RFP Staff
♦No doubt Integro got a super deal from the City of Salisbury to move into their new high-tech headquarters on South Main. Or did they? A million dollars of taxpayer property sold to Integro by the city for a mere $250,000 and some outstanding tax incentives to do a lateral move from the “arts district”. Integro even got the promise of a parking lot from the city. On the surface an unbeatable deal. Until the Rowan Free Press discovered Integro’s new property, like the former proposed site of the downtown Central Office, suffers from groundwater contamination.
Only a few weeks ago KMD Construction found petroleum plumes in the groundwater on the Integro property and reported it to NCDENR. No surprise since the former proposed site for the Rowan-Salisbury Schools Central Office was next door at 329 S. Main and suffered from groundwater contamination. Because of the city’s lack of a Phase I study demonstrating the groundwater contamination was remediated at 329 S. Main, the city had to know the Local Government Commission would automatically nix the Central Office application.
With the discovery of groundwater contamination on the Integro property, Integro’s architects hopefully altered their construction plans and corrected for vapor intrusion. The contaminated water table flows close to the surface at both 329 S. Main and at 327 S. Main (Integro’s future home). Since the area water table contains petroleum contamination from seven gas station tanks, it would be wise if folks, living within several blocks of these two contaminated properties, invest in vapor intrusion testing for their businesses and homes. Vapor intrusion likely has been ongoing for decades in this downtown neighborhood.
