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Council declines to cancel $3.4M in downtown land purchases after contamination concerns; environmental tests show localized soil contamination
Summary
Mount Holly City Council heard results of environmental testing on properties under contract for a planned Veterans Park expansion, learned of limited soil contamination next to a former auto shop, and voted down a motion to terminate the purchase contracts for two parcels totaling roughly $3.4 million.
Mount Holly City Council on Tuesday heard the results of a Phase I environmental review for properties under contract as part of the Veterans Park expansion and voted against canceling two purchase contracts worth about $3.4 million.
City Manager Blanton told the council that monitoring wells installed after the Phase I report detected soil contamination adjacent to 122 East Central Avenue — the site of a former auto repair shop — and that contractor estimates to remove the contamination ranged from about $14,000 to $29,000 for the specific area tested. Blanton said the city’s examination period for the contracts was extended in recent months and will expire May 2 if not otherwise acted on.
The issue drew extended public comment. Residents urged caution and criticized the city for pursuing property they described as contaminated instead of preserving other downtown assets. Rodney Williams told the council the city “does not need this property” and warned that cleanup costs could burden taxpayers. Clyde Davis and Bob Hendricks urged additional testing before any purchase. Gary Brinkley and others repeated opposition to the broader veterans redevelopment plan, saying citizens had not been adequately consulted.
After public comment, Councilmember Reeves moved to terminate the two purchase-and-sale contracts with the Dean Stroop family partnership and SPCS Properties. The motion was seconded by Councilmember Harris. The motion failed on a roll call: yes — Reeves, Harris; no — Huff, Craig, Shoemaker, Meadows. Mayor Moore announced the motion had failed and the city would proceed with the scheduled examination period unless the council took further action.
Blanton said the city has already spent roughly $3.5 million related to the Veterans Park effort, including about $2.6 million on property acquisition along Catawba Avenue, and that staff would continue to coordinate with the city attorney and contract holders on next steps if council was comfortable proceeding.
The council did not adopt any new remediation plan during the meeting. Blanton said he had received monitoring-well results on March 3 and that only the area adjacent to the former auto repair shop showed contamination in the Phase I follow-up. He identified the specific properties under contract by the owners’ names but did not supply a final remediation contract for council approval during the session.
The council’s decision leaves the contracts in place while residents and council members continue to debate the financial and environmental risks of assembling land for a proposed Veterans Park expansion.
