HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 06-17-2014-13 (7)Information Item
Memorandum
To: Michael Talbert, Interim County Manager
From: Craig N. Benedict, Planning Director
Subject: Eno Mountain Road / Mayo Street Relocation Feasibility Study
Date: June 17, 2014
The Access Management Awareness Project & Report for Orange Grove Road, jointly
prepared and adopted by the Town of Hillsborough and Orange County in 2003,
focused on methods for a better functioning road corridor in the surrounding
Hillsborough area. The Plan included a recommendation that the Town and NCDOT
pursue the realignment of Eno Mountain Road to align with the intersection of Mayo
Street at Orange Grove Road to resolve traffic conflicts caused by the close proximity of
the intersections to two urban major thoroughfares with another urban major
thoroughfare. That intersection would potentially warrant a traffic light. Beyond potential
capacity constraints, the lack of operational improvements such as designated left and
right turn lanes with adequate stacking room or traffic signals at the intersections of Eno
Mountain Road and Mayo Street at Orange Grove Road acts as an impediment to traffic
flow at these two intersections and along the Eno Mountain Road /Orange Grove
Road /Mayo Street corridors.
Recent activities impacting the corridor and intersection include a development proposal
for a 4 -phase 118 -unit townhome development on a 23.67 -acre site on property located
at the intersection of Orange Grove Road and Eno Mountain Road. The property is
located in unincorporated Orange County, but within the Town of Hillsborough's
Extraterritorial Zoning Jurisdiction (ETJ). While the property is subject to Hillsborough's
development regulations, Orange County provided courtesy review of the site plan.
The road connection that has been prioritized in the Access Management Awareness
Project & Report for Orange Grove Road would realign these intersections and provide
operational modifications that would improve traffic flow and safety. No preferred
alignment for the project has been established but very broad preliminary feasibility
analytics indicate that the preferred approach may be to realign Eno Mountain Road
with Mayo Street as opposed to realigning Mayo Street with Eno Mountain Road. While
it is not likely for this project to be implemented in the very near future, planning and
potential reservation of right -of -way should be immediate. The traffic study prepared for
the proposed townhome development did not warrant improvements to be borne by the
developer.
The implementation of the project could have long -term impacts on site access from
Eno Mountain Road. The recommended road connection would provide a more direct
route to Eno Mountain Road, and could potentially serve as an important link in a future