospital system points to projected population growth as the basis for its proposal to build a hospital to serve the city of Mebane and surrounding areas the latest State Medical Facilities Plan developed by DHHS shows that based on projected population growth and other data Alamance County would have a deficit of 46 hospital beds by 2027 The proposed Cone Health Mebane Hospital would have a slightly larger footprint (161,578 square feet) and would be built on three parcels along Mebane Oaks Road that were recently acquired for $6.9 million Cone Health officials told The Alamance News on April 16 that the newly-acquired property would likely be incorporated into its existing properties that stretch from the existing MedCenter Mebane campus along Arrowhead Boulevard [Story continues below chart with comparisons of the Cone and Duke proposed certificates of need for the new Mebane hospital.] 060-square foot Duke Novant Mebane Hospital would be built on 22.4 acres along Gregory Poole Lane that Duke University Health System purchased for more than $3.1 million between July 2021 and October 2022 based on documents filed with the county’s Register of Deeds The proposed Cone Health Mebane Hospital would have three general operating rooms versus one that Duke Novant would build at its proposed Mebane hospital Cone also would carve out more emergency treatment/exam rooms – 15 versus 10 that would be built at the proposed Duke Novant Mebane Hospital Each of the proposed hospitals would operate a 24-hour emergency room in addition to offering general medical and surgical services such as OB/GYN; diagnostic treatment via CT scans Both hospitals plan to offer provide respiratory [Story continues below chart of proposed services to be provided by Cone vs Cone would put construction contracts out to bid early next year; Duke Novant would start that process a year later according to application materials submitted to DHHS Both hospital systems have set the target opening date during the first half of 2029 Cone Health estimates its overall investment in the Mebane hospital would top $250 million; Duke Novant Cone Health estimates that the proposed Mebane hospital would lead to approximately 209 full-time equivalent jobs within the first full year of operation (2030); salaries would range from a low of $46,788 for a “host” to a high of $263,338 for a pharmacy manager though benefits and taxes account for 29.5 percent of the estimated annual salaries Duke Novant estimates that its proposed hospital in Mebane would lead to 128 full-time equivalent jobs within the first full year of operation Annual salaries would range from a low of $54,743 for sterile supply technicians to a high of $300,424 for an operations administrator A decision by the Healthcare Planning and Certificate of Need Section is expected later this year according to the applications that have been filed by Cone Health and Duke Novant Duke Health and Novant Health have filed a joint certificate of need (CON) application to build a 46-bed acute care hospital in Mebane the same number also being sought by Cone Health which filed its request with the state the same day The project would represent a total investment of $225 million for the Duke Novant Mebane Hospital according to its application with the Healthcare Planning and Certification of Need section of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Cone’s application with the state lists its investment as $250 million although a press release from Cone states the amount as $275 million Both Duke and Cone Health filed their certificate of need applications with the state on Tuesday seeking to build new hospitals to serve the growing Mebane area (see related story this edition.) Duke’s filing did not show up on the department’s website until late in the day on Wednesday after the newspaper’s normal deadline and too late to contact anyone with Duke Health Both applications list the exact same “project description”: “Develop a new hospital with no more than 46 acute care beds pursuant to the 2025 SMFP (State Medical Facilities Plan) need determination.” State law requires healthcare providers to obtain permission from the Department of Health and Human Services before expanding or building new facilities in North Carolina The Healthcare Planning and Certification of Need Section within the state health department will schedule a public hearing on the proposal but had not set a date by press time The deadline to submit written comments is June 2 There is no indication of precisely where Duke’s Mebane hospital might be but Duke Health began clearing and grading work two years ago for a three-story office building with 58,764 square feet on about 22 acres it owns along Gregory Poole Lane all work on the office building has been stopped for over a year Mebane officials told The Alamance News in 2023 that while no formal plans for multiple buildings had been filed with the city discussions at the time had indicated that there were plans for multiple buildings on Duke’s Gregory Poole Lane site Duke University Health System purchased the Mebane properties  for a potential office building