A recent history of the Kannapolis-owned land in western Rowan County:
– February 2006 ó Kannapolis agrees to sell 2,800 acres in western Rowan between N.C. 801 and N.C. 150 to LandTrust of Central North Carolina for $8.5 million, or $3,000 per acre. LandTrust pays $4.5 million up front for 1,100 acres identified as Tract 1. The LandTrust agrees to pay $1 million a year for the next four years to acquire the remaining four tracts.
– 2006 ó The LandTrust gets grants of $2.6 million from the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund, $1.6 million from the N.C. Natural Heritage Trust Fund and $100,000 from the Cannon Foundation to pay for land;
– 2006 ó Kannapolis retains several acres, including the location of its pump station on Second Creek that pumps water to Kannapolis Lake, the city’s primary source of water.
– September 2006 ó The LandTrust transfers ownership of Tract 1 to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. The property is used for public hunting and portions are actively farmed.
– 2007 ó The LandTrust buys Tract 2 for the agreed-upon $1 million and plans to sell the land to the Wildlife Commission. However, the state is short of money. The LandTrust continues to own this section, awaiting improvement of state finances.
– 2009 ó Ten farmers continue to farm an estimated 1,100 of the original 2,800 acres.
– 2009 ó Johnny Moore and Tom Smith have offered Kannapolis $2 million for tracts 2 and 3. The property would continue to be farmland with no development. The Kannapolis City Council has accepted the offer, but it must go through the public 10-day upset bid process.
– Future ó The LandTrust hopes the city will allow the purchase of Tract 5, the final piece, for the original price of $1 million. The LandTrust has secured money from the Doris Duke Foundation. City Manager Mike Legg said Kannapolis officials are dealing with the tracts separately and aren’t ready to deal with Tract 5.