February 26, 2001

 The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission

2100 Randolph Road

Charlotte, North Carolina 28207

 Ladies and Gentlemen: 

The Trust for Public Land plans to purchase 25 acres in Huntersville, bounded by McDowell and Torrance Creeks, from Mrs. Richard Torrance (Belle) Banks. This land is located directly across Gilead Road from Cedar Grove and the Torrance Store, which are also owned by Mrs. Banks. The land which we will purchase is a Historic Landmark. It is part of the former Torrance plantation and comprises southern viewshed from Cedar Grove and the Torrance Store. 

We are a nationwide, nonprofit conservation group devoted to the preservation and creation of public open space for watershed protection, recreation, wildlife habitat, and historic preservation. We close about one transaction per business day nationwide in our mission to expand the American Commons. We are working successfully in the Mountain Island Lake watershed to preserve regional water quality through open space acquisitions along the shoreline of Mountain Island Lake and its tributaries, including McDowell and Torrance Creeks. We anticipate that we will convey the 25 acres to Mecklenburg County subsequent to our acquisition as part of Mecklenburg County's program of land acquisition to protect the quality of drinking waterdrawn from Mountain Island Lake. 

We want to acquire and then convey the 25 acres with its Historic Landmark designation intact. The land will be conserved and not developed in order to preserve our drinking water quality and create a critical linkage in the McDowell Creek Greenway. Conservation of a Historic Landmark is another benefit of our acquisition. 

In order to acquire and then convey the 25 acres with its Historic Landmark designation intact, we must confirm that the conceptual infill development plan for the land which we created in order to value the land would be compatible with the Historic Landmark designation. Upon such confirmation from you, we can proceed with our acquisition of the land. 

Our conceptual infill development plan calls for: 

 1.  8 homesites on lots of between 1.5 and 5 acres. 

2.  Home  design inspired by Cedar Grove and the Torrance Store. 

3.  Layout of homesites based on the attached site plan.

Please review this plan and inform me of your decision through Dr. Morrill. Thank you for your time and support. 

Sincerely, 

Dave Brown Project Manager