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Home My WebLink AboutHB-0001 Concurrence Point 1 Meeting_03-10-2021_Meeting SummarySTATE OF NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Roy COOPER GOVERNOR J. ERIC BOYETTE SECRETARY Meeting Summary STIP Project#: HB-0001— U.S. 64; Replace Tyrrell County Bridge No. 7 over the Alligator River, Tyrrell and Dare Counties, North Carolina Date Prepared: March 11, 2021 Meeting Date/Time: March 10, 2021 @ 1:00pm, GoToMeeting Meeting Purpose: Merger Team Meeting —Concurrence Point 1 Prepared By: Robby Bessette—Three Oaks Engineering Meeting Attendees: Clarence Coleman FHWA clarence.coleman@dot.gov Seth Wilcher FHWA seth.wilcher@dot.gov Fritz Rohde NMFS fritz.rohde@noaa.Lov Hal Pitts US Coast Guard hal.r.pitts@uscg.mil Amanetta Somerville US EPA Region 4 somerville.amanetta@epa.>;ov Gary Jordan USFWS gary iordan@ ws. oy Becky Harrison USFWS— Alligator River NWR rebecca harrison@fws.lov Scott Lanier USFWS — Alligator River NWR Scott lanier@fws.>;ov Rebekah Martin USFWS—Alligator River NWR rebekah p martin@fws. ov Kelley Van Druten USFWS — Alligator River NWR kelley vandruten@fws.ggv Kyle Barnes USACE kyle.w.barnes@usace.army.mil Cathy Brittingham NCDEQ- DCM cathy.brittingham@ncdenr.gov Greg Daisey NCDEQ - DCM greg.daisey@ncdenr.gov James Harrison NCDEQ- DM 0ames.harrison@ncdenr.gov Amy Chapman NCDEQ - DWR amy.chapman@nccl n . ov Robert Patterson NCDEQ- DWR robert.patterson@ncdenr.gov Garcy Ward NCDEQ- DWR garcy.ward@ncdenr.gov Lindsay Ferrante NC Office of State Archaeology lindsay.ferrante@ncdcr.gov Chris Southerly NC Office of State Archaeology chris.southerly@ncdcr.&ov Renee Gledhill -Earley NC State Historic Preservation Office renee.gledhill-earlev@ncdcr.gov Travis Wilson NC WRC travis.wilson@ncwildlife.or� Jamie Lancaster NCDOT EAU jancaster@ncdot.ov Matt Wilkerson NCDOT EAU —Archaeology mtwilkerson@ncdot.&ov Mailing Address: NC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROJECT MANAGEMENT UNIT 1582 MAIL SERVICE CENTER RALEIGH NC 27699-1582 Telephone: (919) 707-6604 Customer Service: 1-877-368-4968 Website: WWW.ncdotg_ov Location: 1000 BIRCH RIDGE DRIVE RALEIGH NC 27610 Tyler Stanton NCDOT EAU — Biological Surveys tstanton@ncdot.gov Chris Rivenbark NCDOT EAU — ECAP ciivenbark@ncdot.gov Mary Pope Furr NCDOT EAU — Historic Architecture Mfurr@ncdot.gov Shelby Reap NCDOT EAU — Historic Architecture slreapC«@ncdot.gov Wes Cartner NCDOT EAU — Mitigation & Modeling wcartner@ncdot.gov Colin Mellor NCDOT EPU cmellor@ncdot.gov Mike Sanderson NCDOT EPU 9msanderson@ncdot.gov Ethan Caldwell NCDOT GeoEnvironmental eicaldwell@ncdot.gov David Hering NCDOT Geotechnical dthering@ncdot.gov John Pilipchuk NCDOT Geotechnical 9pilipchuk@ncdot.gov Sterling Baker NCDOT Highway Division 1 sbaker@ncdot.gov Paul Williams NCDOT Highway Division 1 pcwilliams2@ncdot.gov Joe Furstenburg NCDOT IMD icfurstenberg@ncdot.gov Herman Huang NCDOT PICSViz — Community Studies hfhuang@ncdot.gov John Conforti NCDOT PMU igconforti@ncdot.gov Jennifer Evans NCDOT PMU jenniferevans@ncdot.gov Garrett Reavis NCDOT PMU gpreavis@ncdot.gov Douglas Kretchman NCDOT Roadway Design dwkretchman@ncdot.gov Hardee Cox NCDOT STIP Eastern Region hrcox@ncdot.gov Kevin Fischer NCDOT Structures Management wkfischer@ncdot.gov Angela Welsh Albemarle Rural Planning Organization awelsh@accog.org Brandon Johnson Summit Engineering brandon.iohnson@summitde.net Jeffrey Muhlbauer Summit Engineering ieff.muhlbauer@summitde.net Jason Patskoski Summit Engineering iason.patskoski@summitde.net Christopher Lee Wood PLC christopher.lee@woodplc.com Robby Bessette Three Oaks Engineering robby.bessette@threeoaksengineering.com Nathan Phillips Three Oaks Engineering nathan.phiIIips@threeoaksengineering.com Karen Taylor Three Oaks Engineering karen.taylor@threeoaksengineering.com Craig Young Three Oaks Engineering craig.young@threeoaksengeering.com OBJECTIVE OF MEETING: • Review project history • Confirm Purpose and Need for the Project • Confirm the Study Area for the project • Strategize solutions and next steps for continuing through Merger Process AGFNDA 1. Introductions • John Conforti (NCDOT PMU) allowed all meeting attendees to introduce themselves and indicate which agency, NCDOT unit, or firm they are with. 2. Project History, Context, and Problem John gave an overview of the information included in the CP1 Merger Info Package's Project Data Sheet (see attached). Additional information presented is listed below. o The preferred alignment alternative (LEDPA/CP3) from R-2544/2545 that will be carried forward within this project is Dare North 2. o The strategy for planning and environmental work on this project will be to utilize a substantial portion of the analysis previously conducted for R- 2544/2545. o While prior environmental analysis will be utilized to the extent possible, reassessment of some environmental features including geoenvironmental review of the marina, red -cockaded woodpecker (RCW) surveys, and a revised NRTR will be necessary for the completion of a new, FHWA Type III Categorical Exclusion (CE). o No major changes in traffic volumes from those previously analyzed for the R- 2544/R-2545 project are anticipated and traffic volumes are not anticipated to be a driving feature of this project as the future year traffic volumes do not warrant a 4-lane typical section. o Proposed right of way (ROW) will likely vary between 100 and 150 feet depending on the location within the project. 3. Review DRAFT Purpose & Need • The meeting attendees reviewed the drafted Purpose & Need. Slight adjustments to terminology used and the description of the existing bridge typical section were made. All agencies then concurred with the project's Purpose & Need as written. The Purpose & Need is attached. 