VIDEO: 180 Units of Affordable Housing Delivered at Sundale Flats Grand Opening

Sundale Flats, an affordable housing community, held its grand opening in February. The community, developed by The NRP Group, offers 180 units to residents at or below 80% area median income (AMI).

The community is located at 2019 Aberdale Farm Ln in the Hidden Valley neighborhood, within walking distance of the Lynx Blue Line (0.5 miles to Old Concord Station), providing convenient access to nearby opportunities. 

“Driving over I couldn’t help but think of the old adage about real estate: ‘location, location, location,’” said Shawn Heath, City of Charlotte Housing & Neighborhood Services director. “And here we are less than five miles from Uptown. We’re less than a mile from the Blue Line. We're about a mile from the grocery store. We’re very close to an Atrium medical family clinic facility. We’re very close to childcare. And to me that’s what ‘location’ really means – is access. And access is what creates opportunity.”  

In addition to its convenient location, the community includes amenities such as on-site laundry rooms, a clubhouse with community lounge, a business center, a fitness center, a grill and picnic area, a playground, and on-site parking.  

City of Charlotte support for Sundale Flats consists of $2,000,000 from the Housing Trust Fund.

CharMeck311 Launches its Community-Focused Pilot “311 on the Go”

CharMeck311 has officially launched its community-focused pilot, “311 on the Go”, in partnership with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library to proactively meet residents where they are with the resources and information they need

The 311 On the Go initiative focuses on proactive community engagement that brings key government information to different neighborhoods and community groups, in their preferred languages. It highlights all of the ways to contact the customer service center, including calling 3-1-1, submitting requests online, using CLT+ app, or using live chat support.

During the pandemic, many residents were not aware about critical government programs and services. To help address this, the “311 On the Go” program will proactively re-engage residents and meet people where they are, providing information about city and county services in the formats and languages that make the most sense for them. This new pilot program will help build stronger communities, one interaction at a time, by connecting residents with government programs in a seamless service stream.

This initiative will start in two Charlotte Mecklenburg Library locations: the Sugar Creek library and the South Boulevard library. Every Wednesday, a 311 representative will be available onsite at the Sugar Creek and South Boulevard branch locations from 11 AM – 3 PM to answer questions and provide resources to visitors.

Residents can also interact with staff through 311 on the Go community events and partnerships with other organizations, including Norsan Media, Common Wealth Charlotte, and Digital Charlotte, among others. CharMeck311 will use data from service requests and from these events, among other factors, to determine where to engage with different communities on what topics.

In addition to these proactive engagement efforts, residents can continue to connect with 311 through the Speaker’s Bureau Team and request subject matter experts to present on more than 45 different topics through the Need a Speaker? program.

On the Go in the Community

Some Central Piedmont Community College students and staff came to CharMeck 311 for a tour and presentation on January 11. The students are part of a career program to expose them to various customer service careers. 311's Training and Quality Assurance team shared information about CharMeck 311 and the varying services they provide to our community. This group of students and staff are visiting various work sites to enhance their knowledge of available job careers and how customer service is valuable in every aspect of public interactions.

An Interview with Marjorie Parker, President of Hidden Valley Community Association, About Their Neighborhood's Little Free Libraries

Congratulations to the Hidden Valley Community Association (HVCA) for finishing their little libraries project. The neighborhood organization installed five Little Free Libraries around their neighborhood after applying and receiving a Neighborhood Matching Grant from Housing & Neighborhood Services in 2020.

Enjoy this interview with Marjorie Parker, HVCA president, about the project's background and goals.

How did this project come about?
The idea for the project was brought to the Hidden Valley Community Association in 2018 by the former University City Partner's Director Darlene Heater. The former Hidden Valley Community Association President Cherry assigned me to work with Ms. Heater, who also invited the Sugar Creek librarians.

What was the inspiration for this project?
The inspiration was to instill a love of reading for students of the Hidden Valley community.

What made your organization decide to pursue a Neighborhood Matching Grant for this project?
The HVCA did not have the funds to sponsor the project. This was during the COVID-19 pandemic and the only grants available were for food pantries. Little libraries were similar and could serve dual purposes, and so the grant was approved.

What is the goal of this project?
There is a dual purpose for the little libraries. They can be used as a food pantries or little libraries depending on where they are located.

What types of books circulate the most?
According to Principal Gray at Hidden Valley Elementary School, who has used the libraries the longest, there are a variety of books for different learning levels and high interest books so students build a love of reading.

Moreover, according to Sharon Plummer from Greenville Memorial AME Zion Church, the books in Spanish are very popular.

The library built by Rebuilding Together of Greater Charlotte at Tom Hunter Park serves a dual purpose, as a food pantry and library, and we are having a hard time keeping it replenished.

Bread of Life Deliverance Church had the very first library built and it needs to be replaced. There are also little libraries at Northeast Seventh-Day Adventist Church and Life Baptist Churches that are new.

How can people donate books to Hidden Valley’s Little Free Libraries?
Folks can email hiddenvalleycommunications@gmail.com and we will provide locations of the little libraries and contact information.

Do you have any book recommendations?
We love a variety of books and we need books in both English and Spanish. My favorite childhood book was Hansel and Gretel.

Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?
I would like to encourage folks to place food in the library used as a food pantry at Tom Hunter Park. The HVCA has a hard time keeping it filled with food since it services the Hidden Valley community and the apartments surrounding Hidden Valley. I would also like to thank Charlenea Duncan and Jackie Clare in helping the HVCA close this project.

Code Enforcement Tip of the Month

Please remember to cut your grass regularly so that it does not exceed 12” in height.  A $150 fine can be issued for violations of the ordinance.  To report a violation, please call 311, submit your request online or download the CLT+ app.

CITY-RELATED NEWS: In case you missed it

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Beatties Ford area residents honor neighborhood's past while accepting change, fighting disparities
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Today, we bring you the Beatties Ford Road Corridor in northwest Charlotte. It’s a neighborhood that served as a refuge to many Black Charlotteans who were displaced from the center city during urban renewal. Now, history may be repeating itself."

A look into Charlotte's 'Corridors of Opportunity'
"A conversation about the creation of Charlotte’s "Corridors of Opportunity. The city of Charlotte and several partnering organizations have identified six areas in the city that have been neglected, and will direct resources to these 'Corridors of Opportunity.' The Corridors of Opportunity Program is a part of the Mayor’s Racial Equity initiative and will invest more than $100 million in these areas over the next few years. We’ll learn where the corridors are, and the challenges they face."