CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Plans to complete Phase 2 of the LYNX Gold Line have been continuing for more than 1,000 days and those who live in the Elizabeth neighborhood say they see no end in sight.
The ongoing streetcar construction is all happening along Hawthorne from 5th Street to Sunnyside Avenue. That’s where those who live in the area say their way of life has changed.
“Our nighttime routines disrupted for unnecessary things like dropping off equipment at 4 o'clock in the morning," neighbor Morgan Williams said.
He adds he’s also concerned about safety, especially for his children, based on questionable construction practices like debris left in the street and unsafe storage of material by the contractor Johnson Bros.
Williams and other neighbors are calling on the city for some accountability.
“Our goal really is that the city is acting in good faith to its residents and taxpayers enforcing the standards of its contract and has not done so,” Williams said.
Others say the construction vibrations have also caused damage to some of the historic homes in the neighborhood.
“As you can see there’s some stucco cracks and all this was perfect prior to construction,” homeowner Shawn Gaddy said.
Homeowners told WCNC Charlotte they have been given the option to submit a claim to the contractor for any damages. Mayor Vi Lyles has also said she plans to meet with some of those homeowners concerned about the continued streetcar construction to figure out the next steps.
The city says Phase 2 of the LYNX Gold line should be complete by late 2020 or early 2021.
Phase 3 will branch out even more from Beatties Ford to Eastland but there is no timeline for that yet.
MORE ON WCNC CHARLOTTE: