CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A state senator could benefit financially from a planned toll road connecting Gaston County and Charlotte over the Catawba River.

Democratic Sen. David Hoyle and family members purchased 327 acres that is near a proposed exit for the Garden Parkway two years ago. The Charlotte Observer reports Hoyle later voted three times at the Legislature to help move the road's construction forward.

Hoyle said he didn't think about the parkway being near the land. The land will be used to build homes and create retail space.

A General Assembly attorney said he doesn't believe Hoyle's votes violated ethics rules. The law says a legislator must decline from voting on legislation that would give the person a financial benefit unavailable to a wider group of people.