A company that bought property in Hildebran and is selling train cabins doesn’t have a permit to operate, and the town has issued a notice of violation.
The town of Hildebran sent the notice of violation to Innovative Bridge Company based on its noncompliance, the town said in a release. The company was given a deadline of June 9 to reach out to the town with plans to seek a permit and get zoning approval to resolve the violation, the release said.
The company has been removing the cabin train cars from the metal rail beds to sell the cabins as living spaces.
Town officials have been in communication with the owners and their attorney and have offered guidance on how to come into compliance, the release said.
The town said as of Thursday, it had not received any additional documentation from the company to obtain a permit.
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“Zoning applies to all citizens, businesses and industries within town limits, and the town will enforce any known violations in an equal and fair manner,” the town’s release said. “The property owner was notified of town zoning requirements prior to their purchase of the property, and has been encouraged to take steps towards compliance.”
Hildebran Mayor Wendell Hildebrand said the company was planting cypress trees along the property as a vegetative barrier in early June.
He said the town has been trying to work with the company and the town planner sent a letter explaining what the company needs to do.
The cabin train cars were once used by Norfolk Southern for employees working on railroad tracks.
Retired railroad worker cabins are lined up on the tracks in Hildebran, waiting for workers of Innovative Bridge Company to strip the railroad bed from them before they are sold to the public.
The cabin train cars have been lined up on the tracks and on the property.
Landworx Construction Contractors, which is based in Mississippi, and Bradshaw’s Investments LLC, based on George Hildebran School Road, Hickory, bought 9.6 acres at 500 East U.S. Hwy. 70, Hildebran, in April for $400,000, according to Burke County land records.
Innovative Bridge Company is selling the train cabins — with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a living area — at the Hildebran location for $5,500.
The town of Hildebran said the release was in response to complaints, questions and concerns it has received from Hildebran residents regarding the company’s operations at the location.
A man who answered the phone at Innovative Bridge Company on Thursday said the company has sought permits and zoning.
He sent a photo of what appeared to be a town development permit application. He did not say that the permit was issued.
“We went through this the first time when we rebuilt (the) N.C. bridge system in three months (after Hurricane Helene). The only people that hate what we do are the ones not having to walk through a creek every day to get to their homes. We will do the same thing here,” the man said.
Hildebrand said the town tries to work with companies if they make an effort.
Burke County building inspectors have said anyone wanting to set up one of the train cabins would be required to have an engineer sign off on it and explain where the unit would be set up, where the electrical would be and how water/sewer would connect.
However, as is, the train cabins don’t appear to meet county codes for housing.
County code requires a minimum of one sink, one toilet, one shower, one kitchen sink and a washer outlet, according to the county. The cabins don’t have a kitchen sink.
The North Carolina Department of Insurance has told Burke County the train cabins can’t be used to live in permanently.
The Department of Insurance told the county an engineer would have to sign off on each specific component of one of the train cabins, such as the foundation. An engineer couldn’t sign off on the entire train cabin, the county was told.