multiple healthcare and construction trade publications reported in late 2021 paying about $3.1 million for lots on both sides of Gregory Poole Lane based on documents filed with Alamance County’s Register of Deeds Mebane officials have indicated there were originally plans for multiple buildings on the site where the Duke Health medical office building was planned Duke’s Gregory Poole Lane site backs up to the recently-approved Koury Corporation multi-use development which includes a shopping center with 300,000 square feet of retail space; 645 apartments in 12 3- and 4-story apartment buildings); and 38 townhouses The Koury Corporation has also left blank on its approved site plans a 9-acre portion adjacent to the property already owned by Duke Health along Gregory Poole Lane Koury officials said during the December city council meeting when their rezoning request was approved that they hoped to work with Duke there is a market for additional medical offices which they’re planning to accommodate Target Corporation has purchased 10.7 acres from the Koury Corporation to build a 128,000-square foot store along Trollingwood-Hawfields Road on the outskirts of Mebane that will be its second location in Alamance County Target paid $1.975 million for the parcel off I-85/40 and closed on the purchase in late January based on a deed to the property that has been filed with Alamance County’s Register of Deeds The site of the future Target store in Mebane is part of a forthcoming 83-acre mixed-use development along Trollingwood-Hawfields Road Mebane’s city council had voted in December to approve conditional rezoning for 19 parcels along Trollingwood-Hawfields Road which is located within the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction where Koury Corporation intends to build the mixed-use development The 83-acre development will be built across the interstate from the future Buc-ee’s travel plaza that Mebane’s city council approved in early 2024 Koury’s site plan calls for the construction of a retail shopping center and outparcels on the front half of the property along Third Street Extension The back portion of the 83-acre site would have 645 apartments and 38 townhouses based on a site-specific layout that Mebane’s city council approved for the Koury Corporation in December of last year The future Target store in Mebane is one of four new stores in North Carolina (and 36 across the country) that the company has announced on its website No timeframe for construction of the Target store in Mebane has been given A Target Corporation spokesperson had not responded to an inquiry from The Alamance News by press time on Wednesday The existing Target store in Alamance County is located in the University Commons shopping center at 1475 University Drive in west Burlington That store was built in 2004 and spans 124,170 square feet the other new stores Target is also planning: a 148,000-square foot store in Fuquay-Varina; a 128-000-square foot store in Myrtle Grove (New Hanover County); and a 130,000-square foot store in Selma Target currently has nearly 2,000 stores throughout the U.S. Conditional rezoning contingent upon two entrances to residential component One of five agreements that Koury Corporation has inked with Target (a 107-page“Operation and Easement Agreement”) references certain “Additional Property” that is adjacent to the Target parcel that property “in not currently owned by Developer nor is it part of the Shopping Center as of the Effective Date [of the agreement].” That “additional property” referenced in the operation agreement between Koury and Target appears to be a 1.67-acre parcel along Third Street Extension that Alamance County government purchased in July 2023 for a future EMS substation to serve the eastern part of the county A representative for Koury had told Mebane’s city council in December that the 1.67-acre parcel would provide a necessary access point to the site required by the state Department of Transportation (DOT) one of two lawyers with the Greensboro-based Tuggle-Duggins law firm who represented the Koury Corporation for the rezoning request to the council in December had said that the county-owned parcel as a key part of the development that would serve as a second entrance from South Third Street into the residential component of the project This outlet had been added to the company’s site-specific plan at the behest of DOT and was one of numerous conditions attached to the conditional rezoning request presented to Mebane’s city council The layout for the shopping center that was presented to the council on December 2 2024 showed the county-owned land as providing one of two entrances off of South Third Street into the mixed-use development A representative for Koury Corporation had included that parcel in its rezoning request to Mebane’s city council in December based on a “Property Owner Authorization” that Alamance County manager Heidi York signed on November 8 authorizing the developer to seek rezoning for the county’s parcel as part of its overall request for the 83-acre mixed-use development The Alamance News later learned that Koury’s