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.
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