Moving westward and northwestward from the city, the area takes on a spacious, rural feel. Coulwood, off Belhaven Boulevard and Mount Holly Road, is a semi-rural area near Pine Island Country Club. There are new developments with moderate to upscale home prices along Mount Holly-Huntersville Road.
Farther north near Lake Norman, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools recently opened Hopewell High School near the intersection of Neck Road and Beatties Ford Road. It is the first high school built in the area since 1950, when North Mecklenburg High was built on Old Statesville Road. The new facility eases crowding at North Mecklenburg High School.
In the most northwestern part of the county, you’ll find Mountain Island Lake, the source of water for numerous area municipalities, including Charlotte. The Trust for Public Land has purchased more than 2,000 acres of the Mountain Island Lake watershed in Gaston, Mecklenburg and Lincoln counties to preserve the area from development and protect drinking water.
On the shores of Mountain Island Lake, Latta Plantation Park covers 1,343 acres off Beatties Ford Road, making it the largest park in Mecklenburg County. Once a vast plantation, the park also includes Latta Place, a restored 19th-century federal-style home with interpretive programs to show visitors what life was like on a cotton plantation in early 19th-century North Carolina. Latta Plantation Park offers hiking and horseback riding trails, boat launch sites and fishing docks. Latta Equestrian Center is a 25-acre facility equipped with show grounds, lighted arenas, horse rentals, trail rides and horseback riding lessons within Latta Plantation Park. Nearby is the Carolina Raptor Center, a rehabilitation facility for birds of prey that includes exhibits, programs and a gift shop.
Lake Norman is an exceptional drawing card for homeowners looking to combine the relaxed atmosphere of lake living with the work opportunities offered in Charlotte. The manmade lake is the state’s largest and it helps generate hydroelectric power for locally based Duke Energy. It also provides boundless recreational opportunities including boating, skiing, sailing and fishing.
As you move closer to I-77 and Lake Norman, you’ll encounter more shopping and higher-density housing. Many popular subdivisions have sprung up near the exits of I-77, which provides a direct route to Uptown Charlotte. Birkdale, to the west on Sam Furr Road, offers luxury homes in a golf-course community, and Birkdale Village is an urban, mixed-use development of apartments, cafés, shops and restaurants.
New road and transit projects will help people get around as development continues, including the construction of the northwest leg of I-485, which will extend from N.C. 16 to I-85 by late 2007. |
