Mecklenburg County to pay $60K for 0.16 acres worth $2,475

CHARLOTTE — Mecklenburg County will spend $60,000 on 0.16 acres of land in Seversville, so that a bridge can be built over Stewart Creek for the Stewart Creek Greenway project. The county said the land is only worth $2,475. County officials made that offer to the CSX railroad company numerous times, but it was rejected.

CSX originally wanted $75,000 for the land, which is not able to be developed, before accepting a $60,000 offer, according to county documents reviewed by Eyewitness News.

The discussion of the deal took place in closed session. County commissioners quickly approved the project with no discussion Tuesday. All commissioners, except Pat Cotham, voted yes.

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“Maybe they are taking their masks too seriously because I felt like they were there to rob us,” Cotham said. “I don’t know why CSX didn’t just donate the land to us and get a tax break for it. But they were greedy.”

CSX did not return Channel 9′s request for comment.

The land will be used to build a bridge over Stewart Creek. It is located near the creek behind Blue Blaze Brewery close to the intersection of State Street and Turner Avenue.

Eminent domain is challenging and likely not possible due to the railroad tracks, according to Cotham.

Despite overpaying for the land, most commissioners feel it is worth it.

“It is more money than we have to spend. But the reality is, time is money, and people want to see their greenways finished,” Commissioner Susan Harden said.

The 0.16-acre plot of land was essentially the last holdup for the project, commissioners said.

Vice Chair Elaine Powell said she will do her “Snoopy dance” when the project is finished. The Stewart Creek Greenway project will extend the greenway 1.6 miles from State Street to Lakewood Avenue. It is part of the 2019-2023 Capital Improvement Plan.

“We don’t want to pay more than we have to, but the public good far outweighs the cost,” Powell said.

The trail will be 12 feet wide, according to county documents reviewed by Channel 9. When complete, the trail will tie into Martin Luther King Jr. Park and connect nearly 5 miles of trails, including the existing Irwin Creek and Wesley Heights Greenways. A total of $6,796,303 is budgeted for the project.

The CSX parcel purchased by the county is the only option for a creek crossing, according to officials. Negotiations started in winter 2019 with CSX. Mecklenburg County consulted with NCDOT’s rail division said the county’s experience with CSX was in line with their experience and advised the county to proceed with the acquisition.

Cotham is not opposed to the project but felt the county should not have let CSX out of the woods.