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INSIDE ▼ Plant sale supports monarch butterflies
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PAGE 2B Friday, April 24, 2026 • Vol. 26 • No. 16
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Church withdraws rezoning application 530 seats and 194 parking spots. They proposed two building additions with the first phase consisting of a 15,400-squarefoot expansion. A 2,000-squarefoot addition would come later. Town commissioners were expected to discuss the project April 13, but Pastor Brent Watts emailed the planning staff a few hours before the meeting to withdraw. “We appreciate the work that has gone into this but feel this
by Justin Vick justin@charlottemediagroup.org
MATTHEWS – Abundant Life Church has withdrawn its rezoning application after falling short of getting a favorable recommendation from the Matthews Planning Board. Church leadership wanted to expand its campus at 3321 Matthews-Mint Hill Road from 327 seats and 97 parking spots to
is the wise course of action for us at this time,” Watts wrote. “Our board voted unanimously yesterday on this.” While town staff recommended approval, the proposal did not receive a favorable recommendation from the Matthews Planning Board on March 24. Commissioners factor feedback from the planning board into their decisions.
Town staff used this image in a January presentation to show the location of the church site. Photo courtesy of Town of Matthews
see CHURCH, Page 3A
Matthews misses audit deadline
WHAT'S INSIDE:
by Justin Vick justin@charlottemediagroup.org
Too much? Lawmakers examine property taxes, 2A
Beats n' Bites, Family Fun Nights and Music & Brews are popular events across the region. CMG file photo
Towns offer outdoor concerts Clean cups Inspectors evaluate area restaurants, 1B
Healing poetry Author explores grief in new book, 3B
Towns across Mecklenburg and Union counties have started offering free concerts that will continue through the summer. Here is a roundup of the concerts: Matthews: Beats n’ Bites Beats ‘n Bites combines music and food trucks into spring and fall community events at Stumptown Park. The park opens for the event from 5 p.m. to about 8:45 p.m. Music starts at 6 p.m. • April 24: Darren Deese • May 29: Robyn Springer (Anita Baker tribute) • Sept. 12: TBA • Sept. 26: TBA • Oct 10: TBA • Oct 24: TBA Details: matthewsnc.municipalone.com/pview. aspx?id=21003&catid=567
Matthews: Fullwood Amp’d Unlike the other concerts highlighted here, Fullwood Amp’d is an indoor experience that charges for tickets, but it is a unique offering for a town. This used to be known as the Color of Jazz series. Concerts start at 7 p.m. at the Matthews Community Center. Tickets cost $15. • June 5: Petty Rewind (Tom Petty tribute) • Aug. 14: REO Survivor (REO Speedwagon, Survivor and Loverboy tribute) Details: matthewsfun.recdesk.com/
Community/Page?pageId=41682
Mint Hill: Family Fun Nights Mint Hill Veterans Memorial Park is the place to catch concerts held during Family Fun Nights and Music & Brews. Family Fun Nights will include a children’s zone, food trucks and games on June 20, July 18 and Aug. 15. There are two Music & Brews concerts on May 16 and Sept. 19 that allow concert-goers to buy beer with ID. All events take place from 6:30 to 9 p.m. • June 20: Bailey Marie Band • July 18: Vinyl Live • Aug. 15: Crystal Aria • May 16: Pluto for Planet • Sept. 19: Unknown Artist Details: minthillevents.org Pineville: Music on Main Pineville Parks & Recreation has launched the latest season of Music on Main. Catch the concerts from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Pineville Town Hall lawn. • April 30: Nate Randall • May 7: Dustin Yager • May 14: Matthew Church • May 21: Scoot Pittman • May 28: Lisa DeNovo Details: pinevillenc.gov see CONCERTS, Page 3A
MATTHEWS – Matthews received a clean audit report for the 2025 fiscal year but the town will have to explain why the Local Government Commission did not receive the materials in time. “The audit report was not submitted to the LGC in a timely manner, which resulted in an audit finding and a financial performance indicator on the LGC’s data input sheet report,” according to Jill Vang, an accountant with Martin Starnes & Associates. “This report is submitted along with the audit report to the LGC.” Vang told commissioners April 13 that the town must issue a response with explanations or corrective actions to the LGC within 60 days of her audit presentation. Town Manager Melia James said staff will present commissioners with a corrective action plan during their May 26 meeting. Outside of that, the audit presentation was routine. “We issued an unmodified opinion, which is a clean opinion, the best one that you can get,” Vang said. “It means that we found no material misstatement that led us to believe the financial statements would be misleading to others.” Vang’s presentation focused on the fund balance, general fund and the top three sources of revenues and expenses year over year. Quick Hits • Isabella Collins and David Wieser have joined the Matthews Planning Board as alternate members. • Tenell Staton and Brian Stoll have been elevated to voting roles on the Matthews Board of Adjustment.
Rental home site may be redeveloped into office building by Justin Vick
justin@charlottemediagroup.org
MATTHEWS – Town commissioners closed the public hearing for the Four Oak Builders project on April 13, sending the rezoning application to the Matthews Planning Board to review. Four Oaks Builders wants to rezone 409 West John Street from residential to office use. Currently, a rental home sits on the 0.42-acre property. The goal is to develop an office building.
Town Planner Nadine Bennet said the original request was for a two-story, 5,400-square-foot office building. “At the time, the board of commissioners really just felt that it was too large and didn’t fit in well with the surrounding properties,” Bennett said. The applicant has since reduced the size of the building to 4,500 square feet and reoriented the building. Steve Singleton, of Urban Design Partners, described his client, Chris Duncan of Four
Oaks Builders, as a family man who has lived in the area for more than 30 years. “He’s not just a developer trying to flip a site,” Singleton said. “He is the property owner, and his intent is to develop this for his office, for his company’s business office, and then also other occupants as well.” Four Oaks Builders applied for the rezoning in January 2025. Since then, the company has updated its site plan six times. Singleton explained how his team incorporated feedback
from town commissioners and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Landmarks Commission to come up with a concept that complements the look of the neighborhood without overpowering the McLaughlinBost House, a historic home dating back to the late 1800s. Some of the changes to the structure include a reduced height from 39 to 34 feet, narrowed driveway, hipped roofline, window shutters, and a dormer on the front facade. “We believe we’ve addressed a
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lot of the concerns – a lot of the scale, massing, size,” Singleton said. “We think we’re a lot closer to a residential look and feel with the front porch and scale of the building. “We believe this project is a good investment in the town, something new, something fresh, something attractive. So we believe this is going to be a good product.” Commissioner John Urban said he thought the project is better see OFFICE, Page 3A