The 24.382 acre property considered for conveyance includes a developed parking lot, 0.75 miles of constructed natural surface trail, and a pedestrian bridge crossing an intermittent tributary. The 0.75 miles of natural surface trail is identified in the Open Space Connectivity Plan as part of the Irish Buffalo Creek Greenway corridor; it is part of the future connection linking Kannapolis to Gibson Mill and downtown Concord and is designated as a priority corridor for the Carolina Thread Trail. Much of this area will be maintained in its natural state, with greenway maintenance being absorbed into the current Buildings & Grounds operational capacity.

This conveyance does not include the 0.97-acre Lot 3, which includes a developed trailhead parking lot for future public use along with the facilities proposed in a Memorandum of Understanding between Niblock Homes and the City of Concord to build a replica of the Red Hill Tavern as a community room/greenway restroom facility. Conveyance for this lot will be transferred once the items outlined in the MOU are completed and accepted.

Recommendation: Motion to accept the conveyance of the 24.382 acres in Lot 1 of the Red Hill Subdivision exemption plat.

K. Consider acceptance of real property conveyed by the Catawba Lands Conservancy, comprised of 38.548 acres known as Survey Tract B/Plat Book 78 Pages 69 -72/Rocky Pop Reserve, identified by PIN # 4680- 49-2592, located off Poplar Tent Road near Cox Mill Road and Poplar View Drive along the Rocky River. This property is in the Hector Henry Greenway Corridor.

The 38.548 acre property known as the Rocky Pop Preserve is currently owned by the Catawba Lands Conservancy (CLC); the property is undeveloped with significant floodplain and wetland and includes covenants and restrictions for conservation purposes. The property was purchased by the CLC in 2017 from Epcon Poplar Tent LLC to protect marshes and forested land along the Rocky River and to provide public access for a potential future segment of the Carolina Thread Trail—currently known as Phase 3 of the Hector H. Henry (HHH) Greenway.

The property was purchased using grant resources from the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund (now known as the NC Land and Water Fund). In 2018, covenants and restrictions were placed on the property in perpetuity for conservation purposes restricting certain specific uses of the property and ensuring its long-term management protecting the natural resources of the property. Exceptions include passive recreation uses including the construction and maintenance of trails and incidental facilities. In 2020, the CLC Board of Directors authorized the transfer of the property to the City of Concord.

Parks and Recreation staff is currently working with LandDesign, Inc. on a feasibility and preliminary design study for Phase 3 of the HHH Greenway; this property is within the project’s study area and one of the alternative alignments utilizes the property for greenway development or environmental open space.

Recommendation: Motion to accept the conveyance of the 38.548 acres of the Rocky Pop Preserve from the Catawba Lands Conservancy.

L. Consider approving changes to the Rates and Charges Schedule for Utility Billing and Collections fees.

Staff is recommending changes to the current fee schedule to remove references to meter tampering penalties. These fees are not allowable charges for a utility in North Carolina. The red-lined version and updated clean version of this section of the fee schedule is attached. The changes are proposed to go in effect on September 11, 2025.

Recommended: Motion to approve changes to the Rates and Charges Schedule for Utility Billing and Collections fees.