Environmental assessment marks beginning of Hwy. 107 master plan

Environmental assessment marks beginning of Hwy. 107 master plan
By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer
Smoky Mountain News
April 30, 2008

The N.C. Department of Transportation last week unveiled the process it
will use in developing a plan to relieve traffic congestion on N.C.
107.

DOT told Jackson County's Transportation Task Force on April 23 that an
environmental assessment of the roadway will help it determine if
alternatives—like a two-lane connector road — will relieve congestion.

"It's an evaluation of how the road project should be designed," said
Ko & Associates engineer Mark Reep. "The assessment will specifically
look at one centralized area, in this case it's N.C. 107."

DOT hired the Raleigh-based consulting firm to develop a master design
plan for N.C. 107. Included in that assessment is a determination of
the impact a two-lane road may have upon the environment. Roads in
Jackson are currently under review by DOT in the county's Comprehensive
Transportation Plan. DOT is gathering information about specific areas
in the county expected to grow in population and employment.

Information from both studies will help DOT develop a countywide
roadway plan, which will include suggestions such as building more
sidewalks or bike lanes to relieve congestion.

The process

The environmental assessment is the first phase of the planning
process, Reep explained. Officials will examine N.C. 107 traffic
capacity and who uses the road to develop a planning boundary.

Officials have a list of items they must identify and address while
conducting the assessment: purpose and need, establishing an agreement
on alternatives, coming up with the preferred alternative that will
have the least impact to the environment, mitigation for environmental
issues, and final design.

Since the study area is set, officials will develop a list of
alternatives to relieve congestion. Each alternative will be examined
to determine what type of impact it will have upon the environment,
Reep explained.

If officials are unaware of the impact an option may have upon the
environment, then an assessment will be conducted to get more details,
he said. If part of the proposal does adversely affect the environment,
officials must determine what mitigation will be needed.

All information from the study will be presented to the Federal Highway
Administration. Reep says during the assessment process the FHA will
listen to public opinion. Community workshops will be held throughout
the assessment process. Members of the Southwestern Commissions
Transportation Advisory Committee, a group of local officials from
Western North Carolina, will be involved.

Timeline

The assessment for N.C. 107 just started taking shape three weeks ago,
Reep said. Currently workers are looking at what features — like a bike
lane or sidewalks — can be added to N.C. 107. The study will also
identify narrow roadways and sharp curves. Reep says his firm will
gather information until February 2009. Officials will start
identifying alternatives in December 2009 and plan to have a final
recommendation in 2012. A design plan will be selected in 2013 and DOT
plans to start acquiring right-of-way in 2014.

Jackson starts U.S. 441 planning process

Jackson starts U.S. 441 planning process
By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer
Smoky Mountain News
April 30, 2008

After four months of surveying and seeking public opinion, consultants
hired by Jackson County to develop a corridor plan for U.S. 441 have
all the information they need to begin writing a specific ordinance.

Land planners made a presentation to Jackson County commissioners last
week on the information they've gathered about the four-mile roadway
that leads visitors into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and
the Cherokee Indian Reservation.

The Raleigh-based firm Kimley-Horn and Associates developed the plan
for an area expected to become a hot spot for development once the
Whittier Sewer Treatment Plant is built this summer.

"We all know where there is water and sewer there will be growth," said
Commissioner Tom Massie. "We are trying to be ahead of the growth
curve."

The board hopes by developing a growth management plan for U.S. 441 it
will prevent unsightly commercial development. N.C. 107 in Sylva and
Russ Avenue in Waynesville have been used as examples of unsightly
growth.

The nuts and bolts

The plan encompasses 5,400 acres and divides the Qualla community into
two areas — the Gateway District and the River District.

The Gateway District stretches from the U.S. 23-74 entrance ramp onto
U.S. 441 to the Qualla Boundary. The River district is from U.S. 23-74
intersection south to Camp Creek Road.

Planners broke down the two districts into seven small study areas and
closely examined which regions should be preserved and what areas could
handle commercial, industrial or residential growth, said Mike
Rutkowski, project manager.

What is allowed where

The corridor is still very rural with only a few businesses and homes.
About 750 residents live in the study area. Several vacant motels, a
few shops and campgrounds are the primary businesses located along U.S.
441 before entering downtown Cherokee.

While studying the corridor, the firm sought community opinion. A
steering committee comprised of nine members who reside or own property
or a business in the study area was formed. Planners asked members
specific questions about how they would handle growth. Also, students
at Smokey Mountain Elementary and Cherokee schools participated in a
youth educational workshop. The firm polled students about what type of
businesses they wanted built in Qualla and what areas should be
preserved.

Community members also participated in a week-long workshop that
explained the growth management plan. Large topographic maps of the
study area lined the walls of the Qualla Community Center for residents
to mark and make suggestions. Residents were able to state their
concerns about the project at the workshop. Some opposed the project
because they said it infringed on their property rights. Others sought
input on how to develop their land.

Information gathered from students and the community was used to
develop the small area plan for the corridor, planners said.

The small area plan identifies 11 character areas. Each area was
studied to determine where industrial, commercial, recreation and
residential construction could occur. The plan also projects the amount
of growth expected for U.S. 441 over the next 10 years. Plans call for
250 to 330 homes; 70,000 square feet of retail development; 8,000
square feet of office developments; and a hotel, a visitor center, and
a new community center.

The plan also addresses the corridor's transportation issues. About
15,000 vehicles travel the corridor each day. Speeding is a common
problem along this four-mile stretch and many locals say it's unsafe.
This thoroughfare can become much safer by adding a plantable median
and installing sidewalks, Rutkowski said.

The development ordinance

The final outcome of the corridor study will be a model development
ordinance. The ordinance will give developers a set of guidelines to
follow such as design standards, parking lot location and landscaping
requirements, explained land planner Matt Noonkester.

He says the ordinance will give the county the authority to tell
developers what to expect if they choose to build in this area.

"It will give developers some predictability," he said.

The ordinance will set a list of prohibited uses, Noonkester said.
Based on community input, businesses like an asphalt plant, a motocross
track and big box stores are attractions local residents do not want to
see along the corridor, he said.

The firm has yet to begin drafting the ordinance. Planners just
received approval of the small area plan by commissioners on April 21.

Commissioners say the development ordinance will benefit the community
immensely.

"I am very pleased with Kimley-Horn," said Commissioner William
Shelton, who lives in Whittier. "I think we made a good selection and
we've done a good job and we've stayed true to our promise to allow the
public decide where they want growth."

Duke Energy's substation

Within the last week county officials began working with Kimley-Horn to
develop the model ordinance.

There is a push to move quickly to get some regulations on paper
because Duke Energy is planning to build a substation along the
corridor.

Duke is currently considering purchasing a piece of property along U.S.
441 and Camp Creek Road, according to a statement released by company
officials.

"We will have a new substation in place to address this demand for
electricity in the next two to four years," said Andy Thompson, Duke
Energy spokesperson. "We will be seeking public input on our plans as
part of this evaluation process. We will communicate the dates and
times for the public to learn more about our plans and provide input at
the appropriate time."

Company officials say Duke's existing supply of electricity in the U.S.
441 area is "becoming overloaded due to the increased growth."

Without an ordinance in place, Duke can build the structure to their
liking, planners say. "There are no regulations on development there,"
Rutkowski said.

Land planners hope to collaborate with Duke officials on the substation
design, Rutkowski said.

"A substation can be very unsightly for an area that's trying to
protect their scenic view," he said.

And since Jackson County and Duke have been at odds for the last
several years over Duke's plan for relicensing its hydropower plants in
the region, relations between the two entities have been strained.

Public pressure made a difference on road

Public pressure made a difference on road
Smoky Mountain News
April 16, 2008
Opinions

To the Editor:

It appears that common sense has prevailed at the North Carolina
Department of Transportation. We congratulate Joel Setzer and Conrad
Burrell for following the advice of the regional Transportation
Advisory Council and abandoning the Webster section of the Southern
Loop entirely and then going a step further — redefining the remaining
section from Hwy. 23/74 to Hwy. 107 as a "roadway" rather than an
expressway. This is an enormous step in the right direction. Smart
Roads has been involved with this issue since 2001.

We have introduced the community to national experts on transportation
alternatives who challenged the conventional approach of building
bigger and faster highways that consume large amounts of the landscape
without solving the original problem of traffic congestion.

Mr. Walter Kulash, an independent traffic consultant for Smart Roads,
gave a presentation at the Justice Center on Jan. 10, 2008, that
stressed the use and design of an upgraded "network" system of
inter-connecting roads in some ways more challenging to DOT planners
than the construction of "freeways." It appears this advice did not
fall on deaf ears.

Another lesson from the Southern Loop is the value of WCU's input. The
tide changed after Chancellor John Bardo recently clarified WCU's
position: that the University was interested only in an eastbound
connector road (towards Asheville) to accommodate its growing student
population. We still don't understand why it took so long for this
message to be heard by DOT officials.

