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Home My WebLink AboutAgenda - 02-21-1995 - VIII-G ✓ 1. OR AN G E C O U N T Y BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: February 21, 1995 Action Agenda Item #�� SUBJECT: STATUS REPORT ON ENO DRIVE DEPARTMENT: PLANNING PUBLIC HEARING Yes x No ATTACHMENT(S) : INFORMATION CONTACT: Slade McCalip Extension 2595 - 2-1-95 Letter to Mr. Vick - 2-21-95 Draft Letter to Mr. Vick TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough-732-8181 Durham -688-7331 Mebane -227-2031 Chapel Hill -967-9251 PURPOSE: To consider additional information on the status of Eno Drive and the attached draft letter on Orange County' s official position concerning this project. BACKGROUND: The Board was given a Status Report on January 17, 1995 concerning Eno Drive. After the report the Board had a letter drafted to Mr H. Franklin Vick, P.E. , Manager, Planning and Environmental Branch. The letter expressed the Board's concerns regarding this project. On February 8, 1995, Commissioners Gordon and Crowther attended a work session for elected officials on the Eno Drive Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The attached letter is intended to express the Board' s Official Position on this project. RECOMMENDATION: The Administration recommends that the Chair be authorized to sign the attached draft letter to Mr Vick stating Orange County' s position on this project for the record. .. ti 2. ORANGE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS P.O. Box 8181 200 S Cameron Street Hillsborougb, N.C. 27278 Moses Carey,Jr. February 1, 1995 919.732.8181 William,L Crowther 919-968.4501 Alice M. Gordon 919-688.7331 Stepben H.Halkiotis 910-227-2031 Don Willboit (Fax)919-644.3004 H. Franklin Vick, P.E. Manager, Planning & Environmental Branch N.C. Department of Transportation P.O. Box 25201 Raleigh, N.C. 27611-5201 Dear Mr. Vick: It has come to the attention of the Orange County Board of County Commissioners that NCDOT has offered to accelerate the construction of the planned Northwest Loop (Eno Drive) interchange with I-85 in Orange County to begin in 1997. This has been proposed by NCDOT as an alternative to reopening the closed I-85 Exit 172. Besides accelerating the construction of the interchange two other major transportation system projects have been proposed. These projects include the extension of NC 751 to the new interchange and the widening of US 70 to three lanes from NC 751 to Cole Mill Road in Durham County. The Board is very concerned that in the rush to implement these significant transportation projects the following environmental impacts are not being adequately addressed: 1) that the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Durham Northwest and Northeast Loops is flawed because the current Eno River State Park boundaries are incorrectly depicted and therefore all alternatives currently being considered will have detrimental impacts to Eno River State Park; 2) that in the rush to extend NC 751 to I-85 the environmental impacts will receive only a cursory examination; 3) that wildlife, pedestrian, and bicycling enhancements that have been requested in the past are not going to be implemented in the construction of the Northwest Loop Interchange with I-85; and 4) that there is no consideration of the adverse environmental impacts to the existing portions of NC 751 after the construction of these projects. Therefore, the Board requests that these concerns be addressed before any final decisions are made with respect to the alignment of Eno Drive and the transportation projects discussed above. The Board also requests that there be more coordination between YOU COUNT IN ORANGE COUNTY.1 t 3. H. Franklin Vick Page 2 February 1, 1995 officials from the City of Durham, Orange and Durham Counties, NCDOT, DEHNR, Duke University, Eno River State Park, and the residents of each area to be affected by these transportation projects. The Board recognizes the efforts of those agencies that have already participated in the long-range planning for these transportation projects. The Board also wants to reemphasize their position that the successful implemenation of these projects is dependent upon active participation of and coordination among all the above mentioned parties, and a convincing demonstration that the environmental concerns listed above have been addressed. Until that is done to our satisfaction, the Board will not be able to support these projects. Thank you for your consideration of this request. If you would like to discuss this matter in detail, please contact Beverly Blythe, Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners at (919) 732- 8181, extension 2130. Sincerely, M ses Carey, Jr. , Ch r Steven H. Halkiotis, Vice Chair _� aLI.A- I ► l William L. Crowther Alice M. Gordon r Don Wilhoit I 4. H. Franklin Vick Page 3 February 1, 1995 c: Dr. Gorman Gilbert, NC Board of Transportation Dr. Larry Goode, P.E. , NC DOT State Highway Administrator Calvin Leggett, NC DOT Planning and Programming Sandy Ogburn, DCHC Transportation Advisory Committee Mark Ahrendsen, DCHC Technical Coordinating Committee Judson Edeburn, Duke Forest Carol Tingley, DEHNR, Division of Parks and Recreation Margaret Nygard, Eno River Association Hildegard Ryals, New Hope Corridor Advisory Committee ORANGE COUN7Y COMMISSIONERS P.O. Box 8181 200 S. Cameron Street Hillsborough, N.C, 27278 Moses Carey,Jr. February 21, 1995 919-732-8181 William L Crowther 919-968-4501 AficeM, Gordon 919-688-7331 Stephen H.Hdkiotis 910-227-2031 Don Wdlhoit (Fax)919 644-3004 H. Franklin Vick, P.E. Manager, Planning & Environmental Branch N.C. Department of Transportation P.O. Box 25201 Raleigh, NC 27611-5201 Dear Mr. Vick: The Orange County Board of Commissioners would like to thank your office for the work session on the Durham Northwest and Northeast Loop (Eno Drive) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) held for elected officials at the Durham City Hall on Wednesday, February 8, 1995. In attendance from Orange County were Commissioners Alice Gordon and William Crowther. The work session was very helpful in clarifying the issues. The purpose of this letter is to state Orange County's position on the DEIS for Eno Drive so that it can be included in the official record. The Orange County Board of Commissioners stated their position on Eno Drive in an October 1991 letter to Mr. L. J. Ward, P.E. concerning the Durham Northwest/Northeast Loop Corridor Study. In that letter the Commissioners concurred with the Orange County Planning Board recommendation which expressed concern about potential adverse impacts on the Eno River State Park and recommended that the terminus of the proposed Northwest Loop be located in Durham County where it would be better aligned with U.S. 15-501 and the East/West Expressway. In the letter from the Commissioners to you dated February 1, 1995 were stated several concerns about the environmental impacts of this and other related projects. of particular relevance to the DEIS are the following concerns stated in that letter (1) that the DEIS for the Durham Northwest and Northeast Loops is flawed because the current Eno River State Park boundaries are incorrectly depicted and therefore all alternatives currently being considered will have detrimental impacts to Eno River State Park and (2) that wildlife, pedestrian, and bicycling enhancements that have been requested in the past are not going to be implemented in the construction of the Northwest Loop Interchange with 1-85. YOU COUNT IN ORANGE COUNM 4 b - H. Franklin Vick Page 2 February 21, 1995 In his presentation at the February 8 work session, Mr. Roy Bruce, P.E. , H. W. Lochner, Inc. noted that the proposed alignment for Eno Drive near the Orange County/Durham County boundary would traverse lands which either have been or are now being acquired for the Eno River State Park (the Zener tracts) . He also noted that in regard to possible environmental impacts to the Eno River State Park that there has been a breakdown in communication between state agencies. As noted above, the Orange County Commissioners have already expressed their concern that all the study corridors for Eno Drive currently being considered will have detrimental impacts on the Eno River State Park. Therefore, the Board requests that these environmental concerns be addressed in a new DEIS, or the Final EIS. It should be demonstrated that the various state agencies have been in communication with each other, and that there has been active participation and coordination among all the parties affected by this project. To support the 'construction of the Durham Northwest and Northeast Loop, the Orange County Board of Commissioners will need convincing evidence which demonstrates to the Board's satisfaction that these environmental concerns have been adequately addressed. The Board cannot support an alignment which violates the integrity of the Eno River State Park. Thank you for your consideration of this request. We appreciate the opportunity to state Orange County's position. If you would like to discuss this matter in detail, please contact Beverly Blythe, Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners at (919) 732-8181, extension 2130. Sincerely, Moses Carey, Jr. , Chair Board of Commissioners c: Dr. Gorman Gilbert, NC Board of Transportation Dr. Larry Goode, P.E. , NC DOT State Highway Administrator Calvin Leggett, NC DOT Planning and Programming Sandy Ogburn, DCHC Transportation Advisory Committee Mark Ahrendsen, DCHC Technical Coordinating Committee Judson Edeburn, Duke Forest Carol Tingley, DEHNR, Division of Parks and Recreation Margaret Nygard, Eno River Association Hildegard Ryals, New Hope Corridor Advisory Committee