Huntersville approves greenway contract, Habitat land funding and several town policy updates

Huntersville’s Board of Commissioners on Jan. 21 unanimously awarded a construction contract for the one-mile North Mecklenburg Park Greenway and approved related budget and nonprofit funding measures, along with several municipal policy updates.

The actions matter because the greenway will create a new pedestrian connection between nearby neighborhoods and North Mecklenburg Park, the Habitat funds are earmarked for land to develop homes affordable to households at or below 80% of area median income, and the policy changes clarify how and when residents may speak at town meetings ahead of a busy hearing calendar.

The board voted to award the greenway construction contract to Eagle Wood Incorporated after staff reported receiving five bids and said the bids were higher than the engineer’s estimate. Michael Jaycox, a town staff member who presented the item, said the increase stemmed in part from a regional surge in similar projects that has tightened contractor availability and pricing. Jaycox said the greenway will "connect Hamptons, Harvest Point and CVS commercial developments on Sanford Road into North Meck Park" and described the project as providing connections for "thousands of homes." The board then approved a…