20081809 Ver 1_Meeting Minutes_20090421

C? (-S6 9
act
CONCURRENCE POINT 3
LEAST ENVIRONMENTALLY DAMAGING PRACTICABLE ALTERNATIVE
LE( DPA)
US 221 RUTHERFORDTON BYPASS
TIP PROJECT R-2233B
April 21, 2009
PURPOSE OF TODAY'S MEETING
The purpose of today's meeting is to select the preferred corridor for the project.
Impacts of and public comments on the four alternatives presented at the corridor public
hearing will be discussed. Concurrence on the least environmentally damaging
practicable alternative (LEDPA) (Concurrence Point 3) will be requested.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Project R-2233B is programmed in the 2009-2015 North Carolina Transportation
Improvement Program (TIP). The proposed project is approximately eight to ten miles
long, depending on the alternative chosen. Right of way acquisition and construction are
scheduled for state fiscal years 2011 and 2014, respectively.
This project involves constructing the US 221 Bypass of Rutherfordton, in
Rutherford County. A four-lane median divided roadway is proposed. Portions of the
bypass will be constructed on new location. Approximately 300 feet of right of way is
proposed for new location portions. Narrower right of way widths ranging from 115 feet
to 250 feet are proposed for portions of the project which involve widening existing
roads. Full control of access will be obtained for new location sections of the bypass.
Partial control of access (one access per parcel for properties with no other access) will
be obtained for sections of the project along existing roadways.
PROJECT PURPOSE
The purpose of this project is to reduce congestion, improve safety, and improve
travel time for traffic using the US 221 corridor in the vicinity of Rutherfordton.
PROJECT STATUS/COST
. The NEPA/404 merger team concurred on bridging decisions on October 15,
2007. Currently, four alternatives are still under consideration.
The state draft enviromnental impact statement for the project was completed in
August 2008. A corridor public hearing was held on January 26, 2009. A design public
hearing will be held following selection of the LEDPA. The final environmental
document is scheduled to be completed in March 2010.

CURRENT STUDY ALTERNATIVES
The current study alternatives presented at the January 26, 2009 corridor public
hearing are:
• Alternative 3
• Alternative 4
• Alternative 6
• US 74A Bypass Alternative
The project is divided into two sections for study purposes. Section A extends
from the US 22] [US 74 Bypass interchange south of Rutherfordton to US 74
Business/US 221A. Section B extends from US 74 Business/US 221A to US 221/SR
1366 (Roper Loop Road) intersection north of Rutherfordton. Alternatives 3, 4, and 6 in
section A and section B are interchangeable. The US 74 A Bypass alternative extends the
full length of the proposed bypass and is not compatible with the other alternatives. A
summary of impacts associated with each alternative is shown in Table 1. Table 2 shows
a breakdown of the impacts associated with Section A and Section B of the
interchangeable alternatives.
Alternative 3
Alternative 3 involves widening existing US 221 and constructing a bypass.
Existing US 221 would be widened to four lanes with a median from US 74 Bypass to
near SR 2194 (Poor Ford Road). North of SR 2194 (Poor Ford Road), a bypass on new
location would be built around the east side of Rutherfordton, crossing SR 2201 (Thunder
Road), US 74 Business/US 221 Alternate and US 64 before connecting back with
existing US 221 at SR 1536 (Old US 221) north of Rutherfordton. Existing US 221
would then be widened from SR 1536 (Old US 221) to SR 1366 (Roper Loop Road).
Alternative 3 has an "adverse effect" on Ruth Elementary School, which is
eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
Alternative 4
Alternative 4 involves widening existing US 221 and constructing a "shallow"
bypass of downtown Rutherfordton. Existing US 221 would be widened to four lanes
with a median from US 74 Bypass to SR 2271 (Industrial Park Road), just south of
downtown Rutherfordton. A bypass on new location would be constructed from SR 2271
(Industrial Park Road) extending around the east side of downtown Rutherfordton and
connect back with existing US 221 near the existing US 64 interchange. Existing US 221
would then be widened from US 64 to SR 1366 (Roper Loop Road).
Alternative 4 has an "adverse effect" on Ruth Elementary School, which is
eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
Alternative 6
Alternative 6 involves widening existing US 221 and constructing a bypass.
Existing US 221 would be widened to four lanes with a median from US 74 Bypass to
near SR 2194 (Poors Ford Road). North of SR 2194 (Poors Ford Road), a bypass on new
location would be built around the east side of Rutherfordton, crossing SR 2201 (Thunder
Road) and US 74 Business/US 221 Alternate. At US 74 Business/US 221 Alternate,
Alternative 6 would continue east of the Town of Ruth, crossing US 64 and SR 1520
(Rock Road) before tying into existing US 221 north of SR 1367 (Thompson Road).
Existing US 221 would then be widened from north of SR 1367 (Thompson Road) to SR
1366 (Roper Loop Road).
A number of citizens have expressed concerns about impacts of this alternative on
a subdivision which has been constructed since project development studies for the
project began.
US 74A Bypass Alternative
The US 74A bypass alternative involves widening existing US 221 to four lanes
with a median from US 74 Bypass to SR 2194 (Poors Ford Road). North of SR 2194
(Poors Ford Road), a bypass on new location would be constructed connecting existing
US 221 with existing US 74 Alternate at US 74 Business/US 221 Alternate. Existing US
74 Alternate (Railroad Avenue) would be widened to multi-lanes from US 74
Business/US 221 Alternate to north of US 64. North of US 64, the bypass would be
extended on new location, connecting SR 1536 (Old US 221) and existing US 221. US
221 would then be widened to SR 1366 (Roper Loop Road).
CORRIDOR PUBLIC HEARING
The Corridor Public Hearing for-the project was held on January 26,2009 at the
Rutherfordton-Spindale High School in Rutherfordton. Approximately 271 citizens
attended the workshop.
Alternative 4 and Alternative US 74A were the most favored at the hearing.
Twelve citizens preferred Alternative 4 and ten citizens preferred Alternative US 74A.
Alternative 6 was the least favored, with eleven citizens stating their dislike for the
alternative. The Town of Rutherfordton supports Alternative US 74A. The Town of
Spindale supports Alternative 4.
The Town of Rutherfordton hired a consultant in 2004 to examine the bypass
alternatives from a land use perspective and recommend a preferred alternative for the
Town. This study recommended the US 74A Alternative. A reason stated was because
the alternative "has little effect on existing residential development other than those
located on US 74A."
The Town of Spindale supports Alternative 4 because all of the other alternatives
would affect an older subdivision, Ellington Heights, which is located on the west side of
US 74A south of US 221A (Charlotte Road).
The majority of citizens supported the project. Some of the concerns mentioned
were safety, potential noise impacts, and impacts to homes and businesses.
NCDOT PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE
At the Post Corridor Public Hearing Meeting held on March 26, 2009, Alternative
3 was selected as the NCDOT preferred alternative. Alternative 3 was selected as the
preferred alternative because it would best serve the project purpose and need with
comparable impacts to the other alternatives.
Alternative 3 would affect 11 more homes and 1 more business than the
alternatives with the least number of home and business relocatees. The alternative
would affect 0.2 acre wetlands more than the alternative with the least wetland impacts.
Alternative 3 would also affect 3,329 feet more streams than the alternative with the least
stream impacts.
Alternative 3 and Alternative 6 would provide the best traffic service, safety and
least travel time of the four alternatives studied. These two alternatives would provide a
freeway for the majority of the project limits, while Alternatives 4 and US 74A would
involve widening existing roads for at least half their length.
NCDOT prefers Alternative 3 over Alternative 6 because although Alternative 3
would relocate a few more homes and businesses than Alternative 6, it will affect less
wetlands and streams and is less expensive than Alternative 6. Alternative 3 would have
an "adverse effect" on the National Register-eligibleRuth Elementary School, but the
alternative would not affect the school building, and access would still be provided to the
property. The Town of Spindale has expressed opposition to Alternative 6 and concerns
were expressed at the hearing regarding the proximity of Alternative 6 to Gilbert Town, a
National Register-listed Historic District. Alternative 6 would require property from the
Gilbert Town Historic District, but it was determined Alternative 6 would have "no
adverse effect" on Gilbert Town.
Alternative 4 would relocate substantially more homes and businesses than any of
the other alternatives. Alternative 4 would have slightly less wetland and stream impacts
than the other alternatives. Over half of Alternative 4 would involve widening existing
US 221, with a bypass of downtown Rutherfordton on new location. NCDOT does not
prefer Alternative 4 because it does not serve the project purpose and need as well as
Alternative 3 and has substantially higher impacts to homes and businesses.
Alternative US 74A would affect the least number of homes, would have the
second lowest stream and wetland impacts and is the least expensive of any of the
alternatives. However, this alternative would provide the lowest level of service and
highest travel time for US 221 traffic of any of the alternatives. A portion of this
alternative would involve widening existing US 74A to four lanes with a 23-foot median
and at-grade intersections, some of which would be signalized. The concern is that a
future bypass of the portion of the project along existing US 74A may be required. For
these reasons, NCDOT does not prefer Alternative US 74A.
TABLE I
ALTERNATIVE COMPARISONS
ALTERNATIVE 3 4 6 US 74A
>e'
RESIDENTIAL

99
x
163 91 88
RELOCATEES liw?
BUSINESS
27 43 26 32
RELOCATEES

WETLANDS r 4 t
AFFECTED 0.8 0.6
1 3°
0.7
(ACRES)* K(
STREAM
IMPACTS 12
063 734
8 131 le3 9,200
(FEET)* , , a3 3?w .

DWARF-FLOWERED HEARTLEAF 4
1`2 0 1" 172.3 371.5 371.5
IMPACTS (SQ FEET) ,
i?-?•??

}
HISTORIC PROPERTIES IN 4 4 4 ?
,S M
CORRIDOR k

PRIME AMPORTANT FARMLAND
362.16 205.34
363 O1yt
226.76
IMPACTED (ACRES) ?

