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Home My WebLink About19960457 Ver 1_Information Letter_20080307March 7, 2008 Mr. John Hennessey NC Division of Water Quality 1650 Mail Service Center Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1650 SUBJECT: Start of Study Coordination and Request for Input for Proposed Roadway Improvements to Secondary Road (SR) 1514 (Bamboo Road, 0.72 miles); State Project No. 110.095033; Watauga County, NC Dear Mr. Hennessey: The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), Division 11, in conjunction with the National Park Service-Blue Ridge Parkway (NPS-BLRI), is preparing an Environmental Assessment (EA) for proposed roadway improvements to approximately 0.72 mile of SR 1514 (Bamboo Road) between the end of pavement near SR 1511 (Little Laurel Road) and SR 1514 (George Hayes Road) in Watauga County, North Carolina. The EA is being prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) NEPA regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 1500 to 1508), and the NPS NEPA compliance guidelines (Director's Order-12). Bamboo Road is included in NCDOT's priority rating for unpaved secondary roads: ^ Bamboo Road has one of the heaviest volumes for unpaved roadways in Watauga County and requires greater maintenance than typical unpaved secondary roads; ^ The road is a locally designated truck route that provides a direct connection to roadways that cross the grade-separated Blue Ridge Parkway; and ^ The total crash rate along this unpaved section of Bamboo Road is higher than the statewide average for SR routes. Three alternatives have been proposed for the project and will be considered in the development of the EA: No Action The proposed action would not take place and the existing conditions within the study area would continue under current management practices. Improve Existing Bamboo Road Bamboo Road would be improved along the existing alignment for approximately 0.72 mile. Improve and Realign Bamboo Road Bamboo Road would be improved along the existing alignment for approximately 0.55 mile; however, a section of Bamboo Road (approximately 0.17 mile) would be realigned. This alternative is being considered to reduce wetland impacts and to provide an opportunity for visual screening between the Blue Ridge Parkway and the proposed project. The proposed project will improve traffic operations by providing a continuous paved section of roadway that is wider than the existing 16-foot road, which will likely reduce the potential for crashes along this section of Bamboo Road. The proposed improvements are considered necessary to improve safety and accommodate traffic traveling along Bamboo Road, while minimizing impacts within the Blue Ridge Parkway to visual resources, air quality, soundscapes, and natural resources. The remainder of this letter provides a brief summary of initial project information regarding the project setting, existing land use, threatened, endangered, and federal species of concern, and water resources. More detailed information will be provided as existing conditions information is collected and the planning process proceeds. Project Setting The proposed project is located within the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, approximately 5 miles east of Boone in southeastern Watauga County. The region was designated by the United States Congress as the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area in recognition of its unique character, culture, and natural beauty. The existing unpaved 0.72-mile section of SR 1514 (Bamboo Road) being evaluated in this study is located within the Blue Ridge Parkway right-of--way in the vicinity of Parkway Milepost (MP) 286. The existing 16-foot-roadway right-of--way is currently deed-reserved. Land Use Land use in the project vicinity is primarily low-density residential or undeveloped. A subdivision, Turtle Creek, is being developed on the west side of Bamboo Road. The subdivision, which does not have direct access to either Bamboo Road or the Blue Ridge Parkway, is accessed from Deerfield Road via Turtle Creek Drive. The approximately 75-acre development will include a total of 56 homes, with a combination of single-family and townhouse dwellings. According to a Watauga County Property Development Coordinator, an approximately 30-lot residential subdivision is planned on Little Laurel Road to the west of the project area. No other subdivision plans in the project area or vicinity have been submitted to the Watauga County Planning Department for review. 