by Roger Normand

Ahhh, we are – so -very – close to extending the County citizens’ ownership of the unused rail corridor to reach Ashton Road! This represents Phase 1 of a two phase purchase of the corridor to Payne Park, with Phase 2 acquisition contingent on a 2018 County-wide voter referendum.

November 30th marked the contractual end of the due diligence review by the County and their partner The Trust for Public Land (TPL) to acquire the 2.7-mile section of rail corridor (including a spur across McIntosh Road) between the northern end of the Legacy Trail at Culverhouse Nature Park, across Clark Road to Ashton Road. No significant issues emerged during the review.

The next, and final milestone to acquire this portion of the corridor is settlement by 20 December 2017, at which time title of the property would transfer from CSX through TPL to the County in exchange for $7.9M back through TPL to CSX.

The County had previously identified and committed the $7.9M, mostly by deferring other parkland acquisitions in FY-2017. We would expect the purchase to now be on autopilot.

Well, not quite yet. The County is still grappling with $5.4M budget shortfall for FY-18 now underway, and the sale contract for the rail corridor provides a “non-appropriations” clause that allows the County to walk away from the agreement without penalty if it does not provide the funds.

The Legacy Trail extension remains a top County priority. We remain optimistic that the County will follow through on its commitment and conclude this purchase, and we can prepare for the November 2018 referendum to acquire the remainder of the corridor to Payne Park and build the trail.