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Madison County Park District nears purchase of rail corridor for downtown trail; price and funding still unsettled
Summary
Park District leaders said Norfolk Southern approved limiting the county cquisition to 15 feet from the track centerline, reducing acreage and raising design and construction costs; negotiators are seeking a lower price and expect grant reimbursements to follow acquisition.
MADISON COUNTY — The Madison County Park District said Thursday it is close to signing a purchase contract to acquire a section of Norfolk Southern rail right-of-way through London for a planned trail, but final price and funding sources remain unsettled.
Speaker 4, who presented the county nd partners—ase to the Park District, said Norfolk Southern pproved keeping an operational portion of track and granted up to "15 feet from the center line" for the county to acquire, a change that reduces the amount of land the county will receive and increases the project—osts requirements such as fencing and retaining walls. "They approved it and they gave us the maximum amount of footage that we were requesting, 15 feet from the center line," Speaker 4 said.
Why it matters: narrowing the purchase area removes roughly 0.663 acres from the county—stimate and limits the county esign options for a downtown green space adjacent to the rail. Speaker 4 told commissioners the narrower acquisition likely reduces the sale price, but it also raises construction and maintenance costs because the remaining strip will require separation from active rail use.
Price and negotiation: presenters described earlier figures including an initial asking price of $856,000, then a working net of $756,000 after a $100,000 allowance for rail-crossing maintenance. Speaker 4 said the county requested Norfolk Southern lower the ask to $712,000 minus $100,000 (net $612,000) given the smaller acreage, but said the railroad—ontact Solomon Jackson was out of the office and a response was pending.
Funding and reimbursements: the Park District and partners discussed options to front the purchase costs and seek reimbursement through grants. Speaker 4 said the project team has pursued grant sources such as the Clean Ohio Fund and cited regional partners nd the Great American Rail Trail, which "has already given us $20,000 over the past 2 years to help with our surveying and legal costs." The group reported it has raised more than $200,000 that it prefers to use for construction, and said private investment commitments for parking access near a hotel have been discussed but not formalized.
Next steps and process: the presenters said a signed purchase contract is required to begin the federal abandonment process, and that the county ttorney or designated staff ("Nick," as referenced in the meeting) will need to review and sign off on due diligence items including survey and title. Speaker 4 estimated the federal abandonment timeline at "90 days to 180 days," with hopes the county—ase will be resolved nearer the shorter timeline once the contract is filed.
No formal board action on acquisition was recorded during the meeting; commissioners discussed whether the county could front acquisition funds and later seek capital-budget or grant reimbursement. The Park District will await Norfolk Southern—onfirmation of a final price and continue due-diligence work before any contract or resolution is drafted.
The project team said regional support and past donations have improved the project—unding outlook but did not provide a final funding commitment or acquisition date.