lawyers had told Mebane city officials that the company had the 1.67-acre property owned by Alamance County under contract Alamance County officials initially denied any involvement with the Koury rezoning but ultimately admitted to having allowed the developer to incorporate the county property in its rezoning request “as a necessary step in the rezoning” for its future EMS station as Alamance County manager Heidi York described the arrangement In subsequent conversations with the newspaper following the December 2 rezoning county attorney Rik Stevens and assistant county manager Brian Baker reluctantly admitted that they were “in negotiations” to swap the 1.67-acre parcel on Third Street Extension for part of another 48.77-acre parcel that Koury owns at the northeast corner of Smith Drive and N.C Documents that The Alamance News obtained through a public records request revealed that county government officials had been discussing a potential land swap for a future EMS station on Mebane’s outskirts at least two months before Koury presented its rezoning request to Mebane’s city council – and absent any public discussion with the county commissioners Alamance County officials have yet to finalize a land swap or a sale of the parcel along Third Street Extension based on documents on file with the county’s Register of Deeds as of press time Wednesday The 1.67-acre site is still listed as being owned by Alamance County which bought the vacant land in July 2023 for $300,000 from Alamance County Rescue Unit County officials alluded to the incomplete status of the “swap” discussions during a daylong budget retreat on February 17 Alamance Regional Medical Center has purchased about eight acres along Mebane Oaks Road near its MedCenter Mebane facility on Arrowhead Drive and two other Cone properties also considered part of MedCenter Mebane that are on Mebane Oaks Road confirmed the future expansion plans for The Alamance News Wednesday afternoon and 907 Mebane Oaks Road sold for $6.9 million based on a deed that was filed Friday with Alamance County’s Register of Deeds to consummate the transaction The three parcels are located near the intersection of Mebane Oaks Road and South Eighth Street in Mebane and are currently home to three existing businesses The parcel at 901 Mebane Oaks Road is currently home to Jimmy’s Famous Hot Dogs; the parcel at 903 Mebane Oaks Road is home to a Sherwin-Williams paint store and a vacant furniture store previously occupied by Discount Furniture Connection; and the property at 907 Mebane Oaks Road is home to a car wash (Express Care Quick Lube Car Wash) [Story continues below photos of existing Mebane Oaks Road properties.] Neither ARMC nor Cone Health appears to have filed an application yet for a Certificate of Need (CON) with the state Department of Health and Human Services as required under a state law North Carolina’s CON law prohibits healthcare providers from acquiring major medical equipment or adding patient beds without prior approval from the state health department “Being adjacent to Cone Health MedCenter Mebane makes this a strategic purchase for Cone Health,” Cone Health spokesman Doug Allred said in a statement to The Alamance News “While our exact plans are being determined Cone Health looks forward to adding enhanced services to those already being delivered at MedCenter Mebane.” [See existing ARMC-owned properties on and near Mebane Oaks Road below.] Duke University Health System is moving forward with its plans to build a medical campus in Mebane as part of a broader partnership with Novant Health to expand healthcare access based on an application for a Certificate of Need that has been filed with the state Department of Health and Human Services The application to build a 46-bed acute care hospital – Duke Novant Mebane Hospital – in Mebane represents a potential investment of $225 million according to a copy of the CON application that the state Department of Health and Human Services furnished this week in response to a public records request by The Alamance News State law currently requires healthcare providers to obtain prior authorization from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in order to expand or build new facilities in North Carolina BUT SHOULD STATE CONTROL WHO GETS APPROVAL? State senate has passed a budget bill that eliminates the pre-clearance procedures now required for new hospital approval and construction: https://alamancenews.com/alamance-news-exclusive-senate-budget-proposal-and-two-standalone-bills-aim-to-repeal-certificate-of-need-law/ the new Duke Novant Mebane Hospital is targeted to open by July 1 according to the CON application that was filed last week for the project The application lists the potential location for the hospital at an unaddressed location along Gregory Poole Lane in Mebane Duke University paid more than $3.1 million between July 2021 and October 2022 to purchase 22.44 acres along both sides of Gregory Poole Lane between an existing Bojangles restaurant and a Gregory Poole Equipment store Located off the Trollingwood Hawfields Road exit from I-85/40 the site for the proposed Duke