4. Review next steps and project Study Area • Although a preferred alternative had been previously selected for the R-2544/R-2545 project, USACE has asked that the previously reviewed alternatives be reevaluated given the reduction from a 4-lane typical section originally proposed in the R-2544/2545 project to a 2-lane typical section proposed in 1-113-0001. • The Project Team will prepare a 2-lane functional design footprint to overlay within the previously reviewed alignment alternatives. An updated impact matrix will be created for CP2 utilizing the previous environmental data (and the larger study area) from the R- 2544/R-2545 project. This updated impact matrix will be used to reaffirm that the reduction in the proposed typical section would not change which of the alternatives from the original R-2544/R-2545 project would be selected as the preferred alternative for the HB-0001 project. The proposed study area encompasses the existing alignment and proposed (LEDPA) alignment. o A new NRTR with revised jurisdictional delineations is currently being prepared for the proposed HB-0001 study area. Preliminary data should be available prior to the April Merger meeting and the report should be completed by early May 2021. • There was a conversation amongst the Project Team about ensuring that all potentially impacted areas are included within the proposed Study Area. o Cathy Brittingham (NC DCM) raised concerns over the size of the study area and whether or not it would fully encompass all areas needed for demolition, construction, staging, etc. ■ The study area was developed as 250' on each side from the centerline of the proposed alignment and 50' on each side from the centerline of the existing bridge. Given the prior environmental review of this area during R-2544/2545, NCDOT feels confident that minimization efforts for the study area still fully encompass the potentially impacted areas. • Following the meeting, Jennifer Evans (NCDOT PMU) confirmed with Kevin Fischer (NCDOT SMU) that all area necessary to demolish the existing bridge is within the currently proposed study area. NCDOT ECAP, PMU, and Division 1 staff noted that project study areas typically do not include all areas potentially available for construction staging. These decisions are handled by the contractor and additional environmental assessments for such staging area, if necessary, are the responsibility of the contractor. Cathy explained further that extensive CAMA areas and the necessary CAMA major permit will require the review of the total development area which could include additional area and resources that are not entirely within the proposed study area, namely the WAMI (NC Waterfront Access Marine Industry Fund) site west of the bridge, the marina, the refuge, and the NC WRC boat ramp. The cell communications tower to the west is also of note. • Colin Mellor (NCDOT EPU) noted though that the study area has been reduced because environmental assessments have previously been conducted in this area. As such, the project team is more certain than at the traditional start of a project of the resources that will and will not be impacted. So, expanding the study area for additional review in these areas shouldn't be necessary within this project. • No impacts to the cell tower are anticipated. The tower is within the project's study area but not within the LEDPA alignment. o Kyle Barnes (USACE) asked about potential impacts to the NC WRC boat ramp and private residences accessed via Old Ferry Landing Road on the east shore of the project and whether there was any need to expand the study area in this area to properly assess all potential impacts. ■ Cathy also noted that CAMA wetlands, CAMA public trust land, estuarian waters, and AEC buffers are present within this area. She recommended though that the CAMA wetlands shown on the study area map be removed until their locations can be re -verified. • During development of the NRTR and after, Paul Williams (NCDOT Division 1), Greg Daisey (NC DCM), Chris Rivenbark (NCDOT ECAP), and Cathy Brittingham will coordinate an in -field review of this area to confirm no environmental changes have occurred since the original DEIS for R-2544/2545. The existing alignment of US 64 will remain largely the same in this area. The intersection of Old Ferry Landing Road and US 64 will be shifted to the west with a larger resulting radius for the new intersection, but this new intersection will remain on existing land and not be located on the bridge structure itself. This realignment of Old Ferry Landing Road is fully captured in the proposed study are for HB-0001. • Scott Lanier (USFWS — Alligator River NWR) requested that the delineated refuge boundaries remain on the study area map. • Following these discussions, all agencies approved the study area as presented. 5. Individual Merger Team members input a. Federal Highway Administration b. US Army Corps of Engineers c. NC Department of Environmental Quality — Division of Water Resources d. North Carolina Department of Transportation e. US Environmental Protection Agency f. US Fish & Wildlife Service g. US Coast Guard h. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — National Marine Fisheries i. NC Wildlife Resources Commission j. NC Department of Environmental Quality — Division of Coastal Management k. NC Department of Environmental Quality — Marine Fisheries I. NC State Historic Preservation Office m. Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge n. Albemarle Rural Planning Organization NEXT STEPS and Action Items • Circulate CP1 Concurrence Form for signature • Schedule Concurrence Point 2/2A and 3 meeting(s)