David Cohn, Mayor, Indian Trail
In an interview with Invest:, Indian Trail Mayor David Cohn discussed the town’s ongoing development, highlighting the need for additional recreational spaces and the impact of new projects like the Community Center on residents and local organizations.
As the community continues to grow, what will the proposed Community Center mean for residents and local organizations?
It will mean a lot. About a year ago, we purchased 11.8 acres next to one of our parks located across from the town hall. This land will be our preferred site for our proposed community center. Originally envisioned 20 years ago, it will be a key part of our downtown. It will be a multigenerational facility catering to people from five years old to 90 years old. We have an active senior group that currently utilizes the town hall, and a community center would greatly benefit them. We have a survey out to residents, and the feedback is overwhelmingly in favor of this project. It will bring new life to our older downtown, attracting many amenities that will help significantly revitalize the area. We’re looking forward to it and are hopeful we can secure the necessary sewer infrastructure, which is our biggest challenge right now.
What are some of the key milestones and achievements for Indian Trail over the last year?
Over the past 12 months, we’ve made significant progress in Indian Trail. We, along with the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT), have begun construction on the Chestnut Parkway Extension, which will provide a new cross-community connection and help to relieve traffic congestion. The Indian Trail Road Complete Street Project is making significant progress and will be our new “Main Street.” The project includes 10-foot multi-use paths, traffic improvements, and underground utilities and will help revitalize the downtown area. Our $7.5 million Chestnut Square Park expansion is well underway and will nicely complement the existing park space. The town recently closed on 16.6 acres of land, which was donated to us by NCDOT. The property will be used for a new public works facility. The town also partnered with Union County and CATS to support the 74x Union County Express Bus, which provides much-needed public transportation from Indian Trail to uptown Charlotte during the week. Finally, our financial department is one of the best, having won an award from the Government Finance Officers Association for budget transparency. We’re very proud of the progress and accomplishments in Indian Trail.
How do you assess the economic and developmental landscape of Indian Trail?
Our financial department is top-notch, and we are proud to be a AAA-rated town, a distinction not many towns in the United States achieve. We have been successful in offering top-level services at a reasonable cost while maintaining a low tax rate and little debt. A significant challenge we face is the lack of sewer capacity, which is a common issue in Union County. Monroe is the largest Union County municipality with its own sewer system, while the rest of us rely on the county’s infrastructure, which has limited available quantity and no immediate expansion plans to serve the northern portion of our town. This limitation hampers economic growth when we can’t accommodate new businesses because of limited sewer. Despite this, Indian Trail remains a great place to live, with low taxes, excellent schools, and a growing population. We’re working hard to address these challenges and continue to attract new residents and businesses.
How does the town engage with the community?
The town engages very well with the community, and our staff deserves tremendous credit for that. Our communications director does a wonderful job keeping residents informed through online platforms. For example, we utilize Facebook Live, inviting various guests to discuss community issues.
Our parks department plays a crucial role, too, hosting events like the Hits After Six concerts. On typical Thursday nights, these events bring up to 400 people for live music, food, and drinks.
One memorable event was Touch-a-Truck, which had thousands of attendees. Another major event is the annual Family Fun Day in June, which attracted around 10,000 people this year with free rides for kids, food, and a spectacular fireworks show. These events highlight the efforts of our staff and parks department and showcase how great it is to live in Indian Trail.
What are some of the initiatives that the town has in place to support small businesses?
We strongly encourage small businesses to come to Indian Trail. Our planning director serves as our economic development point of contact. She and her team work hard to attract businesses and ensure a smooth process. One advantage we offer is a small, efficient staff that can quickly address needs. Our planning department is very customer-focused, helping businesses understand the rules and potential obstacles.
We also work closely with the Union County Chamber of Commerce to welcome new businesses. When a new business arrives, we schedule them for a council meeting where I personally welcome them, present a framed plaque and their first dollar, and take a picture with the council. These meetings are live-streamed and promoted on social media, providing additional visibility.
Moreover, we keep businesses and residents informed about developments that might impact them through Facebook Live with the Mayor, Coffee with the Mayor, social media, weekly email blasts, and bi-weekly manager’s reports. These initiatives help create a supportive environment for small businesses in Indian Trail.
Looking ahead, what are the top priorities for Indian Trail in the next few years, and what strategies do you have to achieve those goals?
Traffic is a major and important issue in both Indian Trail and the rest of the Charlotte region. Indian Trail has grown rapidly, from about 2,000 people in 1990 to nearly 43,000 today. As the largest town in Union County and the 27th largest in North Carolina, traffic has become a significant issue. To address this, we have just approved a new pedestrian plan and are working on the town’s first transportation master plan. We’re investing $16.5 million in resurfacing roads over the next five years. We currently have a capital improvement plan of about $40 million dollars, of which over $30 million is committed to additional transportation projects in addition to the road resurfacing. One major project is the Chestnut Parkway, which will help alleviate traffic congestion. Additionally, the NCDOT is working on widening Old Monroe Road, which will significantly improve traffic flow once completed. While we are working on our roads, we recognize the need to improve our pedestrian access through greenways and sidewalks. The town manager has been working with his leadership team to develop some specific plans for the council’s consideration.
We will continue to work on our parks and proposed Community Center, which could include a variety of features to serve all age groups in our community. We look forward to adding pickleball courts to our ever-popular parks. We’re seeking private sponsorships to fund our projects to enhance the town without increasing taxes.
Balancing growth with maintaining quality of life is essential. We aim to make Indian Trail a vibrant place to live, attracting more residents while managing overcrowding concerns. We’re committed to continuous improvement and smart growth management.
