20210632 Ver 1_SR 1164 Madison signed cover letter_20210428

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
ROY COOPER J. ERIC BOYETTE
GOVERNOR SECRETARY

Mailing Address:
NC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
DIVISION THIRTEEN
55 ORANGE STREET
ASHEVILLE, NC 28801-2340
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Customer Service: 1-877-368-4968

Website: www.ncdot.gov
Location:
55 ORANGE STREET
ASHEVILLE, NC 28801-2340

April 28, 2021

Ms. Lori Beckwith
US Army Corps of Engineers
151 Patton Avenue, Room 208
Asheville, NC 28801-5006

Subject: Nationwide Permit #14
SR 1164 Rock House Road
State Project No. 13.150721
Madison County, NC

Dear Ms. Beckwith:

I have enclosed a set of plans, a PCN application for NWP #14, and a vicinity map relative to the
proposed road improvement project on SR 1164 Rock House Road, Buncombe County, NC.

We propose to improve SR 1164 Rock House Road. Improvements include widening, ditching,
and adding stone to the road surface. This section of SR 1164 has not been maintained for
several years. It joins the rest of SR 1164 that has been maintained. An unnamed tributary (UT)
to Sugar Camp Branch originates as a seep at the road’s edge (Figure 1) and flows down the edge
of the existing road (see Figures 2-4) before entering a driveway pipe (Figure 5). After exiting the
pipe, it flows along the roadway ditch (Figure 6) before going subsurface (Figure 7). It reappears
below the road’s toe of slope (Figure 8), flows for a short distance (Figure 9), and then goes
subsurface again. It has a predominately sand substrate. Approximately 479 linear feet (LF) of
the UT will be temporarily dewatered during road construction. When construction is complete,
165 LF of stream, of the existing 185 LF, will be relocated into the new roadside ditch; this will
result in a loss of 20 LF. Sugar Camp Branch is classified as Class C, Tr, ORW.

Riparian vegetation will be reestablished along disturbed areas associated with the project.
Stormwater will be diverted through grass-lined ditches or vegetated buffers prior to entering
streams.

This project will not affect the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) (NLEB).
Following the SLOPES protocol from NWP Regional Condition 3.13, the project is not located in
or within 0.25 mile of a red HUC. Approximately 100 trees greater than 3” diameter breast
height (DBH) will be removed. Percussive activities are not anticipated. No effect on the
remaining Madison County list of federally protected species (threatened or endangered) will
occur.

.

Lori Beckwith
Page –2 SR 1164, Madison County
April 28, 2021

After checking the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources website
(HPOWEB 2.0 (arcgis.com) we determined no Historic Resource will be affected. Tribal
coordination letters were sent out on April 26-27, 2021.

We request Marla Chambers, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Western Region
Coordinator, to comment directly to the Corps concerning the permit request.

Kristi Lynn Carpenter, NC Division of Water Resources, Transportation Permitting Unit and
Kevin Mitchell, NC DWR Asheville Regional Office will review the project through the
electronic form (https://edocs.deq.nc.gov/Forms/Pre-Construction_Notification_Form).
Please charge the application fee of $570.00 to WBS element # 13.105721, Function Code 3134,
Task Number 1504994. Please forward comments directly to the Corps with copy to Division 13
Environmental Officer.

Your earliest consideration for this request would be greatly appreciated. If you have any
questions or information needs, please contact me at [phone].

Sincerely,

Yates Allen
Environmental Specialist

Enclosures

cc: Mark T. Gibbs, P.E., Division Engineer
Chris Medlin, P.E., District Engineer