St. James enters final process of land acquisition for access to Middleton Boulevard

The Town of St. James will now enter into negotiations with private landowners to facilitate an extension of St. James Drive to Middleton Boulevard, thus providing an exit for residents south of Polly Gully Bridge if something were to make that structure impassable.

  

Town council, following a 20-minute closed session on Tuesday, authorized mayor Becky Dus and mayor pro-tem Bruce Maxwell to meet on its behalf with LaDane Enterprises LLC principal LaDane Williamson and her brother DeCarol Williamson of DCW III LLC to seek either the purchase of a 13-acre tract or an easement across that parcel. A 100-foot right-of-way is required for construction of a 1,000-foot-long road, at town expense, to connect a developer-funded extension of St. James Drive to Middleton.

 

Talks between the Williamsons and the Town of St. James had proceeded smoothly until December 2014, when the state notified the parties that a 130-acre parcel owned by the Williamsons would be subject to a declaration of “enhanced value” should any or all of the tract be sold. The state had paid the Williamsons a reported $800,000 when right-of-way for Middleton Boulevard was purchased because it severed the 130 acres—bounded by Middleton on the west and St. James Plantation of the east—from the remainder of a 3,500-acre property owned by the Williamson heirs.

But the Town of St. James was only interested in the southernmost portion—13 acres, separated by wetlands—on which the access road had been plotted,  and approved by the N.C. Department of Transportation.

Earlier this year, the Town of St. James initiated an eminent domain proceeding that would allow the town to acquire the needed right-of-way at a cost to be determined by a Brunswick County Superior Court judge. An appraisal was required; the state at first said the entire 130-acre tract must be appraised, but relented.

At Tuesday’s council meeting, the “enhanced value” of the 13-acre tract was reported to be $94,900.

If the town is unsuccessful in negotiating a sale or easement price, the option of eminent domain remains in play.

Original Article from State Port Pilot

Ken Keegan Real Estate Broker
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