HotCakes33 · @hotcakes_33
2nd Apr 2014 from TwitLonger
@coal_ash update on #Riverbend re-zoning #stonewaterliving #MIL
Kevin Parsons contacted Erin Culbert at Duke and received the following response:
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On August 1, 2000, Duke Energy entered into an annexation agreement with the City of Mount Holly to agree to annexation on June 30, 2014. This involved payment of fees in lieu of property taxes until the agreed upon annexation date. This agreement involved essentially two properties—the Riverbend Steam Station site and about 22 acres that includes the powerhouse and dam of the Mountain Island Hydro facility. The company agreed to annexation of the boat ramp/recreational access area near Riverbend at that time, in August of 2000.
We have recently been working with Mount Holly on the required filings to execute this agreement. Part of this effort involves some clean-up of zoning to achieve more consistency since the Riverbend site currently falls in several zoning categories. The recreational access area portion of the site across the road that we consented to annexation in 2000 is under three zoning categories. Because these are already within Mount Holly, this is not proposed to change.
The station property itself is currently governed by Gaston County zoning of I-3, and because we will now be under city zoning, we needed to apply for City of Mount Holly zoning classification H-1. Both of these are industrial classifications, and this is a procedural step with no intent to alter our operations.
This same zoning change affects the Mountain Island dam as well. The Mount Holly Zoning Board will hear this request on Monday night (April 7), and the City Council will act on the recommendation the following Monday night (April 14). Both meetings will be at 7 p.m. in the Municipal Complex.
As you know, the plant retired last year and is in the decommissioning process. Duke Energy recently invited the City of Charlotte to enter into a due diligence process to determine if the Charlotte-Douglas Airport is a suitable location to relocate the ash to enhance future economic development opportunities at the airport. We continue to be committed in closing the ash basins at Riverbend and our other retired plants and will keep neighbors informed as plans develop.
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