Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutU-5706_Preliminary Alts Meeting Summary_2017 07 20.docxMEETING SUMMARY Merger Meeting — Preliminary Alternative Corridors TIP No. U-5706 Eastern Rockingham Corridor Study, Richmond County, NC Date .................... July 20, 2017 Time .................... 3:00 p.m. Location ............. Century Center A, Structure Design Conference Room Purpose .............. Present preliminary alternative corridors developed for the project Attendees: Name Organization Email Address Gary Jordan USFWS garyJordan@fws.gov April Norton NCDWR April.Norton@ncdenr.gov Brian Yamamoto NCDOT — Project Delivery B byamamoto@ncdot.gov Joseph Miller NCDOT — PDEA josephmiller@ncdot.gov Harrison Marshall NCDOT — Community Studies hmarshall@ncdot.gov Deanna Riffey NCDOT — ECAP driffey@ncdot.gov Ron Cribbs NCDOT — Roadway Design rlcribbs@ncdot.gov Mike Stanley NCDOT — Planning & Programming mtstanley@ncdot.gov Jeffrey Teague NCDOT — Division 8 jlteague@ncdot.gov John Olinger NCDOT — Division 8 jolinger@ncdot.gov Mark Staley NCDOT — Roadside Environmental mstaley@ncdot.gov Greg Myrick NCDOT — Location & Surveys gmyrick@ncdot.gov Kristin Maseman Lochner kmaseman@hwlochner.com Brian Eason Lochner beason@hwlochner.com Kenny Smith Lochner ksmith@hwlochner.com Joining Via Conference Call: Name Organization Email Address Travis Wilson NCWRC travis.wilson@ncwildlife.org Jay Mclnnis NCDOT — PDEA jmcinnis@ncdot.gov Summary of Discussions Lochner provided a meeting handout including an overview of the preliminary alternative corridors and a comparison of preliminary impact data. Following opening remarks by Joseph Miller and introductions by attendees, Kristin Maseman reviewed key aspects of the project and its purpose and need and Brian Eason reviewed the preliminary alternative corridors. Six preliminary alternatives have been developed for the project. These include new location corridors having widths of 600 feet and one alternative along existing roadways with a corridor width of 300 feet. Impacts for the different alternatives were calculated based on a third of the corridor width. Page 1 MEETING SUMMARY Merger Meeting — Preliminary Alternative Corridors TIP No. U-5706 Eastern Rockingham Corridor Study, Richmond County, NC Key points discussed at the meeting were: 1. STIP Project R-2501 – Alternatives 3 and 6 would incorporate several parcels previously purchased by NCDOT via advance acquisition for the proposed US 1 Rockingham Bypass (STIP Project R-2501). The R-2501 project is currently unfunded. John Olinger with Division 8 mentioned the RPO has discussed widening existing US 1 and potentially doing a shorter bypass of Rockingham. 2. Critical Watershed Area – April Norton with NCDWR indicated that the agency would prefer an alternative that would minimize impacts to the Falling Creek Watershed Critical Area. 3. Preliminary Alternative Impacts – Jay Mclnnis stressed that the impacts presented for the preliminary alternative corridors do not yet represent any minimization/avoidance within the corridors. For the new location alternatives, the impact information presented was calculated within the center 200 feet of each corridor—once preliminary functional designs are developed, it will be possible to incorporate impact minimization/avoidance to reduce the total potential environmental impacts of these options. There is less opportunity for impact minimization/avoidance within Alternative 1(the upgrade existing alternative) because it is a narrower corridor through a developed area. 4. Human Environmental Impacts – Harrison Marshall explained that, when considering human environmental impacts, the severity of a potential impact is an important consideration, but isn't always reflected in absolute impact numbers shown in a matrix. 5. NCWRC Property – Travis Wilson with NCWRC noted that all of the preliminary alternatives avoid NCWRC property. 6. Project Schedule ■ Public Meeting – Fall 2017 ■ Concurrence Point 2(Alternatives to be Carried Forward) – October 2017 ■ State FONSI – May 2019 ■ Right-of-way Acquisition – 2020 ■ Project Let - 2021 Action Items 1. The project team will schedule a public meeting to present the preliminary alternative corridors. (Meeting Summary Prepared By: Kristin Maseman, 7/24/17) Page 2