2/5 Although the project area is located in the planning jurisdiction of Wata included the project area in its 2006 Comprehensive Plan Update. The uga County, the Town of Boone of its expected growth over the next 10 to 15 years. The plan shows the roject area was included because defined as "that portion of the planning study area that is influenced b within which urban level development should be strong] disc prO~ect area as a Rural area, associated development densities should not be planned for Y urban area growth forces, but Y ouraged. Urban level services and of major development projects." this area, except in case b y case evaluations Threatened, Endanger, and Federal Species of Concern Species currently listed (November 5, 2007) with the United States F' Watauga County include the following: tsh and Wildlife Service for Common N ma e .Vertebrates A11e heny woodrat f1~Palachian cott~ ontail Bog turtle _ Carolina port-- hem f]yin squirrel -Cerulean warbler _ Eastern small-footed bat _ Golden-wi~ea _~'arbler Hellbender -°""~-- - -" Kanawha minnoT w ~---~~~"°~'°--- Northern saw-whet owl (Southern a,,,,,~..,.t_- - -?'Ygmy salamander l_ Red crossbill(Southe; S_outhe_rn_watersbrew Virginia big-eared ba Scientific Name Neotoma ma is~ `-' 1 gus---- b _ ~__.. Clemmys muhlenbergii v~aucomys~nus c_oloratus Den_droica cerulea ~~' --" Myotis leibii "~--- ~ ~"-- -- l~ermivora Phen--_ a_ c! s teret___u1us__. Aegolius acadicus pop, I Low curvirostra _ Sorex~ustris unctulat~ Corynorhinus townsemlii Status __ Federal Species_of Corn __ Federal Species of Concern -~----- Threatened due to sim ty of ___~earance _ Endan ered~~_-__. ____--_-- _ ~_Federal Species~nCern------ ---- Federal Species of Concern -^ Federal Species of Concern~~~ -~ _Federal Species of Concern ~ ~- Federal Species of Concern ~ - Federal Species of Concern ~- Federal Species of Concern Federal Species of Concern -Federal Species of Concern Endangered ~~~ Yellow-bellied sapsucker (Southern Inverter b_ r S Diana fritillary Green floater ~Y, u~e-nr moss sp Vascular Plants Bent av_ens_ Blue R1(tOP ,,,.u_~ ?dog blue Butternut Fraser fir Sphyrapicus varius appalachiensis Speyeria dian Lasmigona subviridis Microhexura montivaga Geum genicula-- twin S._„ olldago spithamaea Poa paludige~ na^'' Juglans cinerea Eup oh rbia purpurea Abies fraseri Lili mu g ayl °__`.m._'_ Saxifraga caroliniana Federal Species of Concern Federal Species of Concern Federal Spec foesiSpeO Co ecn rn Endangered Federal Species of Concern Threatened--~-------------~' Federal Species of Concern Federal Species of Concern Federal Species of Concern Federal Species of Concern Federal Species of Concern Federal Species of Concern 3/5 Heller's blazing, star Liatris helleri Threatened Large-leaved Grass-of-Parnassus Parnassia grandifolia Federal Species of Concern Mountain bitter cress Cardamine clematitis Federal Species of Concern Roan mountain bluet Hedyotis purpurea var. montana Endangered Spreading avens Geum radiatum Endangered Tall larkspur Delphinium exaltatum Federal Species of Concern Two rare wetland plant species on the NC study list (not federally-listed) were identified within the project study area. A plant-by-plant survey will be conducted for each species in their respective appropriate habitats and during their respective flowering seasons to verify the locations and determine the extent of the populations. Water Resources The study area is located in the New River Basin. The project is located within the South Fork New River Watershed. The East Fork of the South Fork New River crosses Bamboo Road within the project limits and immediately south of the southern project terminus, Days Creek crosses Bamboo Road. National Wetlands Inventory maps for the study area depict no wetlands associated with the existing ponds; however, wetland and stream delineations may be performed as part of the EA. Public Scoping The purpose of this letter is to initiate coordination with federal, state, and local agencies and solicit comments on the proposed project. Comments and suggestions are invited from all interested parties to ensure that all issues concerning the proposed action are addressed. If applicable, please identify any permits or approvals that maybe required by your agency. Your participation will aid BLRI in making a well-informed decision about how to proceed with this project. If you would like to provide comments on this project, you may do so using the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) Internet-based system. Persons wishing to provide comments on the proposed project are asked to please submit all comments by Apri121, 2008. Comments can be made directly online by going to the following link: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/ (Under "Choose a park" select: Blue Ridge Pkwy: Under "Current Projects", select: Environmental Assessment (EA) for improvements to SR 1514 (Bamboo Road) in Watauga County, NC). Written comments may also be submitted to: Blue Ridge Parkway Bamboo Road Improvements Project Attn: Suzette Moiling 199 Hemphill Knob Road Asheville, North Carolina 28803-8686 If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact Mr. Lou Raymond, P.E., with ARCADIS at (704) 544-5480. 4/5 Sincerely,, ~~ Philip A. Francis, Jr. Superintendent Enclosure: Project Site Map 5/5 r ~ ~. ; - USE F7 L f3b'~..'_'--„-~„: '~ ~~ #~ ~ ~ ~ °~" ~ t,~ : ~ ~, ~` P ~ ""5~ `. ~ - - ~ '~ y `~ •.. ~ ~ F~i.1: ~ p ` ~~~ j ~- M1 . ~ ~'° ~, ray " .~z~ ., ~~ ~ r ~ ~ ' ~~ ~ -~- ~ ~~ ti~ x f ~~s~ ~ e ~~~eR sR~S?~ .~ ~ 3 , M. j" ~f, ~:-.: TURTLE iCREE; DR .;W tiro r~ ~ y I `~ . - 'LN ~, .~ ~ 4 7 ti t ` ~ F F ~ ~ ~ ra ~ ~~ ~ r, ,I. ~ 14 «':~~„~, ~`~ i L t ,qty i ~ \ :~ ~E. 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NWI Wetlands ~~ ~„ ~7r~ aia~ -s ~x.,~ 4~ ^3 .~'~.~`: q~,i: ~,,;, '~+ ~ ` ,t ._ PROJECT SITE MAP• ~~. ,.~° E~ Bamboo Road Improvements - ~a. Watauga County, NC Watauga County, North Carolina N Sources: USGS Digital Ortho Quadrangle, NCC~If-, Figure Feet ° zso eoo '•°°° NCDOT, and Watauga County.- ~ -