Novant Mebane Hospital is adjacent to the 83 acres where the Koury Corporation is building a future shopping center Grading work had started on the proposed medical campus in early 2023 but had stalled as of late last summer The proposed hospital would operate a 24-hour emergency department and offer inpatient medical services to surgical and non-surgical patients as required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services The Duke Novant Mebane Hospital would have: 12 exam rooms in the ER; eight observation rooms; four ICU beds; four obstetric beds and a nursery with capacity for six newborns; and 38 general inpatient beds and physical therapy services to hospital patients as well as laboratory and pharmacy services “The applicants are developing the Duke Health Mebane campus to improve access to care in Alamance County,” the CON application states “Developing hospital services in Mebane will enhance the continuum of care available and increase patient access to essential acute care services “The proposed hospital site offers convenient access via major highways and arterial roadways ensuring accessibility for residents throughout the service area,” the application for Duke Novant Mebane Hospital states Alamance County is served by a single acute care hospital residents seeking DUHS acute care services must travel to facilities in Durham or Wake counties The establishment of Duke Novant Mebane Hospital will expand access to DUHS services within Alamance County reducing travel times for existing DUHS patients and providing a closer point of care.” The applicants believe that enhanced competition from a new acute healthcare provider in Alamance County will drive future improvements in medical care and ultimately lower costs for patients A map of the service area included with the CON application indicates that the majority of residents in Alamance County as well as those on the Orange County side of Mebane could reach the proposed hospital within 10 to 30 minutes “The Mebane area currently lacks a hospital and the map clearly shows that the existing acute care hospital (ARMC) is positioned at the edge of the drive-time zones for the zip codes surrounding the proposed hospital location,” the application for Duke Novant Mebane Hospital states “Placing a hospital in Mebane fills a critical gap in access between the existing hospital and the central and eastern areas of Alamance County especially for emergency services where time is of the essence.” Alamance County’s population is projected to increase by 4.4 percent (8,109 residents) between 2025 when the county’s population is estimated to total 185,255 and the target date for opening in July 2029 when the county’s population is projected to reach 193,364 Office of State Budget and Management cited in the CON application The newest application notes that DUHS also had recently filed a separate CON application seeking state approval to purchase a fixed MRI scanner that would be located at the same site as the proposed hospital and would serve Duke Novant Mebane Hospital patients if the application for the hospital is approved In the event that the application for the 46-bed acute hospital is denied “DUHS may pursue the development of fixed MRI services at a later date following project completion,” the CON application states fixed MRI scanners will no longer be subject to CON review in counties with populations exceeding 125,000 which would allow for the provision of MRI services in Mebane without prior regulatory approval.” Duke University Health System (DUHS) and Novant Health would be equal members of a new healthcare entity which was created in March 2025 and based at 2085 Frontis Plaza Boulevard in Winston-Salem as well as articles of organization filed with the Secretary of State’s office The proposed Duke Novant Mebane Hospital is predicated on the 2025 proposed State Medical Facilities Plan developed by DHHS based on population growth and other demographic data DUHS owns and operates Duke Raleigh Hospital and Duke Cary Hospital (approved and under development) DUHS is also a minority member in Duke Life Point Novant Health operates and manages 17 hospital facilities in North Carolina as well as two facilities for which CON applications have been approved but have not yet opened The CON application has been submitted for the May 1 Cone Health has filed plans with the state seeking permission to build a full-service 46-bed hospital in Mebane recently closed on a $6.9 million purchase of about eight acres along Mebane Oaks Road according to a deed that was filed with Alamance County’s Register of Deeds See earlier coverage of the 3-parcel land purchase in Mebane: https://alamancenews.com/armc-buys-three-lots-in-mebane-for-future-expansion/ confirmed last month the future expansion plans for The Alamance News and confirmed Tuesday that those properties as well as other vacant portions already owned by Cone would be the site of the new hospital Tuesday’s announcement by Cone appears to amplify on those plans Cone Health Mebane Hospital will represent an investment of up to $275 million in a 161,578 square foot facility The