We would also like to believe that Smart Roads played a critical role.
Officials respond to direct and sustained public pressure. Smart Roads
led that effort and asks for the public's continued support in
sustaining our dialog with DOT and its regional transportation groups.
In the months and years ahead as the "roadway" plan is formulated and
the "network" system to alleviate congestion on Hwy. 107 is developed,
the citizens of Jackson County will continue to need an advocate to
find out what is happening and to support those who are affected.

The Jackson County community deserves more than short-term solutions.
We also need a long-term vision for increased public transportation as
a way to moderate the negative impacts of sprawl development and our
dependence on fossil fuels. The growing cost of fuel and the problems
of environmental change matter in Western North Carolina as much as
anywhere.

Curtis Wood

Smart Roads

Cullowhee

DOT signals fresh look at Southern Loop

DOT signals fresh look at Southern Loop
Smoky Mountain News
April 16, 2008
Editorial

The state Department of Transportation has removed the most
controversial portion of the Southern Loop from its priority list, a
decision that is great news for Jackson County.

The Sylva Herald was the first to report last week that the DOT board
voted April 3 to stop planning for the portion of the road that would
have started somewhere along U.S. 441 and connected with N.C. 107
somewhere between Sylva and Cullowhee.

That portion of the Southern Loop — originally envisioned by DOT as a
connector between U.S. 441 and U.S. 23-74 — was the most hotly
contested because it would have traveled through historic Webster and
would have had to cross the Tuckasegee River.

The state decision is a welcome surprise, but there were indications it
was perhaps being considered.

As recently as April 2007 it appeared the Southern Loop was on the way
to being built. Division 14 DOT Chief Engineer Joel Setzer told The
Smoky Mountain News that he did not see any alternative to the proposed
bypass: "There isn't an alternative that can accommodate the traffic on
107. It is like trying to get a certain amount of water through a
four-inch pipe. It comes a time when you have so much water you can't
force it through."

By early this year, though, Setzer's opinion wasn't quite so strong. He
assured Jackson County citizens that the DOT was looking at several
options, including those that could include not building anything at
all: "(The study) will look at additional alternatives including a 'no
build' or 'do nothing' alternative," Setzer said in a memo circulated
within the DOT.

This proposed road has been, perhaps, the most controversial issue in
Jackson County over the last decade. The road has galvanized opponents
and led to the creation of the Smart Roads Alliance, which has doggedly
fought for other alternatives and a more open transportation planning
process.

In the opinion of many, the huge four-lane that would have cut a swath
through the countryside of Jackson County was a classic example of what
many in this state regard as DOT's impudence. That impudence took two
fronts: one, it ignored the desires of a majority of locals; and two,
it showed that the state's only solution to traffic woes was to build
more, bigger roads rather than looking at alternatives.

Conrad Burrell, a Sylva resident who represents this region on the
state Transportation Board, said that recent improvements to N.C. 116,
a proposed connectors road near Southwestern Community College, and the
fact that the road would have so drastically changed Webster were all
deciding factors in the decision.

While this news is welcome, and while Burrell's comments and an
apparent change within DOT are welcome, it will still be hard for those
who have opposed the road to simply stop the fight. The Southern Loop's
history shows that it has resurfaced in the DOT's plans when it was
seemingly on the back burner, and there is not assurance that this
won't happen again.

That said, the Smart Roads Alliance should see this action by DOT as a
wonderful opportunity to work together in planning Jackson County's
transportation future. The DOT, according to Burrell, is sincere about
looking at a laundry list of alternatives to reduce congestion on N.C.
107. Setzer has said the same thing.
Everyone knows the road is a disaster that is only going to get worse.
Smart Roads has invested hundreds of hours in studying options, and the
state still wants to do something between N.C. 107 and U.S. 23-74.

This story isn't over, but there is now a historic opportunity for it
to take a turn that could lead to a better transportation future for
Jackson County. Both sides in this debate need to seize this moment.

It’s official: DOT board scraps western half of Southern Loop

It's official: DOT board scraps western half of Southern Loop
The Sylva Herald
April 10, 2008
By Lynn Hotaling

State transportation officials last week took action that removed one
portion of the proposed Southern Loop from the Transportation
Improvement Plan and changed the status of the remaining segment.
During last Thursday's (April 3) session, N.C. Board of Transportation
members approved changes to the project referred to in the TIP as the
"Sylva-Dillsboro Loop" that reduced the length of the project and
modified the project description.

