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HomeMy WebLinkAboutS Letter to H. Franklin Vick, P.E., from Co. Commissioners dated 2-21-95 ORANGE COUNTY 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 Alice M. Gordon 919-688.7331 Stephen H.Halkiotis 910.227-2031 Don Willhoit (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 I-85. YOU COUNT IN ORANGE COUNTY./ 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, oses Carey, Jr. , C Board of Commissio r 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 Dr. Gorman Gilbert 230 Old Forest Creek Drive Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Dr. Larry Goode, P.E. State Highway Administrator NC DOT POB 25201 Raleigh, NC 27611 Calvin W. Leggett Director, Planning and Programming NC DOT POB 25201 Raleigh, NC 27611 Ms. Sandy Ogburn 3518 Sheridan Drive Durham, NC 27707 Mr. Mark Ahrendsen Dept. of Transportation City of Durham 101 City Hall Plaza Durham, NC 27701 Mr. Judson Edeburn POB 90332 Duke University Durham, NC 27708 Ms. Margaret Nygard 4015 Cole Mill RD Durham, NC 27705 Ms. Carol Tingley DEHNR, Div of Parks and Recreation 512 N. Salisbury ST. Raleigh, NC 27604 Ms. Hildegard Ryals 1620 University Drive Durham, NC 27707