Proponent says Red Line Rail plan will be revised

During a public meeting on Wednesday, one of the main writers of the Red Line Regional business plan repeatedly stressed to local officials that they have to follow the plan’s full process -- including addressing concerns – if the rail is ever going to become a reality.

Mark Briggs, who is vice president of consulting firm Parsons Brinckerhoff, one of the principal writers of the business plan, said many legitimate concerns have been brought up so far -- and that is exactly the point, he told officials gathered for a meeting in Cornelius’ Town Hall on Wednesday.

“We need to modify this plan to make it palatable for everyone,” said Briggs. “The most important thing about the plan is that it is draft.”

Elected officials of local governments and business owners affected by the rail are in the second of a three-month period where they have been asked to review the $452 million financial and economic development plan proposed for the project.

After the review process, any revisions requested by any of the entities are to be sent in, and a plan that takes into account all feedback would be ready for a final vote planned for June.

Seven governments -- Charlotte, Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson, Mooresville and Mecklenburg and Iredell counties must -- eventually sign on to use estimated future tax gains from properties along the line to purchase 30-year bonds to help pay for the project.

The income-producing businesses located near the line in what are called special assessment districts must also vote to impose a tax on themselves to help pay for the line. That vote requires that more than 50 percent of the business owners representing more than two-thirds of the property value vote yes. If passed, businesses that voted against the tax would still be forced to pay it.

The state and Charlotte Area Transit System have each pledged $113 million to the Red Line. The other seven entities must raise the remaining $226 million through the proposed channels. The Red Line is part of a grand scheme by CATS and the state to build five lines going in different directions out of Charlotte.

Iredell County commissioners gave a unanimous statement of non-support for the current plan at a meeting in January. Norfolk-Southern, which owns the line the project plans to upgrade, also expressed concerns in a letter to the N.C. Department of Transportation that the business plan did not fit with their future strategy for the “O-Line” that runs from Charlotte to Mooresville.

Norfolk-Southern has begun sending someone to Red Line Task Force meetings, where representatives from the entities involved discuss recent developments. Iredell County has not sent a representative.

Cornelius Mayor Jeff Tarte said that move by Norfolk-Southern proved they were willing to work with the process. Tarte said he believed Norfolk-Southern would benefit largely in the long-term.

“If you don’t think (Norfolk-Southern) is positioning itself for negotiations…that’s silly,” said Tarte.

Tarte said that while Iredell County had responded “No” and “Hell, no” so far to the current plan, at least the commissioners left a window open to potentially change their minds if issues are addressed.

Estimated rider numbers have about 4,000 to 5,000 people a day using the train, roughly the equivalent of one lane of traffic on I-77 during rush hour. I-77 would still need to be expanded in the future regardless of whether the rail is built or not, representatives from the NCDOT told the R&L in January.

Tarte said the people of Statesville would see the benefit more from freight than commuter use.

“Is Statesville going to benefit from ridership?” Tarte said. “Between me and four walls, no.”

One of the main concerns commissioners raised in January was that the rail would become a way for people to move to Iredell County while still working in Charlotte, thereby taking advantage of the lower cost-of-living while not working jobs that benefit the county.

Reasoning that those workers would have children, and those children would have to go to school, Iredell County commissioners believed they would eventually be forced to build more schools, a cost the county would have to pay all on its own.

Brad Howard, of Langtree Real Estate Group, which owns property a mile from the line, but would not be included in a special assessment district, said he new residents will choose to work and live along the line.

Howard believes people will move north up the line and eventually work farther north as more businesses choose to locate along the line.

“They’re going to come to Lowe’s, Ingersoll Rand and businesses that haven’t chosen to locate here yet,” Howard said.