Appeals court backs greenway access in Park Crossing
Neighbors had battled over connections to Little Sugar Creek Greenway
The following article appeared in the February 10, 2023, edition of The Charlotte Ledger e-newsletter. To have smart, original local news from experienced journalists delivered to your inbox, sign up here (free and paid plans available):
Ruling could end years of legal disputes and ‘verbal altercations’ in south Charlotte neighborhood
by Tony Mecia
A North Carolina appeals court has sided with residents of Charlotte’s Park Crossing neighborhood, who have undertaken an expensive court battle in recent years to gain access to the nearby Little Sugar Creek Greenway.
In a unanimous decision released Tuesday, the court rejected arguments by a homeowner who argued that neighbors had no right to cut through his property to get to the greenway — even though the property contained what’s called a “pedestrian access easement” that’s been there since the land was developed in the 1980s.
The Park Crossing neighborhood in south Charlotte has been embroiled in a lawsuit over access to the Little Sugar Creek Greenway for the last four years. (Ledger file photo)
The Ledger has been following the case for the last few years. It’s a hot topic in Park Crossing, a neighborhood of 605 homes in south Charlotte, off Park Road near Pineville. Some residents supported greenway access, while others weren’t keen on random people walking through their yards. Placing paths between the greenway and the neighborhood would create “risks of danger posed by an influx of persons and traffic into the neighborhood,” according to one court filing in the case.
Court documents said some residents blocked access with fences and shrubs and that disputes sometimes led to “verbal altercations” and calling the cops. A GoFundMe page raised more than $100,000 to pay for legal fees.
Most of the property owners with easements in their yards reached settlements to allow access, and today there are a few paths between the greenway and the neighborhood. But one owner appealed.
“Everybody wants the greenway. I get it. I’m all for it. I’m an environmentalist,” Rod Worthington told The Charlotte Observer, which published an article on the court fight this week. “But I don’t want people walking or biking through my back yard. I don’t want a concrete path on my property.”
Nonetheless, he said he doesn’t plan to appeal the ruling to the N.C. Supreme Court. —TM
Related Ledger articles:
“Greenway battle in Park Crossing” (🔒, May 4, 2022)
“Another south Charlotte greenway fight” (🔒, Oct. 21, 2020)
“South Charlotte neighborhood opposes greenway connection” (Oct. 19, 2020)
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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Contributing editor: Tim Whitmire, CXN Advisory; Contributing photographer/videographer: Kevin Young, The 5 and 2 Project