News

Edney to urge support for Ecusta Trail

By Bill Moss, Published: January 21, 2015

The cities of Hendersonville, Laurel Park, Flat Rock and Brevard have all endorsed the Ecusta Trail. So has the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce.

But when it comes to local government support, there's big hole in the middle of the picture. The Henderson County Board of Commissioners has never said yes.
Commissioner Michael Edney hopes to change that this week.
Edney will ask his colleagues to support the proposed 20-mile greenway when the board meets for its annual all-day budget retreat on Wednesday. Before setting the agenda, county administrators asked commissioners what topics and capital projects were most important for the next year and the next four years. Edney spoke up for the bike and pedestrian trail.
Edney's own support is cautious — he defers to the railroad owner's prerogative. Even so, a positive expression of support by the Board of Commissioners would be a significant. While the rail line does pass through Hendersonville and Laurel Park, the large majority of it lies in Henderson County and Transylvania County, which, like its eastern neighbor, has never endorsed the greenway.
"I just want to talk about it and hopefully get the commissioners to add to my support of it," said Edney, the only commissioner to publicly support the project. "We'd make it clear that it's in the process and we are one of the players, so if and when it gets further down the road, we'd let them know the commissioners support it."
Ecusta Trail supporters have appeared regularly for two years during public comment time urging the board to support the project. In all that time, the organization has never formally asked for an endorsement.
"Nobody's ever come and asked us to," Edney said. "I think it's time to do it."
A 2012 study commissioned by the city of Hendersonville said the trail could generate $9.4 million a year worth of economic benefits. Cost projections ranged from $11.5 million to $16.7 million.
"The Ecusta Trail in and of itself would boost the economy," Edney said. "It would be an attraction to bring in more tourism and more industrial development because those type folks believe in a good quality of life and the Ecusta Trail is an example of providing a good quality of life. It's an asset that's just laying out there deteriorating, and it's providing a potential source for people to go out and find bad things to do."
Edney said he envisions a resolution of support that emphasizes the right of the rail line owner, Watco, to decide whether to railbank the property or keep it.
"We'd make it clear that nothing can happen until the private sector decides they want something to happen," he said. "We would be one of several players and it would also have to be developed over a period of time. There would be some commitment of county dollars but it would be in conjunction with other local government, the private sector, the hospitals. We would not be the lead player."
Transylvania County commissioners have resisted a rail-to-trail because they want the tracks preserved for use by an industry that would bring jobs. Edney said he has heard of no industry
that would make reviving the line financially feasible. The line was last used in 2002.
"I have not heard anything other than it would be cost prohibitive to restore the tracks to any usable freight or a Tweetsy (railroad) type thing," he said. "Another option, for whoever gets involved, is these tracks are high-quality steel and they can be recycled and sold for a good amount of money."
Under federal rail banking law, Watco could retain the right to reopen the line if conditions made it viable.
Friends of Ecusta Trail President Hunter Marks said the organization would welcome the commissioners' endorsement.
"I think it would be a positive development if the county would take an
active interest in the project," Marks said. "We've had conversations one-on-one with county commissioners individually trying to gauge their level of support. I'm glad to see this is on their agenda."