Gastonia council approves city attorney hire, accepts donated land, backs park grant and closes paper street; schedules governance work session

The Gastonia City Council on March 4 approved several items affecting city staffing, parks, public property and planning, including the adoption of a city attorney employment agreement naming Eric Patrick Edgerton, acceptance of a donation of land at 2701 Aberdeen Boulevard, approval for staff to apply for a $500,000 Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) matching grant for phase 2 of Linwood Springs Park, and a resolution to close a recorded but unopened street called Briarcliff Circle to clear title for a proposed townhome development.

Why it matters: The votes advance multiple projects that the council and staff said will affect stormwater management, recreational amenities and staffing continuity. The acceptance of the Aberdeen Boulevard parcel also gives the city direct access to utility easements and a potentially significant area for stormwater and stream-restoration projects, according to staff. The council also voted to bring a retired UNC School of Government faculty member, Peg Carlson, to a facilitated work session on April 8 aimed at improving board-manager roles and the council’s approach to evaluating the city manager.

Most consequential actions

City attorney hire — The council adopted an employment agreement naming Eric Patrick Edgerton, currently an assistant city attorney in Asheville, as Gastonia’s next city attorney. Council members voted to approve the agreement; the transcript records the motion and a unanimous recorded approval. The council announced an expected start date in April and that Edgerton will relocate with his family.

Linwood Springs Park grant application — Councilwoman J. Barber reported the Recreation Advisory Commission voted to ask the council to allow the parks department to apply for an additional $500,000 PARTF grant for phase 2 of Linwood Springs Park. Barber said phase 2 would add RV campsites, a bathhouse, check-in and administrative facilities and nature-scape amenities on land that was formerly the Lynnwood Golf Course. The commission reported it previously received a $500,000 PARTF award for phase 1; the city used American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds as the local match for prior work, staff said. The council voted to authorize staff to apply for the grant.

Acceptance of donated property, 2701 Aberdeen Boulevard — Interim City Attorney Charles Graham described an offer to donate a parcel of slightly more than 21 acres at 2701 Aberdeen Boulevard. Staff and committee discussion noted the parcel is heavily encumbered by floodplain and contains an existing 24-inch force main and a gravity sewer main running the property’s length; owning the land would give the city direct access for maintenance and potential future stream-restoration or regional stormwater controls. After committee review and staff input about utilities and cleanup needs, the council voted to accept the donation.

Briarcliff Circle street closing — The council held a public hearing on a petition to close a recorded but unopened street shown on an old subdivision plat (Briarcliff Circle) on the east side of Dewey Street. Interim City Attorney Charles Graham said closing the paper street is required by state statute and would clear title so the developer can consolidate lots for a planned townhome project; the planning commission had already approved the conditional rezoning and that decision was not before council. The council approved the resolution to close the unopened street; the clerk recorded the roll call outcome on the record at the meeting (transcript contains spoken confirmation of the tally).

Governance work session — Mayor Pro Tem Dave Kerlin presented a proposal to bring Peg Carlson, professor emeritus from the UNC School of Government, to facilitate a board-development work session using a “Governing Board Quick Scan” tool. The proposal — intended to help the council align on the roles of the governing board, expectations of the city manager and the manager-evaluation process — passed by unanimous voice vote. Kerlin said the facilitator’s in-person fee is about $3,000 plus travel and suggested April 8 as a potential date before the manager’s evaluation period.

Other business and public input — The meeting also included committee reports, announcements about upcoming community events (Gaston Max and “Get to Know Gaston”) and public comments on neighborhood concerns including flooding, property maintenance and affordable housing. Several residents spoke during public expression about local problems they asked the council and staff to address; staff members and council agreed to follow up on specific service requests.

Decisions versus discussion — The minutes and motions recorded in the transcript distinguish committee recommendations and staff information from formal council actions. For example, the planning commission’s approval of the townhome rezoning was noted as already decided at the commission level and not subject to appeal before the council at this meeting; the paper-street closing vote before the council was limited to removing the recorded dedication so title could be cleared.

What’s next — Staff will proceed with the grant application if authorized by PARTF deadlines, begin administrative steps to accept the Aberdeen Boulevard parcel, finalize details for the Peg Carlson work session and implement the legal steps required to close Briarcliff Circle. The newly hired city attorney is expected to begin in April as the city completes onboarding and any necessary administrative formalities.