COMMENTS FOR AT PUBLIC 0 12 mW 0 ] 0
HEARING n

COMMENTS AGAISNT AT PUBLIC

0
0
ll
' 0
HEARING , ,.=

TOTAL LENGTH 8
5 9
3 ,-49'4
tP
7
8
(MILES) . . ; .

RIGHT OF WAY COST r
'
°
$49.0 $60
0
' $45.0 $46.0
(MILLIONS) n4 3 x
a
CONSTRUCTION COST $

$166.0
$153.0 18
0 0
' $146.0
(MILLIONS) ,
.

WETLAND/STREAM MITIGATION
$6
0
$4
3 u ,mss- ?..
$7 0 `
$5
0
COST (MILLIONS) . . .
.„ x ^_.
TOTAL COST r ,
$223.0 $219.0 $234 6i ; $200.0
(MILLIONS) i I Q t It A

Shaded cells in table indicate highest impact or most unfavorable response.
* Wetlands and streams have been field delineated and verified.
TABLE 2
SECTION A/SECTION B ALTERNATIVE COMPARISONS
Alternative 3 Alternative 4 Alternative 6 Alternative
US 74A
Sections A B A B A B
Residential
Relocatees 27 72 50 113 26 65 88
Business
Relocatees 10 17 20 23 12 13 32
*Dwarf-flowered
Heartleaf (s q. ft.) 412.0 N/A 172.3 N/A 371.5 N/A 371.5
Wetlands ac. 0.65 0.15 0.41 0.19 0.63 0.67 0.7
Streams (ft. 6,326 5,737 3,559 5,175 5,689 7,424 9,200

p
x?i t u'i1tSl?i`F6.. ' W.. 'r `?y Sta.
KN,'?.. F:tT'. . ? ?
? ?._? t. t i ??§ t

ROW mil $27.7 $21.3 $37.2 $22.9 $25.2 $20.0 $46.0
utility mil $0.6 $1.1 $1.3 $0.3 $0.5 $1.5 $2.5
"Wetland/Stream
Mitigation (Mil) $3.0 $3.0 $1.8 $2.5 $2.8 $4.2 $5.0
Construction (mil) $118.0 $48.0 $68.4 $84.6 $95.5 $84.5 $146.0
Total Cost mil $149.3 $73.4 $108.7 $110.3 $124.0 $110.2 $200
* No occurrences of Dwarf-flowered heartleaf in Section B
** Based off EEP schedule of fees and assumed all riparian wetlands
` / `? -. I {<a ?I -1QN OF HIGHWAYS
PROJECT CT DEVELOPMENT AND
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS BRANCH
- CURRENT STUDY ALTERNATIVES
RUTHERFOROTON BYPASS
RUTHERFORD COUNTY
TIP PROJECT R-22338
f
Lb9/o FIGURE 1
l
KILOMETERS
0 3
MT. Vernon MILES
A L T E R N A T I V E 3
r?- ?? -? -••-• ALTERNATIVE 4
ALTERNATIVE 6
US 74 A BYPASS
ALTERNATIVE
RUTHERFORDTON
LAT
-L. xl
FOREST CITY' I'?
lk:
ALEXANDER
:1 = - _ MILLS
CONCURRENCE MEETING
INFORMATION PACKET
FOR YOUR REVIEW
PRIOR TO MEETING ON
Tuesday, April , 200
PROJECT ENGINEER
Jameelah EI-Amin
TIP #R-22336
Please bring this packet
to the meeting.

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
BEVERLY EAVES PERDUE EUGENE A. CONTI, JR
GOVERNOR SECRETARY
AGENDA
Western Concurrence Meeting
Tuesday April 21, 2009
Board Room, Transportation Building
Raleigh, North Carolina
9:00 AM to 10:30 AM - Jameelah EI-Amin - NCDOT - PDEA Branch
TIP # R-2233B - Proposed US 221 Rutherfordton Bypass, Rutherford County, Division
13.
Team Members:
Jameelah El-Amin, PDEA
Dave Baker, USACE
Marella Buncick, USFWS
Brian Wrenn, DWQ
Renee Gledhill-Early, SHPO
Chris Militscher, USEPA
Marla Chambers, WRC
Joshua King, Isothermal RPO
NCDOT Technical Support Staff and Other Agency Staff:
Kathy Matthews, USEPA
Ricky Tipton, Division 13
Roger Thomas, Roadway
Brian Robinson, Roadway
Jay Twisdale, Hydraulics
Teresa Hart, PDEA
Jay McInnis, PDEA
Brett Feulner, PDEA-NEU
Earlene Thomas, TPB
Paul Carson, NPS
* The purpose of this meeting is to reach concurrence on CID 3.
MAILING ADDRESS:
NC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
1548 MAIL SERVICE CENTER
RALEIGH NC 27699-1548
TELEPHONE: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
WEBSITE.' WNW.NCDOT.GOV
LOCATION:
TRANSPORTATION BUILDING
1 SOUTH WILMINGTON STREET
RALEIGH NC