SALISBURY — The Rowan County Board of Commissioners will consider a request from the Rowan County Tourism Development Authority for an agreement that would front the TDA $750,000 that the organization would then pay back over a five-year period.

The request sent to the commissioners states that the funding would be used to enhance community infrastructure for tourism and economic development by expanding the Railwalk between the Rowan County Farmer’s Market Pavilion and the Salisbury Amtrak station.

“The additional development builds off the success of the long-standing relationship between the Rowan County TDA and Rowan County, as well as the previous partnership to refurbish an adjacent abandoned warehouse into the current Rowan County Farmer’s Market & Pavilion. The Farmer’s Market partnership fostered community and tourism development, improved an area food desert, and created a permanent home for the Rowan County Farmer’s Market and other community events,” said Rowan County TDA Chief Executive Officer James Meacham in a letter submitted to the commissioners.

The funding would be given to the TDA during the 2024-2045 fiscal year and would be fully repaid over a five-year period beginning in the 2025-2026 fiscal year and ending in the 2029-2030 fiscal year.

The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday and will be held at the Rowan County Administration building located at 130 W. Innes St. in Salisbury. The other agenda items that will be discussed include:

• The commissioners will hold a legislative hearing for a request to have Manufactured Home Overlay to be applied to a property in the 1900 block of Hildebrand Road. The MHO would allow the property owners to place a new single-wide manufactured home on the property.
• The commissioners will consider a permit to exceed the county’s noise ordinances for the One Love Music Festival, planned for Saturday, June 22. The festival will be held at 4860 Patterson Farm Road.
• The commissioners will hold a public hearing to name two unnamed driveways. The first, located in the 700 block of Ed Deal Road, has Cattle Drive as the proposed name. The second, located in the 3700 block of Patterson Road, has Misfit Meadows Lane as the proposed name.
• The commissioners will hear about available funding to help found a Local Reentry Council aimed at helping people who are leaving incarceration reintegrate into the community through existing programs.
• County Manager Aaron Church will introduce the proposed budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.