04/29/2025
I hate to have to post this, but sometimes as business owners we have to do things we don’t want to do; but to be able to say, “I’ve made it public knowledge” sadly here we are!
We had to install a chain for no thru traffic at our new location 709 Cherry St North Wilkesboro! We had 2 incidents this past week alone where people were driving thru at high rates of speed around our building and came very close to hitting parked cars and people (a child) in our lot! We have been watching and not one vehicle that was coming thru there patronized a single business at all in the complex! We have watched every one of them go from road to road and fly thru my private parking lot (old Orchard Health building)
After, placing the chain we even had multiple people drive around the chain in our grass and that is where the sewer, drainages, and water lines are! Any property damages caused to these lines will be reported and you will be financially and criminally made liable, as you can see in the photos people cutting thru grass this weekend in the rain already is causing ruts trying to go around the chain!
Clients please enter and exit from Cherry St and drive around building; all the parking from Cherry street to the chain is mine, privately! There will be no more cutting thru to get to Wilkesboro Avenue due to the safety of the citizens, my clients kids, and the safety of our elderly as our handicap parking space backs into were the people are trying to fly thru at high rates of speed apround the building and you can not see them until they have hit you!
Someone almost took off an elderly persons car door parked in one of our handicap spaces parked on the side of the building as they were exiting their vehicle knocking her back into her car Friday morning! This is NOT ok at all! This could have caused a broken hip or a bad fall in our lot! Luckily she fell back into her car seat and not on the asphalt! The person just sped on thru and never stopped or slowed down!
Cameras are all around the building, they are recording tag numbers and they are and will be turned in!
No thru traffic, private property, and no trespass signs are up and more are sadly to come this week as suggested by North Wilkesboro PD!
Also Citizens, please stop calling North Wilkesboro PD and the town because you are “upset” that I am “inconveniencing” you to HAVE to drive around on the state maintained road to get to your destination or because you “think” I’m doing something “wrong” by blocking my lot off. I assure you I am not! The PD and town have better things to do then to be on the phone explaining that it is PRIVATE PROPERTY, and that I can do whatever I deem fit to keep my clients and staff safe on my property! Keep in mind it’s no different than at your own home! If someone gets hurt on your property you are held liable, no difference here! We do not want anyone, but especially a child or elderly to get hit in our lot simply because someone wanted to “cut thru real quick.”
Please be respectful all of the lot is private parking in the complex and it is NOT a state maintained road or a cut thru to Wilkesboro Ave and vise versa to Cherry Street! It’s NOT a road at all!!! It’s a PRIVATELY owned parking lot; not “public” parking or “town” parking, it’s not owned or maintained by the town,and it’s not a general public’s cut thru!
Anyone caught tampering with my chain or the wire that has been installed as of today (and by the way we have the offender that took our chain down over the weekend and drove over it on camera and they will be getting a visit from the PD!) or caught driving in my grass around it will be turned into North Wilkesboro PD and violations will be issued as the property is properly posted!
We also have 360 degree 24/hr surveillance of the property inside and out and all violations will be sent automatically to North Wilkesboro PD! They are also patrolling our area to help with this transition since they are receiving multiple calls to help inform the public of the changes!
I realize it will take time for people to get used to it, but multiple offenders will be banned from our property! I have to be vigilant with my staffs safety and my own children and citizens safety that comes to my office! I’m not trying to be mean or start anything, I’m simply being a responsible proactive business owner and protecting my property and trying to ensure a safe environment for my clients before a major accident happens! Two close calls of accidents in a week is two too many! It could have been your family member or child in these near misses this week and I’m sure you’d be outraged if they got severely hurt or worse killed! Let’s try and keep this area safe as possible! Thank you!
