Council agrees to pursue state greenway grant to extend K Creek Greenway under rail and Highway 25

Rebecca Robinson presented a potential one-time state grant that was created in last year’s state budget and, as she relayed, is likely not to be repeated. "It’s a one-time only pot of funding from the state of North Carolina…you can apply for projects between $100,000 and $500,000," Robinson said, adding that the grant requires a one-to-one match that can be cash or the appraised value of donated easements or property.

Robinson explained staff’s focus: the expensive and technically challenging segment that would take the greenway from the town park, under the railroad trestle and under Highway 25 to the south side, where substantial excavation, flood-control measures and rail-safety fencing would be required. She said engineering costs could be included in the grant request and that Southern Railroad and NCDOT were consulted during visibility studies saying the underpasses are possible with design work.

Council and staff discussed how including a pedestrian bridge would substantially raise total project cost (Robinson and consultant estimates in the packet put a bridge-inclusive construction scenario in the roughly $5.5–$5.6 million range, while a no-bridge option would be closer to $2–3 million). One council member urged applying for a grant amount that positions the town competitively but not necessarily the full $500,000; Robinson recommended applying for a figure in the high $300,000s to $400,000s so the application funds engineering and the most expensive short segment under the road and rail.

Council members also raised concerns about building a short trail that ends at a dead end. Staff noted existing and pending projects (stream restoration and easement acquisitions) that could rough-grade trail alignments to reduce future paving costs and emphasized that additional state or federal funds and regional partners would likely be needed to reach the French Broad River and complete the larger corridor.

The council expressed preliminary consensus to pursue the grant application and directed staff to advance engineering and budget estimates, including appraisals for donated easements to meet match documentation. No final funding decision or appropriation was made at the meeting.

Next steps: staff will refine engineering cost estimates, determine a competitive grant request (staff recommended not seeking the full $500,000 but a large application figure), secure appraisals for any donated easements if used as match, and prepare the September grant application.