facility will be located at 103 Medical Park Drive Other specifics in the health care company’s submission of its “certificate of need” include: A spokesperson confirmed Tuesday that Cone Health had filed its application for a certificate of need (CON) for the Mebane hospital with the state Department of Health and Human Services as required under a state law Mebane mayor Ed Hooks and other local officials with gather to break ground tomorrow on a new free public charter school scheduled to open this August for the upcoming 2025-26 school year at 6920 West Ten Road on the eastern outskirts of Mebane’s city limits and in western Orange County Carolina Achieve will be the fifth charter school serving students in Alamance County though enrollment will be limited initially to students in kindergarten through second grade for the upcoming 2025-26 school year The site is just over the Alamance County line on the Orange County side of Mebane and approximately 2½ miles from Gravelly Hill Middle School which is part of the Orange County school system The new charter school will have modular classrooms until the construction of a permanent school building is complete a Raleigh-based consultant for Carolina Achieve Hubrich Contracting of Durham has been selected to build a permanent facility for Carolina Achieve Bedi said Monday morning in an interview with The Alamance News Hubrich Contracting has previously built dozens of other charter school facilities throughout the region and state including: Alamance Community School in Haw River; Durham Charter School near Research Triangle Park in Durham; Eno River Academy in Hillsborough; and two additions for Voyager Academy in Durham as well as several charter schools in South Carolina Hubrich Contracting completed the construction of a new 12,000-square foot gymnasium at Alamance Community School in December 2024 The charter for Carolina Achieve allows for enrollment of up to 300 students for the first year (2025-26) and calls for additional grade levels to be added for each subsequent year of operation The new charter school opening just outside Mebane’s city limits will offer an open enrollment period for the 2025-26 school year on Friday [Story continues below illustration of future layout of the charter school.] you’re expected to operate with open enrollment,” Bedi said you go to a certain point [with that process] – you might have 50 slots for students – then you close open enrollment.” Carolina Achieve will admit additional students using a lottery system with 20 percent of seats at each grade level reserved for students who qualify for free and reduced-price lunches in order to ensure that the student population reflects the “diverse economic spectrum of Alamance and Durham counties,” according to the charter school Carolina Achieve will open this August with slots for up to 100 students at each grade level founding board chairman John Oxaal of Durham County said in an earlier interview with The Alamance News said he anticipates that Carolina Achieve will have a waitlist for enrollment by this spring “We will have one 10-room modular and one six-classroom modular [when we open in August],” Cogburn elaborated Wednesday afternoon in an interview with The Alamance News we will add an additional six-classroom modular so we can accommodate the addition of third grade.” Preliminary work – such as clearing and grading along with the installation of pipes and other infrastructure – is currently underway so that once the custom-built modular classroom buildings arrive “we can begin getting everything ready for students in August,” Cogburn told the newspaper Cogburn previously served as the head of school for Chesapeake Academy in Irvington Virginia from June 2023 until July 2024; and as an upper school principal and director of admission and enrollment at Carolina Day School in Asheville from 2018 to 2023 Prior to his tenure in charter school administration Cogburn was an assistant basketball coach at the University of North Carolina at Asheville; an assistant men’s basketball coach at Mars Hill College; and later as the men’s varsity basketball coach at Veritas Christian Academy in Henderson County “North Carolina is home for me and my family so the chance to come back was a huge [draw] for me and my family – [plus] the combination of the growth and opportunities in this area and the quality of people here,” Cogburn said in the interview   “We’ve been here less than a year; we already feel right at home [and] excited to be in a great part of this state.” The head of school for Carolina Achieve holds a master’s degree in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Western Carolina University and a bachelor’s degree in English from UNC-Chapel Hill Rigorous academic focus aligned with state’s standard curriculum Like the site for the charter school itself the educational focus for Carolina Achieve has shifted since its application was filed two years ago with the state charter school oversight board the forthcoming charter school was to have focused on Science Engineering and Math (STEM) curriculum for high school students Carolina Achieve