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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 06-03-2003 - 5a.r .. ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: June 3, 2003 Action Agenda Item No. ~ °u SUBJECT• Orange County Secondary Road Improvement Policy DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections ATTACHMENT(S): 1. Resolution Establishing County Policy Regarding Secondary Road Improvement 2. NCGS 136-44.7 3. BOT Rating Sheet for Unpaved Secondary Roads PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No INFORMATION CONTACT: Craig Benedict, ext. 2592 Karen Lincoln, ext. 2594 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane (336)227-2031 PURPOSE: To consider adopting a policy for recommending secondary roads to be paved in the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) proposed Secondary Road Improvement Program. BACKGROUND: The Board, at its .meeting on May 20, 2003, discussed a policy for recommending secondary roads to be paved in the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) proposed Secondary Road Improvement Program. The attached resolution contains changes stemming form the Board's discussion of the draft policy. The North Carolina Board of Transportation annually adopts a Secondary Road Improvement Program that determines which unpaved secondary roads in the County will be improved and paved in the next fiscal year. NCDOT ranks all unpaved secondary roads according to land use and public service characteristics, traffic characteristics, and general route characteristics as described on the attached Board of Transportation Rating Sheet for Unpaved Secondary Roads Rural. NCDOT proposes approximately 8 - 10 miles of roadway each year, depending on funding, to be paved according to the rank. As part of the paving program, NCDOT makes improvements to the road to address problems with alignment, sight distance and drainage. Even if a road is top priority for paving, that road may not be paved if NCDOT cannot obtain the right-of-way along all property adjacent to the road. If such a situation exists along a road where it is in the County's interest for the road to be paved, the Board may recommend that such roads be placed, or remain, on the proposed program, and that NCDOT continue to pursue obtaining the rights-of--way. The attached Resolution Concerning Orange County's Policy on Secondary Road Improvement specifies conditions under which the County would promote paving a secondary road where NCDOT has problems obtaining right-of-way or where a countywide transportation system is being enhanced to support general public safety. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with this item. .. ~. ~ RECOMMENDATION(S): The Administration recommends that the- Board adopt the Policy on Secondary Road Improvement. 3 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING ORANGE COUNTY'S POLICY REGARDING SECONDARY ROAD IMPROVEMENT WHEREAS, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) administers the State Secondary Road Construction Program to pave unpaved secondary roads and improve conditions for safe mobility on those roads; and WHEREAS, The Orange County Board of County Commissioners recognizes that maintaining mobility throughout the County is vital to public safety; and WHEREAS, public service providers such as Emergency Management, municipal and volunteer fire departments, and the Sheriffs Department need safe road conditions and connections throughout the County to respond to emergency situations in a timely manner, and WHEREAS, Orange County is committed to the safe transport of school children via school buses traveling on secondary roads through the County; and WHEREAS, Orange County has established aCounty-specific road classification system in the Land Use Elemenf of the Orange County Comprehensive Plan that defines arterial and collector roads as more important in terms of canying major traffic volumes or in making connections between major destinations; and WHEREAS, public roads throughout the County, whether paved or unpaved, are intended for the purpose of providing safe and adequate transportation routes for all citizens and businesses; and WHEREAS, public roads are accessible, and intended for the safe enjoyment of the general public and their service agencies with expectations of a NCDOT standard paved road supported by tax dollars; and WHEREAS, the concerns . of residents adjacent to roads proposed to be paved in the Secondary Road Improvement Program will be considered in the comprehensive review of roadway programs; and WHEREAS, it is the County's interest to promote public safety on secondary roads; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Orange County Board of County Commissioners that the Board will promote paving a secondary road in Orange County that meets both of the following conditions: 1. Paving the road and making the associated improvements address a safety deficiency identified by users of the road. 4 2. The road serves an important transportation connectivity function and is designated as an arterial or collector road in the Land Use Element of the Orange County Comprehensive Plan. The Board, in determining whether or not a road meets the above conditions, will also consider the following: 1. The wishes of residents who own property adjacent to the road; 2. Safety issues and the importance of the connector linkage provided by the road in the transportation network; and 3. Improvements and Maintenance of all NCDOT-maintained roads are financed by all taxpayers. