Local

Voting process that approved noise walls to be examined

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina Department of Transportation leaders said they'll look at the votes that led to noise walls being approved along Charlotte highways -- which could end up as a victory for home and business owners fighting against the construction of the walls.

The decision to review that voting process came after dozens of people said the process wasn't fair.

Those people said they don't want a noise wall built along Interstate 277 because they would block the view of the skyline.

NCDOT officials said they did ask anyone who would be affected by the walls to vote and voice their opinion. They said they used property and tax records to find those people and then sent them ballots so they could vote on the issue.

But some people Channel 9 spoke with said they never received ballots, and others said they received bad voting instructions.

And still others said it was unfair for DOT officials to count any ballot that wasn't mailed back as a vote supporting the wall.

DOT officials said they've now hired an outside group to take a look at their voting process.