will start with kindergarten through second grades – adding one grade for each subsequent year of operation – and focus on “rigorous academic offerings” with “an overlay of entrepreneurial studies that will give our students a focus” intended to help them succeed in every aspect of life Carolina Achieve will also follow the state’s standard curriculum Cogburn confirmed for the newspaper Wednesday One deviation from its traditional K-12 public school counterparts is that Carolina Achieve will start the 2025-26 school year on Thursday North Carolina’s school calendar law prohibits the state’s 115 traditional K-12 public school systems from starting the school year before the last Monday in August Pressure campaign in northern Orange County shifts site westward The application to open the new charter school had been approved by the state Charter School Review Board (CSRB) in 2023 when it was known as Western Triangle High School The earlier iteration of the charter school had been proposed for a site just outside Hillsborough’s city limits After Orange County’s commissioners rejected a rezoning request in June 2023 the potential site for the charter school shifted to the eastern outskirts of Mebane’s city limits Mebane’s city council voted unanimously in October 2024 to grant the special use permit allowing construction of the charter school to proceed on the 15.7-acre site Carolina Achieve will be built in two phases outlined for Mebane’s city council last fall the school will operate out of modular units and have up to 72 onsite parking spaces The second phase calls for the construction of a three-story 34,000-square foot building for grades K-8 and a secondary access point along Rock Quarry Road A subsequent phase could include the construction of a gym and a soccer field at Carolina Achieve Carolina Achieve will also offer breakfast including free and reduced-price meals for students whose families qualify Cogburn confirmed for the newspaper Wednesday that Carolina Achieve will provide bus transportation for students “We anticipate running at least two buses in our first year,” he said “We will design those bus routes based on where those families are coming from.” The charter school says it will work to tailor instruction for students who transfer to Carolina Achieve with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP); and students who have a 504 plan will continue to receive those disability-related accommodations The groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled to run from Noon until 1:00 p.m according to a notice from the Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce Carolina Achieve has scheduled several information sessions for prospective students and their families Mebane’s city council congratulated and recognized fire department captain Greg Massey this week on his retirement after 36 years of service to the city’s fire department who is also the assistant chief of the fire department presented a copy of the council resolution honoring Massey’s service rising through the ranks to captain of training and safety The resolution highlighted Massey’s “exemplary service and contributions to the Mebane Fire Department and the community.” Mebane’s city council took time out Monday night to recognize hero citizens and first responders whose quick actions were attributed to saving the life of a man who was attacked and brutally and repeatedly stabbed while shopping at Lowes Foods in Mebane “the suspect approached the victim and initiated a violent assault with a knife Officers quickly located and arrested the suspect A knife was recovered at the scene in connection with the attack.” The assault continues to baffle police chief Mitch McKinney “There is currently no known connection between the suspect and the victim and the motive remains under investigation.” The assault was described by police as “an isolated McKinney said in an interview with The Alamance News shortly after his officers and others were recognized by the city council Monday night in his 29 years as a law enforcement officer he’s rarely run across a case in which there’s so little obvious connection between the suspect and victim and no motive for the assault – either real or imagined Charged with attempted first degree murder is Dason Mykey Hodge and McKinney said he has no past or known mental illness or other impairment that might have triggered or contributed to the seemingly sudden and unprovoked assault According to court files and other public records who was 54 at the time of the assault (a week before his 55th birthday) who said the victim had been stabbed eight times A friend later said one of the stab wounds had punctured a lung and that the victim had remained hospitalized in critical condition for two weeks but mayor Ed Hooks read an emailed letter from his wife in which she said they were unable to come to the city council meeting but thanked store patrons “He is getting better every day,” she said in an emailed note that the mayor read Recognized were Lowes employee Nai Ah Mtoo and store patrons John Harden Some held down the assailant while others worked to slow the