Senior patio homes and a church are coming to Burrage Road, plus we've got history, fun activities and a rant in today's Friday Five.
No. 1
Land is being developed off Burrage Road. David Weekley Homes is building 63 patio homes for senior development for those ages 55 and up.
Prices will be in the $500,000 range, according to Keith Troutman with Troutman Enterprises, which sold the land for the development.
Troutman also sold six acres to Grace Methodist Church for a new building. That will leave about 20 acres for future development.
![]()
The sun sets to the west while looking around land being cleared
between Burrage Road and Branchview Drive.
Keith Troutman
No. 2
Historic Cabarrus Association’s “History Talks” Series will continue with a presentation by local history researcher Barry Richards on St. John’s Lutheran Church during the Civil War.
Drawing from a variety of original sources, Richards will share information he has uncovered about the church and its role during that turbulent period in local and national history.
Organizers say the presentation will be of interest even to those without family ties to St. John’s Lutheran Church, while those with a connection to the church will especially want to attend.
The program begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 21, in the Community Room on the street level of the Flywheel Building, 57 Union St. S., downtown Concord.
No. 3
There's plenty to do in Kannapolis on Saturday. First up is the Run Kannapolis: Towel City Tavern 5K beginning at 8 a.m. in downtown Kannapolis. This race replaces the Jiggy With the Piggy 5K that ran for several years.
Village Park will host two events starting at 10 a.m.: the Earth Day “Greener Tomorrow” event and the Kickoff to Summer Field Day.
Families can also enjoy “Stories Under the Stars: Story Ship” at 7 p.m. at Afton Library & Active Living Center.
In addition, live entertainment continues at the Swanee Theatre, while movies are showing regularly at the Gem Theatre. Information on performances and showtimes is available at www.swaneetheatre.com and www.gem-theatre.com.
More information about activities and events is available at www.discoverkannapolis.com.
No. 4
The city of Concord, Cabarrus County Government and Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont will host a Spring Safe Disposal Event from 9-11 a.m. Saturday, May 30, at the Village Shopping Center parking lot, 280 Concord Parkway S., in Concord.
The free, drive-thru event will give residents an opportunity to safely and responsibly dispose of sensitive documents, electronic waste, unused or expired medications and lithium-ion batteries.
Items accepted will include tax forms, medical records, televisions, computers and other electronic devices. The Concord Police Department will also be on-site to collect unused and expired medications. Needles will not be accepted.
New this year, residents may also bring lithium-ion batteries, which are commonly found in smartphones, laptop computers, power tools and other rechargeable electronic devices.
Officials remind residents that lithium-ion batteries should never be placed in household garbage or recycling carts because they can spark and cause fires in collection trucks, recycling centers and landfills. City officials said three Concord garbage and recycling trucks have caught fire due to lithium-ion batteries since 2023.
Paper disposal will be limited to five trash bags or bankers boxes per person. Lithium-ion batteries should be placed in a clear sealed bag, such as a Ziplock bag, before being dropped off.
Residents unable to attend the event may dispose of lithium-ion batteries at the Cabarrus County Household Hazardous Waste Facility.
No. 5
Please learn how to drive in roundabouts. Here is a rant from one of our readers, A Concerned Driver:
"Will someone publish instructions on how to approach and go through a roundabout along with the definition of the word YIELD!
"The ones with traffic lights are fine but the ones without the lights seem to confuse people. One of the roundabouts I'm speaking of is the one on Roberta Road. There can be as many as 10 cars, one behind the other, and as long as the first car goes through, the other nine follow right behind with no one yielding.
"I have seen this done firsthand. This is a very busy road and cars are paying no attention to these yield signs as well as stop signs. They don't even attempt to apply the breaks anymore at stop signs. They just roll right on through.
"I've lived in Concord all my life, and traffic has increased to a dangerous level! Everyone needs to respect the other guy, yield and stop the proper way."
I've traveled through most of the roundabouts in the county. The Roberta Road roundabout is, by far, the worst.
A roundabout is supposed to slow traffic and reduce the impact of accidents. Too many drivers do not slow down or slow enough. That is the biggest issue. That, and too many drivers are rude and won't allow motorists to weave into traffic.
My personal opinion is this roundabout is too small. NCDOT disagrees. Maybe they should sit up there one day and see for themselves.
If you have a Friday Five, story suggestion, or something I can rant about, email mplemmons@independenttribune.com or call or text 704-786-0001.
