Cabarrus County reviews master plan for regional public safety training facility; commissioners raise governance and access concerns

Consultants from RDG presented a strategic master plan to the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 3, 2025, for a proposed regional Public Safety Training Facility intended to serve Cabarrus County, the cities of Concord and Kannapolis, the sheriff's office, fire departments and EMS.

The plan, presented by Daniel Matoba of RDG, lays out a phased program that would include classroom and administration space, a dedicated indoor firing range, a Class A burn building, a driver-skills course and pads, a pre-engineered training tower and supporting site infrastructure. Matoba said the study collected training hours from participating agencies and used those data and an efficiency factor to size classrooms, ranges and practical “prop” areas.

The consultants recommended concentrating shared amenities in a roughly 30-acre development area with an adjacent parcel (about 11 acres) deeded to Concord for its own academy storage and Concord-specific props. Access to the site currently is from Stough Road, a one-lane road; the plan proposes a right-in/right-out connection to Highway 49 to handle event traffic and secure ingress and egress.

Matoba summarized how training hours were categorized by urgency and current delivery: category 1 represents essential hours now delivered only at a minimum level and category 2 are hours not being accomplished because of facility constraints. He described how the program elements were sized from those hours and said the Phase 1 menu (selected priorities) reflects an initial, smaller build to meet immediate gaps.

On operational questions, the consultants proposed a governing structure for the facility across the three sponsoring jurisdictions and a model for splitting annual operations and maintenance costs by share of hours used. Matoba said that allocation approach is illustrative and that the formal operational agreement remains to be negotiated.

Commissioners asked about environmental and community impacts. A commissioner asked specifically about proximity to Frank Lyth Park and potential nuisance effects. Matoba responded, “The Class A Burn Building will emit black smoke. It will, we believe, be distributed based on proximity, before it enters the park,” and distinguished that the training tower would use theatrical (white) smoke that typically dissipates more quickly. He also said live burns would be restricted by weather and prevailing-wind conditions and that operational rules would limit when burns occur.

Board members also raised governance and fiscal concerns. The Chair of the Board of Commissioners told consultants that Cabarrus County would be carrying the debt for any project and said, “Cabarrus County will be carrying the debt on this facility,” adding that the county would need sufficient authority on the facility’s governing board if it assumes long-term debt.

The consultants said they had accounted for nonconstruction costs (furniture, equipment, geotechnical and professional services) in their budget approach, and they reiterated that the presentation was a planning-level roadmap rather than a final scope, cost or binding agreement.

This presentation was informational; no formal funding or construction decisions were made at the Feb. 3 work session. The consultants recommended next steps including finalizing the basis of an operational agreement, drafting a formal interlocal agreement among the jurisdictions, and pursuing capital financing and broader stakeholder engagement.