bleeding until first responders arrived Also recognized were first responding police officers Cory Harmon and Taylor Davis and firefighters Michael Wirbelauer according to Alamance County court records Hodge remains in custody at the Alamance County jail a detention center supervisor confirmed for the newspaper Tuesday Among the stipulations for his release is that he have “no contact with the victim or his family or electronic means including social media.” Hodge was originally being represented by Clay Plunkett of the Office of Public Defender but that representation was changed to Janice Kimberly Brooks Mebane’s annual Dogwood Festival (the 37th annual version of the spring celebration) is getting underway this weekend with a kid’s race preceding it at 6:00 The Mason Lovette Band will be in concert at the main stage (Fourth and Center streets) beginning at 7:00 p.m Festival food and carnival rides will be available Friday night from 6:00 p.m which feature “Touch a Truck” – including sheriff’s personnel carrier and a Mebane fire truck – plus fun crafts: sand art/gem mining Plus don’t miss the juggler and an aerial artist performance And don’t miss the car show from 10:00 a.m For a full listing of vendors, their locations, and events on Friday and Saturday, see the special section in this week’s (April 24) edition of The Alamance News HERE Mebane’s planning board is scheduled to consider at its upcoming meeting Monday night a conditional rezoning request to allow the construction of 565 single-family homes on 229.3 acres near the existing Mill Creek subdivision The Preserve at Mill Creek is an expansion of the Mill Creek subdivision Most of the project is in Alamance County a 64-acre portion across the back side of the site would be in Orange County The Preserve at Mill Creek would be located about 2½ miles from  Woodlawn Middle and Eastern High schools [Story continues below map of proposed layout of the Preserve at Mill Creek.] Preliminary plans had been filed with the city for The Preserve at Mill Creek in 2022 The original proposal filed in 2022 had been envisioned as a mixed-use development – with commercial space included – but that component of the project appears to have been eliminated by the new developer is seeking rezoning for four properties around the Mill Creek Golf Course according to the site plan that is scheduled to be presented to Mebane’s planning board Monday night The existing properties that surround the proposed site for The Preserve at Mill Creek are zoned for single-family homes; other nearby properties are vacant or forested [Story continues below photo of illustrations of the kinds of single-family homes that Lennar Carolinas hopes to build at its new subdivision the proposal is consistent with the city’s long-range development goals A portion of the site would need to be annexed before it could be connected to city utilities Internal streets would be connected to the existing roads in Mill Creek subdivision [Story continues below special subscription offer.] MORE LOCAL NEWS – EVERY WEEK than you’ll find anywhere else AND at a better rate than you’ll find anywhere else: $50 for one year (And if you’re in Alamance County (or either side of Mebane) those prices include a print edition by mail Amenities for The Preserve at Mill Creek would consist of a multi-use path network; a clubhouse with a pool; 23.59 acres of private open space; and 3.58 acres of public recreation space Approximately 66 acres would be set aside as “conservation open space.” The developer is seeking conditional rezoning to allow for the construction of buildings up to 40 feet high and lot sizes ranging between 46 and 57 feet wide with side setbacks of 7.5 feet and street side setbacks of 13 feet All homes would have a covered porch with front facades made of materials such as hardie plank The developers invited 65 neighboring property owners to two community meetings on August 12 and December 9 online) with the Mill Creek Homeowners’ Association on January 7 Mebane’s planning board is scheduled to meet at 6:30 p.m Mebane’s city council has voted to hire former Elon town manager Richard J after a 20-minute closed session at the end of a 5-hour long city council meeting The Mebane post is the latest for the municipal administrator who has held a number of positions One of White’s longest tenures was in Elon where he served as town manager for five-and-half years He left Elon to take a position as assistant city manager and interim equity and inclusion director for the city of Asheville He began deputy city manager in Asheville last November His first day on the job in Mebane is expected to be January 2 White began his municipal career in Charlotte in 1997 where he served for a total of three-and-half years; he started as an intern for a year (June 1997-June 1998); was management analyst (June 1998 to April 1999); and MWBD program manager (April 1999-October 2000) He next worked for 5 years in the town of Carrboro as an assistant town manager Georgia where he worked as assistant manager for the Athens-Clarke County government for 8 years before taking his position with Elon White received his