The Southeast High Speed Rail (HSR) Project Meeting with property owners in Henderson and South Henderson Industrial Historic Districts provided first hand information about HSR at a meeting hosted by the Kerr-Tar Council of Governments headquarters on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at 2:30 p.m.
It was unfortunate that the city, nor the county, nor the Economic Development Commission had participants at the table. They should be the prime movers and shakers going forward. They should be chastised for their lack of involvement at this critical stage in planning. The Downtown Development Commission was represented by Phil Lakernick, who is also a property owner in the historic district. Tom Anderson, who works for the county, was there as a property owner.
Local property owner Tom Badger (left) speaks to North Carolina Department of Transportation Project Manager David Foster
The money is flowing in for this project. David Foster, Project Manager of the NCDOT Rail Division said, “We believe we will receive the funds for Charlotte to D.C.”
That means Henderson is on notice to get ready, and to get ready now. It was stressed that the city should have a pilot study for locating an appropriate facility for a station. It was stressed that LaCrosse, Virginia has made significant progress already, and that Morganton has restored a station, and they do not even have a planned railroad stop.
Henderson is getting a stop, but does not have a station, and the clock is ticking. In addition to this, there is a trail project for a trail to run continuously from Raleigh to Petersburg, and this may become part of the East Coast Greenway project. The earliest completion target date is 2018, with public hearings to be held beginning in May.
One focus of the meeting was to receive information from adjoining landowners about what concerns they have that need to be mitigated. There will be the opportunity to write a memo of agreement (MOA) which will spell out all the factors that need mitigation. This is why it was unfortunate that the city planners were not in attendance. The future look of the rail corridor will be determined to a great degree by what is in this MOA.
The landowners in the Chavasse Avenue area stressed that since the crossing is to be closed, they expected the landscaping and view to be appropriate and conforming to a historic residential neighborhood. Renee Gledhill-Earley, Coordinator of the Environmental Review Branch of the State Historic Preservation Office brainstormed ideas with the property owners. The property owners were encouraged to meet among themselves to bring back ideas for the future meetings.
Keeping the downtown attractive and inviting was stressed, but some property owners likewise emphasized that South Henderson’s old business district needs attention, especially since the overpass is to be at Alexander Avenue and the proposed trail may run parallel with the tracks.
The proposed designs were reviewed, and a pedestrian walkway at Peachtree Street was discussed. The underpass at Charles Street was deemed very safe, if not very unattractive. At this time, there is recovery grant money from the federal government that can be applied for.
Lakernick brought up the concerns of parking along the right of way for the apartments downtown, and it was learned that negotiations are being considered to purchase the right-of-way from CSX.
Many economic development issues were raised. A primary goal of the Economic Development Commission should be to get the ball rolling for a station facility in Henderson. A HSR stop would be a great marketing tool for this area. In addition, with railroad tracks continuing through to Richmond, the freight traffic should increase tremendously.
As the project moves toward incorporating all possible planning to minimize harm to historic properties, we know that there is no other feasible or prudent alternative to the HSR coming through Henderson. It would be best if all of us in the city, the county, and the Economic Development Commission took advantage of every stage of the process to work towards the best outcome possible.
To do that, of course, you have to be at the table.