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County staff says Westwood Collective purchase won't delay rail contract; some parking may be public
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Summary
County staff presented a recent purchase by Westwood Collective adjacent to a county acquisition and said the closing will not delay the Norfolk Southern contract; staff said Westwood will cover survey/appraisal costs and some of the parcel may be used for public parking and trail access.
County staff told commissioners on April 21 that Westwood Collective closed on an adjacent parcel that alters the county's eventual footprint but will not delay the county's contract steps with Norfolk Southern on the rail-abandonment acquisition.
Derek (county staff) said the private purchase affects only the portion the county planned to acquire from OSI and that Norfolk Southern's portion of the process is unaffected. He estimated the county’s net cost would be roughly $15,000 lower because part of the parcel will be acquired and then sold to Westwood Collective.
Derek said Westwood has volunteered to pay for additional surveying and appraisal adjustments. "The nice part was Andy offered to pay any additional costs," he said, adding that Westwood intends to make some of the parking available to the public and to trail users as part of event and general parking.
The staff presentation included concept mock-ups for a gateway arch near the former Brillo factory on the trail; staff cautioned the images were AI-generated concepts and noted design considerations such as emergency-vehicle clearance and climbing risks for children.
Next steps described at the meeting: finalize survey work, adjust the appraisal and proceed toward closing on the county's contract with Norfolk Southern. Staff said they are days away from finalizing the contract with Norfolk Southern and will return with confirmations as those administrative steps are completed.