bachelor’s degree from UNC Chapel Hill after being selected as a Morehead scholar and North Carolina Fellow White was in the insurance business before earning a master of public administration degree from N.C State University where he was also a HUD Fellow He is a member of the International and North Carolina City/County Management Associations and previously served on the boards of directors of the Alamance Chamber of Commerce and Asheville City Schools Foundation North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper appointed White to the N.C where he served as the policy and procedures chair and later succeeding former city manager David Cheek in early 2021 Assistant Mebane city manager Preston Mitchell has been serving as interim city manager but did not seek the top spot in Mebane government and is expected to remain in his previous capacity as assistant city manager told the council that Mitchell’s presence initially caused a shortage of applicants That prompted the city to readvertise the position with the direct statement that the assistant city manager was not applying and did not seek the city manager’s position Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Mebane could be on the verge of getting another major shopping center Plans have been filed with the city’s planning department by Koury Corporation in Greensboro for a large anchored by a 127,735-square-foot building generally along Hawfields-Trollingwood Road and Gregory Poole Lane totals 82.921 acres; there are almost 300,000 square feet of retail space that would be built on 11.167 acres and 683 apartments and townhomes that would be built on 45.53 acres and would have a density of about 15.69 dwelling units per acre Approximately 30 acres is designated for the shopping center and 1,471 parking spaces in front of it The residential component would include 12 apartment buildings Approximately 10 acres are designated for general office use The location is across from the Trollingwood-Hawfields Road entrance to GKN a long-standing Mebane industry; beside the Copper Stone subdivision; and backs on to single-family homes along South Third Street (a-cross from Governor’s Green); and beside Gregory Poole Equipment Company and a future Duke Health office [Story continues below overview map of location for property for shopping center.] There have been unverified rumors for years that Target is looking to locate somewhere in Mebane (its Burlington store is at the westernmost exit in Alamance County) and the development has reignited fans and opponents of such a big box store A potential location has been rumored at various large Mebane sites in the past few years and The Alamance News has been unable to verify an actual location – or even a commitment from Target that it wants The existing Target store in Alamance County at 1475 University Drive in west Burlington spans 124,170 square feet and opened in 2004 What the plans do show is an additional 11 store fronts with a cumulative total of an additional 171,830 square feet beside the largest store with square footages ranging from 3,500 to 22,250 square feet for each show 683 “dwelling units,” with a total of 1,143 bedrooms in 12 apartment buildings behind the retail center The preliminary plan shows: 289 one-bedroom apartments; 290 two-bedroom apartments; and 66 three-bedroom apartments A future phase of development could include the construction of two clubhouses that would have 10 parking spaces each designated as “phase 3;” would follow the phase one construction of the shopping center and parking lot;  and the development of the three outparcels in “phase 2.” [Story continues below graphic of development’s layout.] and the company has gone through four rounds of “technical reviews” with the city’s technical review committee cautioned that the latest version (shown in various illustrations in this edition) is subject to further change the company will need to seek a conditional rezoning which will be considered by the city’s planning board and ultimately Mebane’s city council Company officials with the Koury Corporation did not get back with The Alamance News before press time on Wednesday afternoon; in an initial call from the newspaper the company’s representatives did acknowledge the existence of the Mebane project Cone Health and Duke Health appear to be squaring off competing to win state approval for building a 46-bed hospital in Mebane Each has filed an application with the Healthcare Planning and Certificate of Need Section of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services using the exact same “project description”: “Develop a new hospital with no more than 46 acute care beds pursuant to the 2025 SMFP [State Medical Facilities Plan] need determination.” each health care company filed its Mebane plans the same day Read about each health care company’s plans: Cone Health: Cone put out a lengthy press release, complete with an architectural rendering of its future Mebane hospital. Here are its details: https://alamancenews.com/cone-health-seeks-state-ok-for-mebane-hospital/ read The Alamance News each week in print and every day online.