Initially conceived to stretch from U.S. 23/74 near Blanton Branch to
U.S. 23/441 near Cagle Branch, the proposed roadway was controversial
from the time projected routes were announced in 2003. The "western"
segment's proximity to the town of Webster and the Tuckaseigee River
were flashpoints for the road's opponents, who were led by the
grassroots Smart Roads Coalition.

Last week's action, which came barely a week after local civic leaders
recommended abandoning plans for the U.S. 441/N.C. 107 segment, also
downgrades the description of the remaining portion (U.S. 23/74 to N.C.
107) from "multi-lane freeway" to roadway – a change that will allow
N.C. Department of Transportation staff to explore other roadway
designs.

Former Jackson County Commissioner Conrad Burrell, who represents
Division 14 on the state transportation board, said he thought the
changes to the plan are a step forward.

According to Burrell, recent improvements to N.C. 116 and South River
Road, along with a planned N.C. 116/N.C. 107 connector near
Southwestern Community College, will take care of the traffic from that
direction for "quite some time."

In addition, Burrell said that after looking at the feasibility study
and seeing where the road was projected to go, he and other officials
didn't feel like going through Webster by the river was a good route.

"If it's ever built, it will have to go another route," he said.

With regard to the classification change for the remaining planned road
that will connect 23/74 with 107, Burrell said it will allow the DOT to
"study everything we can." That portion still appears necessary because
there are no connector roads like 116, he said.

First on the DOT agenda will be to get a study of N.C. 107 and any
roads that could be turned into connectors, he said.

"We'll study everything we can about 107 and see what we can do to
reduce congestion," he said, adding that this summer's planned
improvements on Cope Creek Road from 107 to East Cope Creek might help
shift some of the traffic.

Division 14 Engineer Joel Setzer, who said in May 2007 that he
envisioned the 23/74 to 107 connector as a two-lane road on a four-lane
right of way with total access management, also said the state board's
changes are a good thing.

"This will allow DOT to proceed with the project without going through
Webster, which means we don't have to deal with the issues of going
through the town and crossing the river," he said. "We can focus on the
link that will contribute most – I was hoping all along that we could
focus on that one leg."

Webster Mayor Steve Gray (who is also The Sylva Herald's publisher)
said he welcomed the news that his town would be spared the disruption
of a four-lane highway so near its numerous listings on the National
Register of Historic Places. One projected route would have gone right
between two of those – Webster's historic Methodist and Baptist
churches.

"Due to the fact that one of the proposals would have placed a major
highway through or in close proximity to Webster, I'm glad to see it's
no longer under consideration," Gray said.

Smart Roads' Susan Leveille, who represents that group on the Jackson
County Transportation Task Force, expressed guarded optimism with
regard to the transportation board's decision.

"That's good news, but we know things can change," she said. "We know
that things can reappear, but this is definitely a step in the right
direction, and I hope it's permanently off the TIP."

Leveille also expressed a desire to work with transportation officials
to find traffic solutions that are in everyone's best interest.

"I hope this means DOT is interested in public input from citizens, the
task force and Smart Roads," she said. "I hope we can start working
together to come up with wise solutions to our transportation
challenges that don't mean we have to give up our land, rural landscape
and quality of life."

The original project included a multi-lane freeway on new location from
U.S. 23/441 south of Dillsboro to U.S. 23/74.

DOT nixes portion of Southern Loop, for now

DOT nixes portion of Southern Loop, for now
Smoky Mountain News
April 16, 2008
By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer

The N.C. Department of Transportation abandoned plans to build the
western half of Jackson County's controversial Southern Loop, signaling
a partial win for opponents to the project.

The DOT has also changed its terminology of the Southern Loop from
"multi-lane freeway" to "roadway." Opponents had previously argued the
DOT's official description of the Southern Loop as a multi-lane freeway
would preclude less intrusive designs, such as a boulevard, and
pigeonhole engineers into a freeway concept.

DOT's decision has members of the Smart Roads Alliance, a grassroots
organization pushing for alternatives to the Southern Loop, feeling
relieved.

"We feel great about DOT's decision," said Jeannette Evans, chairwoman
of Smart Roads Alliance and member of Jackson County's transportation
task force. "We applaud DOT and we are very thankful."

Scrapping half the Loop

The Southern Loop is supposed to relieve traffic on N.C. 107, the main
commercial corridor in Jackson. It was slated to bisect Jackson County,
running from U.S. 23-74 north of Sylva to U.S. 441 south of Dillsboro,
crossing N.C. 107 in between. The DOT has removed half the Southern
Loop from its to-do list, the half between N.C. 107 and U.S. 441. The
decision came from the 14-member N.C. Board of Transportation earlier
this month.

