Tweetsie plan given green light

BOONE - Watauga County commissioners unanimously approved an incentives agreement yesterday to keep Tweetsie Railroad open.

The county will pay $3.15 million -- money that it will eventually recover, with interest -- to resolve a long-standing land issue that threatened to close the family-owned theme park, which is an anchor for millions of dollars in county tourism spending.

The train runs across land that the park does not own but leases. Rising property values mean that two minority owners of the leased property are no longer willing to lease land to Tweetsie when they could sell or develop it for much more money.

Watauga County will spend $3.15 million to buy a minority share in land needed to keep Tweetsie Railroad operating. The theme park will eventually buy back the land from the county government for the purchase price, plus interest and expenses.

A public hearing on the issue last night drew a crowd of about 100, mainly supporters.

Seventeen people spoke in favor of the deal, saying that it makes good economic sense because Tweetsie's visitors contribute so much to the area.

Two people spoke against it, both saying that the deal is not a good use of tax dollars.

The deal also says that the Watauga County Tourism Development Authority will spend $1.1 million, most of it on marketing Tweetsie and the surrounding area.

The tourism authority raises money mainly through an occupancy tax on cabin and cottage rentals outside town limits in Watauga County.

Tweetsie will lease the land from the county for $1 a year for six years. After that, Tweetsie will pay the market rate to lease the land until it buys it back from the county government at a date to be determined.

As part of the agreement, Tweetsie will invest $13 million in improvements and expansions to the park over 20 years, and will build a portion of the Middle Fork Greenway across its property for public use. The greenway will eventually offer a bike and pedestrian connection between Boone and Blowing Rock.

The theme park has reached an agreement with other leaseholders to extend their leases to 2065.

Before the vote, Chris Robbins, the president of Tweetsie, told commissioners that the partnership would resolve the land issues that have threatened to close the theme park.

"If we can do that, we can provide assurance that Tweetsie will be here for the foreseeable future," Robbins said. "We can grow and expand.… This is really a partnership between the county and Tweetsie Railroad."

Many Tweetsie employees were in the audience, including several in character as dance-hall girls and cowboys.

Harris Prevost, the vice president of Grandfather Mountain, told county commissioners that people might think of Grandfather Mountain and Tweetsie as competitors, but he said that visitors who drive eight hours from Florida need more than one place to visit or they are not going to come.

"That's why Horn in the West is a partner, the Mast Store, every hotel -- we're all in this together," Prevost said.

Mayor J.B. Lawrence of Blowing Rock told commissioners that some of his fondest childhood memories are of Tweetsie Railroad. The incentives package makes sense, he said.

"We could spend half as much money and get half the economic impact," Lawrence said.

"We need people in our hotels, in our restaurants and on our streets."

Roy Gryder, who spoke against the agreement, said that it was one of the most outrageous ideas he had ever known to come out of a government. He said that the proposal amounted to using tax dollars to help a company that was coercing taxpayers by threatening to leave.

"Let Tweetsie Railroad live or die on its own merit," he said.

Others speaking in favor of the agreement included economic-development officials, greenway supporters, and officials of various visitor or chamber groups.

Commissioners took a short break after the hourlong hearing, and most of the crowd left.

When commissioners reconvened, they adopted a resolution in favor of the agreement.

"I do understand the economic impact," Commissioner Mary Moretz said. "To me it's very important because of its historic value. This little train opened up our mountains, this county and Avery County to the outside world."

The East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad Co. began operations in 1882. After the railroad company closed in 1950, Tweetsie Locomotive No. 12 -- the last of the 13 coal-fired ET&WNC steam engines -- was bought by movie cowboy Gene Autry.

Grover Robbins Jr. of Blowing Rock convinced Autry that the train should stay in the mountains, and bought Tweetsie. Robbins and a partner opened the Tweetsie Railroad theme park in 1957.

■ Monte Mitchell can be reached in Wilkesboro at 336-667-5691 or at mmitchell@wsjournal.com.