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Martin County approves increased NCRR grant for Weitron rail extension
Summary
The board approved Amendment #1 to the North Carolina Railroad (NCRR) Invests grant, increasing the county’s award from $467,000 to $527,000 to cover additional unsuitable soils discovered on the Weitron rail extension site; the Weitron project is expected to bring $12.8 million investment and 31 jobs.
Martin County commissioners on July 11 approved the first amendment to a Definitive Project Investment Agreement with the North Carolina Railroad Company, increasing the county’s NCRR Invests grant commitment for the Weitron rail extension from $467,000 to $527,000.
County Manager David Bone told the board that during construction additional areas of unsuitable soils were uncovered, requiring removal and replacement to ensure a structurally sound railroad bed. NCRR agreed to increase its Investment Amount by $60,000; the First Amendment replaces references to $467,000 in the original agreement with $527,000 and adjusts a related figure from $70,050 to $79,050.
The rail extension is part of infrastructure build‑out for Weitron, Inc., a refrigerant‑gas packager and distributor that selected the Martin County Regional Business Park for a new facility. The project as presented to the board called for a minimum capital investment of $12,800,000 and the creation of 31 full‑time positions, and included construction of approximately 4,900 feet of track and related site work.
Commissioner Dempsey Bond moved to approve Amendment #1 to the NCRR agreement; Commissioner Ronnie Smith seconded and the board approved the amendment unanimously.
The amendment preserves the original agreement’s terms except for the adjusted grant amounts and related cost line items; the county previously approved budget amendments to cover unanticipated soil remediation costs.
