19950786 Ver 1_Articles_19950801

SUNSET BEACH BRIDGE RREP'LACEMENT STUDY
NEWSLETTER
'TOWN' OF SUNSET BEACH BRUNSWICK COUNTY
NUMBER 3 AUGUST ~''9J5
DRAFT
ENV/RONMENTAL /MPACT
STATEMENT AVA/CABLE
~ REMEMBER;
The Draft Environmental Impact
PUBLIC HEARING Statement (DEIS) for the Sunset Beach
SEPTEMBER 5 Bridge project was completed on July 14,
7:30 PM 1995 and is now available for public
review. The DEIS describes the purpose
at and need for replacing the existing bridge
hones/Byrd over the Intracoastal Waterway, the
Clubhouse existing environmental conditions in the
Sea Trail Plantation study area, and the environmental
75 Clubhouse Road ;mpacts of the project alternatives. Five
Sunset Beach, NC alternatives were evaluated: the No-
Build Alternative, a Rehabilitation
Alternative, two high-level bridges, and a
ALL ARE mid-level bascule bridge (drawbridge).
WELCOME TO
COMMENT ON Copies of the DEIS can be reviewed at
THE DRAFT the following three locations:
ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT Sunset Beach Town Hall
STATEMENT 220 Shoreline Drive West
Sunset Beach, NC 28468
[phone]
Brunswick County Public LibrarX
5068 Main Street
Shallotte, NC 28470
[phone]
Third District Division Office
NC Department of Transportation
124 Division Drive
Wilmington, NC 28401
(9 10) 763-5 133
Comments regarding the DEIS may be
mailed to:
Mr. H. Franklin Vick, P.E.
Manager
Planning and Environmental Branch
NCDOT
PO Box 2520 I
Raleigh, NC 2761 I
Comments also can be submitted verbally
or in writing at the upcoming Public
Hearing on September 5, 1995 (see next
section).
The public comment period on the DEIS
will end September 23, 1995.
UPCOM/NG
PUBL/C HEAR/NG
A public hearing on the Sunset Beach
Bridge project is scheduled for September
5, 1995, at 7:30 p.m. The hearing will
be held in the Jones/Byrd Clubhouse at
Sea Trail Plantation, 75 Clubhouse Road,
Sunset Beach, NC.
From 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., project maps
and information will be displayed in the
clubhouse. Project team members from
the NC Department of Transportation
and Greiner, Inc. will be available to
discuss the project and answer questions
individually.
Published by the NC Departrnent of Transportation and Greiner, Inc. copyrigtrc o Grdn«, mc. ~~s

SUMMARY OF IMPACTS
SUNSET BEACH BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT (TIP No. B-682)
-v
w
-p
IMPACT Alternative
W 1
est Hi h-Level Alternative
C1
Center Hi h-Level) Alternative
C4
Center Bascule Alternative
C3R
Rehabilitation
Approximate Length of Roadway
Improvements (ft) 4,325 5,230 5,140 0
Intracoastal Waterway Bridge Length (it) 2,418 2,710 1,140 550
Slough Canal Bridge Length (ft) -- 90 -- __
Total Length (ft) 6,743 8,030 6,280 550
Construction Costs $11,400,000 $I 1,000,000 $13,000,000 $1,359,950
Right-of--Way Costs $1,325,500 $3,525,500 $1,949,500 --
Operations/Maintenance Co~~ ~* $1,587,550 $1,781,250 $3,650,750 $2,447,630
Total Costs $14,313,050 $16,306,70 $18,600,250 $3,807,580
Navigable Waterway Crossings 2 2 1 1
Residential Relocations 0 3 0 0
Business Relocations 0 3 3 0
Visual Impact Rating (< -2.0 is adverse) -2.124 -2.0 -1.625 --
Potential Hazardous Materials Sites 0 2 3 0
Sensitive Areas Impacted by Noise 2 3 0 0
Acres of Salt Marsh Impacted 0.89 1.10 0.75 0
Acres of Surface Water Impacted 3.02 0,17 0.17 0.24
Acres of Nonriverine Wet Hardwo~ ~ ~~orest 0.00 0.27 0.00 0.00
Acreas of Coastal Frin a Ever een Forest 1.95 1.63 0.46 0.00
* Operations and maintenance costs are amortized over a 40-year period.

SUNSET BEACH BR/DGE REPL4CEMENT PROJECT AUGUST / 995, No. 3
Other issues, which could not be easily defined, are also
included in the Draft EIS. One of these issues is whether
a new badge would affect land use patterns and the rate
of development on the island of Sunset Beach.
Comprehensive case studies of Ocean Isle and Holden
Beach were conducted to help address this subject.
High-level bridges were constructed to replace swing-
span bridges in these two nearby beach communities in
1985 and 1986, respectively. Ocean Isle's former bridge
was two lanes wide, and Holden Beach's previous bridge
was one lane wide.
The case studies analyzed land use and economic
conditions in Holden Beach and Ocean Isle to determine
whether these conditions had been influenced by the
construction of the high-level bridges. Building permit
data for years before and after construction of the high-
level bridges were collected. Elected officials, town
government employees, and people representing real
estate and retail interests were interviewed about their
perceptions of the impacts of the high-level bridges in the
communities. Each town's past and present land use
plans and land use regulations also were examined to
determine historical attitudes and approaches to growth.
Sections 3.1.2.3 and 4.1.1.3 in the Draft EIS summarize
the case studies and the conclusions which were drawn
from them.

COMMENTS
Mail to: Mr. H. Franklin Vick, P.E.
Please use this space to record your comments
about the project.
Manager
Planning and Environmental Branch
NCDOT
PO Box 25201
Raleigh, NC 2761 I
Page 5
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NEWSLETTER
SUNSET BEACH BRIDGE
REPLACEMENT PROJECT
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NORTy
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PUBLIC HEARING ANNOUNCEMENT
TOPIC: Sunset Beach Bridge Replacement Project (TIP Project No. B-682)
DATE: September 5, 1995
TIME: The Public Hearing begins at 7:30 PM
Project maps and information available for review from 6:00-7:30 PM
PLACE: Jones/Byrd Clubhouse at Sea Trail Plantation
75 Clubhouse Road, Sunset Beach, NC
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call Greiner's toll-free project information line: I -800-233-63 15
or the Greiner, Inc. offices at (9 19) 876-2760
~~1~~~
4630 PARAGON PARK ROAD
RALEIGH, NC 27604
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