It came at the request of several entities: Conrad Burrell, DOT board
member from the region; Joel Setzer, head of the DOT for the region,
and the Southwestern Rural Planning Transportation Advisory Committee.

"It will allow DOT to look at more critical areas of transportation
needs," Burrell said of the removal.

He says the western section of the Southern Loop is no longer needed
because other road projects will serve to relieve congestion, such as
the paving of South River Road and upgrades to N.C. 116. Both of these
roadways run through Webster.

The biggest congestion relief will come from a new entrance road to
Southwestern Community College off N.C. 107. The road will run from
N.C. 116 behind the school and connect with N.C. 107.

Setzer and Burrell's recommendation comes as a surprise to some. Both
men have said the Southern Loop, presumably the whole thing, was the
only way to reduce traffic congestion on N.C. 107.

"There isn't an alternative that can accommodate the traffic on 107,"
Setzer said in a previous interview.

Doesn't have to be a highway

Board members also voted to change to the Southern Loop's description
from a multi-lane freeway to a roadway, said Setzer.

"It was not accurate for us to say we are going to construct a
multi-lane freeway," he said. "At the time it was just a best guess. We
are trying to look at all different alternatives."

One possible option is constructing a two-lane roadway, Setzer said.

"That is if a road is ever built," he added.

The new project calls for construction of simply a "roadway" from N.C.
107 to U.S. 23-74 east of Sylva, according to a press release from DOT.
The press release was sent to media two weeks ago by the DOT in
Raleigh, however the Smoky Mountain News did not receive it.

NCDOT Press Release:

TRANSPORTATION BOARD APPROVES CHANGES FOR PROPOSED HIGHWAY PROJECT NEAR SYLVA Thursday, April 03, 2008
Source: NCDOT

RALEIGH — The N.C. Board of Transportation today approved a change to the 2009-2015 State Transportation Improvement Program for the proposed Sylva-Dillsboro Loop (Project R-4745) in Jackson County. The change reduces the length of the project and modifies the project description.

“This change allows NCDOT to focus on the most critical transportation needs of the area, while ensuring that our transportation decisions are helping to provide citizens in Dillsboro and Sylva the best quality of life,” said board member Conrad Burrell of Sylva, who represents Jackson County.

The new project calls for construction of a roadway from N.C. 107 to U.S. 23/74 east of Sylva, dropping the western portion of the project. Also, by changing the description from multi-lane freeway to roadway NCDOT staff is allowed to study other roadway designs. The western portion of the project, from U.S. 23/441 to N.C. 107, has been dropped.

The original project included a multi-lane freeway on new location from U.S. 23/441 south of Dillsboro to U.S. 23/74.

***NCDOT***

TAC votes to remove portion of Southern Loop from prioritization list

TAC votes to remove portion of Southern Loop from prioritization list
The Sylva Herald
March 27, 2008
By Stephanie Salmons

Jackson County officials, along with those from neighboring counties,
met Monday (March 24) for a meeting of the Transportation Advisory
Committee, which is part of the Southwestern Commission's Rural
Planning Organization.

The Southwestern Commission RPO serves Jackson, Cherokee, Clay, Graham,
Macon, and Swain counties and it also includes a Technical Coordinating
Committee.

The TCC serves to make staff-level recommendations to the TAC and
consists of local planners, county and town managers, N.C. Department
of Transportation staff, economic development professionals and local
transportation committee members. The TAC is the policy-making body of
the RPO.

TAC members voted Monday to amend the RPO's prioritized list of
projects for the region. According to RPO planner Ryan Sherby, the TAC
had previously approved the prioritization.

"We have had lot of public contact the RPO concerning the Jackson
County prioritized list of projects, particularly the Southern Loop
portion from U.S. 23/441 to N.C. 107," Sherby said. "Also the elected
officials in the county who serve on the committee recommended that we
consider removing that, the public recommended it and DOT also feels
that portion is not in their priorities."

Sherby recommended to the committee that they formally strike the item
from the prioritized list of projects.

"I will make the motion that we strike that permanently from the list,"
Webster Mayor Steve Gray said.

Bryson City vice mayor Kate Welch voiced concern about the ranking of
projects in Swain County and said that she would like to move
improvement along U.S. 19 from Hughes Branch Road to U.S. 441 in
Cherokee to the top of Swain County's priority list.

Gray amended his motion to include this and the motion was passed
unanimously.

The TAC also approved a planning work program along with a five-year
planning calendar.