Special to IFN
Iredell County’s state legislative delegation is working to block an effort by the City of Charlotte to take ownership of property in southern Iredell County without seeking input from Iredell County and Town of Mooresville officials.
In documents the City of Charlotte recently filed with the federal government, Charlotte officials outlined their plan to purchase 29 miles of freight track from Norfolk Southern known as the O-line for the Charlotte Area Transit System’s (CATS) proposed Red Line commuter train that would connect Charlotte to Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson and Mooresville.
On Tuesday, the N.C. Senate passed legislation introduced by Sen. Vickie Sawyer (R-Mooresville) that closes any potential loopholes in existing law that prohibits municipal governments from purchasing or owning property outside their jurisdiction.
“This bill specifically states that no municipality can own rail corridors outside of their jurisdiction without an understanding being in place before the purchase,” said Sawyer, who represents Iredell and North Mecklenburg counties along the rail and serves as the Senate’s transportation chair.
“They have to bring the Town of Mooresville to the table — do the job you didn’t do the first time.”
Rep. Grey Mills (R-Mooresville) is expected to introduce similar legislation in the N.C. House on Wednesday.
While Charlotte has consistently said it does not plan to extend the commuter rail line into Downtown Mooresville, the filed documents suggest otherwise.
If the current “understanding” between the City of Charlotte and Norfolk Southern becomes reality – possibly as early as September – then Charlotte would own all the real estate, roadway and assets along the line that the railroad currently owns, according to the documents. That would include property that’s home to Mooresville’s historic Depot, which the Town of Mooresville has long leased from Norfolk Southern, and as much as 100 feet of right-of-way on both sides of the railroad tracks along the 29 miles leading into Downtown Mooresville.
“So every time the Town of Mooresville or a landowner – on 29 miles of track that ends at the Depot – need to go under or over, install utilities or open or close a pass, they would be beholden to the City of Charlotte,” said Sawyer before filing the legislation on Monday. “Basically, the entire Town of Mooresville would be beholden to the City of Charlotte.
“This could be abused in so many ways,” she added.
From original negotiations with Norfolk Southern to the federal filing, Charlotte officials left Mooresville and Iredell government officials in the dark.
In fact, of all the communities the rail is projected to connect, said Mooresville Mayor Chris Carney, “the only area that has not been involved in a Memorandum of Understanding has been the Town of Mooresville or Iredell County.”
Ensuring Iredell County has a seat at the table “is not asking too much,” said Rep. Mills.
Added Sawyer: “It’s not that I don’t want the red line or public transit. That is absolutely not the case at all. But no one has told us that this would go further than the Mecklenburg County line. I feel as if they were hiding the ball.
“I had to run this bill because they negotiated the deal of the century behind my back, lying to me through lies of omission,” she added. “It’s sloppy legal work and terrible politics on their part — and I can no longer trust them to do the right thing.”
On Tuesday, Mayor Carney expressed his appreciation for state legislators’ support.
“I want to thank Sen. Sawyer and Rep. Mills for their efforts to make sure Charlotte cannot come into Mooresville and take real estate without talking to us first,” he said.
“We’re not weighing in on whether the commuter rail makes sense for Iredell County or on the sales tax in Mecklenburg County to pay for it,” Carney added. “What we’re weighing in on is our ability to protect the real estate in Iredell County and Mooresville and how we could possibly move forward when we see a map of Charlotte owning hundreds of feet of right-of-way through Mooresville and how writing a lease payment for our Depot to a municipality 30 miles away causes us some heartburn. We’re not going to talk about one inch past that Mecklenburg-Iredell county line.”
Mooresville Town Manager Tracey Jerome called Charlotte’s federal filing an insult.
“We are as responsible as we can possibly be with planning development, but this would be development with no consent or control or consideration for our community,” she said. “This is not about being for or against the project — we don’t have enough information and can’t have an opinion about the rail since we haven’t been brought to the table and don’t know what the full picture is. This is about the destruction of the heart of our community because Downtown is that beating heart, and there’s no way that this project, as we’ve learned it was presented, is going to do what we need to do to take care of our community.”
Show some unity please. These counties outside Mecklenburg are acting juvenile and petty. Wake up Iredell, Union, Gaston, Lincoln, etc. the goose laying the golden egg is Charlotte. Embrace it and you will reap the benefits!
Did you even read the article? Sure doesn’t sound like it.
Residents of Iredell are already reaping the benefits of Charlotte in the form of increased traffic, housing costs and demand for schools and services. All these benefits in turn increase costs on the Iredell taxpayer while Charlotte makes the profit. And last I looked unity requires multiple parties working in tandem which doesn’t seem to be the case here. It looks more like Charlotte is continuing to act as slimy and underhanded as ever.
This sounds like the old chestnut they used to tell women about rape: “Just lie back and enjoy it.” Charlotte needs to include the other towns and communities in planning.
