20071818 Ver 1_General Correspondence_20071228

BARRYJACOBS,. CHAIR ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
MOSESCAREY,JREE, VIGECHA/R POST OFFICE BOX 8181
AL/CEM. GORDON 200 SOUTH CAMERON STREET
'-I/KE NELSON
C HILLSBOROUGH, NORTH CAROLINA 27278
December 18, 2007
Mr. William T. Goodwin, JR. PE
North Carolina Department of Transportation
Project Development and Environmental Analysis Branch
551 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1551
~~ ~
Re: TIP Project 8-4218 Bridge No. 108 over New Hope Creek on SR 1730, Turkey Farm Rd.
Dear Mr. Goodwin:
Orange County is greatly concerned about the potential impacts to New Hope Creek aquatic habitat
that may result from the design of TIP Project B-4218, which is scheduled to be constructed in 2008.
The design calls for an interior bent and three associated 3.5-foot diameter drilled piers and placement
of a 55-foot long rip rap causeway placed in the stream bed in a reach of New Hope Creek Stream that
is home to six species listed with the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, three of which are
designated as endangered.
Governments in Orange and Durham counties, non-profit land trusts, Duke University, and concerned
citizens have invested tremendous amounts of time, energy, and funds to protect the New Hope Creek
corridor. Orange County, the Town of Chapel Hill, the City of Durham, and Durham County adopted the
New Hope Corridor Open Space Master Plan in 1991 to preserve that open space as a natural asset,
including preservation of critical environmental areas and wildlife corridors. Since then the County has
.been actively engaged in accomplishing the recommendations of that plan.
The County has no documentation of notice from the North Carolina Department of Transportation
regarding initial studies for this project in which local, agencies are usually notified and invited to submit
environmental and cultural concerns regarding project impacts.
Therefore, I respectfully request on behalf of Orange County and other interested parties that, before
proceeding further, the NCDOT further review and receive public comment regarding the design of the
bridge from an environmental perspective.
imissioners
l ~ WWW.CO.ORANGE. NC. US
`~ PROTECTING AND PRESERVING -PEOPLE, RESOURCES, QUALITY OF L/FE
ORANGE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA -YOU COUNT.I
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