Project Summary: Williamson Rd.

Thank you for your interest in Chad Brown Law. If you are viewing this content, then it is likely that you are facing the possibility that some, if not all, of your property will be taken from you by a condemning authority. A “condemning” authority (or “condemnor”) is any entity that has the right to take your property for a public purpose. (Such as widening or extending a road)

The Eminent Domain Attorneys at Chad Brown Law are here for you, and, as a token of that support, we have prepared the following information to hopefully help you better understand what the project is all about and why the condemnor has targeted your property.

A. Project Number: R-5100B

If you would like more information about this project, then simply go to the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) website and type “R-5100B” into the search bar. This will bring up all the information that the NCDOT has on their website about the project.

B.  County for Project: The project will take place in Iredell County in the area along Lake Norman between Mooresville and Davidson.

C.  Condemning Authority: The North Carolina Department of Transportation is the condemning authority for this project. A “condemning” authority is the entity that has the right to take your land from you to accomplish a public purpose such as widening a road in this instance.

D.  Important Dates: Given that it is now June 2022, the project is behind schedule which is not totally uncommon. No current dates are known. The public hearing on this project was scheduled for April 2018. The NCDOT was supposed to begin gathering the necessary parcels of land for the project around Mid-2019. Finally, construction was scheduled to begin around Fall of 2020. Please note that when the NCDOT begins acquiring parcels for the project, any affected owner should receive a letter from the NCDOT explaining what they are taking. At that point, an owner should reach out to an eminent domain attorney at once.

E.  What is the area being taken? The area being taken will begin at the exit off I-77 onto Williamson Rd. and extend from Williamson Rd. to NC Hwy 150. This project will end where NC Hwy 150 meets Williamson Rd. The Williamson Rd. Bridge will also be widened. This might be a point of inconvenience for most owners on Williamson Rd since the bridge will be under construction. At this point, entire parcels won’t be taken. However, this is subject to change. The area taken from each owner will primarily be the frontage areas adjacent to Williamson Rd.

F.   Why is the NCDOT taking my property for this project? Since the congestion on Williamson Rd. has increased dramatically, the NCDOT has been tasked with widening Williamson Rd. to four lanes. The road widening is projected to allow the new levels of traffic to safely travel on Williamson Rd. According to the current plans, the project also entails building retaining walls in front of remaining parcels, new points of access for remaining parcels, and new highway medians to separate traffic.

G.   What happens to owners of the properties being taken? The NCDOT is supposed to compensate you for the property that they take from you. The typical measure for compensation is normally the “fair market value” of the property being taken. This is supposed to be measured in various ways according to law and should be discussed with your attorney.

H.   Will the impact be different for a homeowner as opposed to a business owner? No, the NCDOT can take a home in the same manner that they can take someone’s business location. However, the method of valuation in the appraisal should be different. No matter what is being taken, an eminent domain attorney can help you negotiate proper compensation.