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board will support means to advance such projects through use of developer fees to obtain needed right-of-way through provisions given in G.S. 136-44.7(c) whereby adjacent property owners may provide the funds to cover the costs of condemning the remaining property if at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the property owners adjacent to the project and the owners of the majority of the road frontage have dedicated right-of--way. In such cases, all affected property owners will be given advance notice of potential improvement of the road with opportunity to comment prior to the vote by the Board of County Commissioners regarding the proposed development. Upon motion of Commissioner ,seconded by Commissioner the foregoing resolution was adopted this the day of , 2003. I, Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board of Commissioners for the County of Orange, North Carolina, DO HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing is a true copy of so much of the proceedings of said Board at a meeting held on June 3, 2003 as relates in any way to the adoption of the foregoing and that said proceedings are recorded in the minutes of said Board. WITNESS my hand and the seal of said County, this day of , 2003. Clerk to the Board of Commissioners 5 § 136-44.7. Secondary roads; annual work program. (a)The Department of Transportation shall be responsible for developing criteria for improvements and maintenance of secondary roads. The criteria shall be adopted by the Board of Transportation before it shall become effective. The Department of Transportation shall be responsible for developing annual work programs for both construction and maintenance of secondary roads in each county in accordance with criteria developed. It shall reflect the long-range and immediate goals of the Department of Transportation. Projects on the annual construction program for each county shall be rated according to their priority based upon the secondary road criteria and standards which shall be uniform throughout the State. Tentative construction projects and estimated funding shall also be listed in accordance to priority. The annual construction program shall be adopted by the Board of Transportation before it shall become effective. (b) When a secondary road in a county is listed in the first 10 secondary roads to be paved during a year on a priority list issued by the Department of Transportation under this section, the secondary road cannot be removed from the top 10 of that list or any subsequent list until it is paved. All secondary roads in a county shall be paved, insofar as possible, in the priority order of the list. When a secondary road in the top 10 of that list is removed from the list because it has been paved, the next secondary road on the priority list shall be moved up to the top 10 of that list and shall remain there until it is paved. (c) When it is necessary for the Department of Transportation to acquire aright-of--way in accordance with (a) and (b) of this section in order to pave a secondary road or undertake a maintenance project, the Department shall negotiate the acquisition of the right-of-way for a period of up to six months. At the end of that period, if one or more property owners have not dedicated the necessary right-of-way and at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the property owners adjacent to the project and the owners of the majority of the road frontage adjacent to the project have dedicated the necessary property for the right-of--way and have provided funds required by Department rule to the Department to cover the costs of condemning the remaining property, the Department shall initiate condemnation proceedings pursuant to Article 9 of this Chapter to acquire the remaining property necessary for the project. (1973, c. 507, s. 3; 1975, c. 716, s. 7; 1977, c. 464, s. 8; 1989, c. 692, s. 1.9; 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 900, s. 99; 2001-501, s. 2; 2002-86, s. 1. ) BOARD OF TRANSPORTATION .` RATING SHEET FOR UNPAVED SECONDARY ROADS 6 i RURAL ~ ' DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION - DIVISION OF HIGHWAYS 1993- COUNTY SR No. From Road No. to Road No. Length (Miles) Local Name I. LAND USE AND PUBLIC SERVICE CHARACTERISTICS 1. Homes (6 pts. per home - seasonal homes 3 pts.) ........ 2. Schools (10 pts. per school) ........................... 3. Churches (10 pts. per church) .......................... 4. Businesses (10 pts. per business) ...................... 5. Industries (10 pts. per industry) ...................... 6. Recreational Facilities (Public and/or Non-Profit) (5 pts. per facility) .................................. 7. Sub-Total .............................................. 8. Sub-Total divided by a length of not less than one mile ....................................................... II. TRAFFIC CHARACTERISTICS 9. School Bus Route (10 Pts.) ............................. 10. Average Annual 24-Hour Traffic Volume .................. 11. TOTAL .......................................................... III. GENERAL ROUTE CHARACTERISTICS 12. The value of the road as a County Thoroughfare Route (10 pts.) ............................................... 13. TOTAL RATING (Item 8 + Item it + Item 12) .....................