I don’t know who you are Mr. Fincher, but as a resident of Mooresville we like having things done legally and not behind our back. In my opinion, we’ve done quite well without reaping the benefits of Charlotte. Clean up your own towns and leave ours alone. Thank you, Mayor and Representatives, for looking out for us.
Only thing I have seen out of a goose is some green slimy s¥u££!
I do not want the light rail in Iredell County. This county was at perfection for so many years. Next the developers ruined all the farms and brought too many families here. Now we do not need people riding anywhere they decide they want to be. This has safety concerns to me. STOP and think what they are wanting from this area. I appreciate Sen. Sawyer for looking out for her voters.
“Now we do not need people riding anywhere they decide they want to be.”
Lady, this is America. I don’t agree with how this was handled just like anyone with half a brain wouldn’t, but I have freedoms that I’m not willing to give up because you don’t think I can or should go anywhere I want.
I agree with these Republicans about the fact that Mooresville and the county should have been part of the discussion, but you have to be engaged and attend the meetings. The hilarious thing is their feigned outrage at a practice the Republicans use every day in the house and senate in Raleigh.
Added Sawyer: “…. But no one has told us that this would go further than the Mecklenburg County line. I feel as if they were hiding the ball. “I had to run this bill because they negotiated the deal of the century behind my back, lying to me through lies of omission.”
Yes, thank you, Frank Johnson. I agree about the need to do things above board and with transparency. But our representatives slip so much through the NC legislature that is detrimental to many of their constituents. We all need to study up and understand the candidates on the ballot this November and their platforms and visions of what our future will look like.
Agreed, sir. I would like for her to name the liars. Is that too much to ask?
This should have been done years ago. I don’t see why the proposal doesn’t bring the commuter rail into Statesville. There are many people living in Statesville and working in Charlotte. What a relief not to have to drive I-77 South. Do it legally and let’s get on with the project.
“Ensuring Iredell County has a seat at the table ‘is not asking too much,’ said Rep. Mills.”
Now y’all know how we feel when town leaders, who we can’t vote for, bring rampant overdevelopment to our communities using extraterritorial jurisdiction.
It is regrettable that Iredell County, Mooresville and Statesville have not been in the room for negotiations with the RR. A light rail would reduce traffic congestion.
No county should be able to own land in another county. That just makes sense. Vickie and Grey and Chris are doing a good job of protecting our interests. I know Lowe’s Headquarters would love to have light rail as they have employees from Mooresville down to South Park and up to North Iredell. The development along the light rail from Charlotte to the University area is transforming old worn out areas near the tracks into multi-family housing nearby that doesn’t require the residents to own cars and add to congestion on our roads. It is a win-win as light rail rejuvenates old areas instead of requiring the building of new housing developments that add to sprawl and traffic.
I don’t know why this is a surprise to everyone. Mooresville and Iredell Co were included on the Red Line Planning Team as well as the CRTPO (Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization). The CRTPO is made up of representatives from all the towns in the Charlotte Region.
From the start, the Red Line was shown as continuing into Iredell Co. Even in 2008. The question of who would buy the rail in Mecklenburg should have been one of the first questions asked. Now, either Meck Co must be allowed to purchase the rail or either Iredell Co or Mooresville must purchase it. I don’t think Iredell will and the people of Mooresville just had a 25 -30% hike in property taxes so I doubt they would approve it either. And then you get into the issues of who maintains the tracks, who builds and maintains the track and the stop or station and the ancillary parking.
Lot of questions to be answered before September.
The only reason Iredell County and its towns grow is because of the economic behemoth of Charlotte. We are an urban county. If you do not see that, you have your head in the sand. Charlotte and Mecklenburg already have the mindset and experience of growing as an urban community. Our leaders would best serve us by not being in denial and living in the past and defer to that urban planning. There really is no longer any local control of the growth. As an urban area we are going to need all modes of transportation including rail. If not, then gridlock will simply become worse. The towns and the county have done a very poor job in planning to be an urban area. Giving up rail corridors from Mooresville all the way to Statesville many years ago was extremely shortsighted. We are not going back to the 20th century. Our leaders need to wake up and understand that.
Someone must be paying you well. The notion that Charlotte has or ever had good urban planning is hilarious. Nothing more than urban sprawl that has created such a traffic nightmare people moved north to Iredell in droves and created new nightmares.
The fact that the line doesn’t end in Mooresville but instead near the Lowe’s campus in Mt. Mourne should be a deal breaker for Mooresville. If this would be build, development would move to the exit 31 corridor and negatively impact downtown Mooresville and local businesses. Why go to downtown when the end of the line is 3 miles from it? Commuters will not hop into their car to go 2-3 miles into downtown to shop or eat. They will either grab something within walking distance from the station or go home.