Politics

Go west, Thompson says, to find Ecusta Trail opposition

By Bill Moss, Published: February 1, 2015

His fellow commissioners listened but made no commitment when Commissioner Michael Edney urged the board to formally support of the Ecusta Trail and a $25,000 annual payment devoted to the project.

"I think from an economic standpoint it enhances our community as far as tourism, as far as wellness, community health benefits," Edney said. "We can't do it alone. It's a community project that would be done in phases over a period of years. I think it's time this board join Hendersonville in endorsing the concept and taking a step further in actually moving $25,000 a year from our general fund into the reserve fund so that it's dedicated for that project if and when it's ever ready to move forward."
Hendersonville, Flat Rock, Laurel Park and the city of Brevard have all endorsed the 20-mile Hendersonville-to-Brevard greenway, which would follow the railroad tracks now owned by Watco, a Kansas-based shortline operator that bought Norfolk-Southern Western North Carolina rail lines.
Thompson pointed out that support is not unanimous.
"We were told last week that the county commissioners in Transylvania County were unanimously opposed to the Ecusta Trail and their reasoning is they had lost two major industries and if they ever had the opportunity to get new industry they thought the railroad would be an enhancement," he said.
The board tossed the Ecusta Trail resolution into the big bucket of decisions plan to take up again in March.