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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20181249 Ver 1_Complete 540 Hearing Speakers Comments_20190103Complete 540 Public Hearing November 16, 2018 Speaker's Comments Elected official: Greg Ford with Wake County Board of Commissioners In favor of the project. The Complete 540 is fundamental to land use plans and future planning in Wake County. Believes this project has bi-partisan support. Matthew Starr: Upper Neuse Riverkeeper Easy to see that this project will have a large impact on 11 miles of stream, 65 acres of wetlands in one of the most important watersheds. This watershed houses 13 protected species and is a Natural Heritage Area. This project will increase sediment loads and continue to impact the watershed. DEQ should not issue the 401. Will Price: SELC DEQ should deny the 401 because there are more practical alternatives with less environmentally damaging effects. DOT failed to look at improving existing roads. He prefers the red route through the Town of Garner. Daniel Parkhurst: Clean Air Carolina Air pollution and water pollution are tied together. Worried about the negative effects to the resources due to increased traffic and sprawl. DOT should look at improving public transportation and existing roadways. This project goes against Governor Cooper's initiative to combat climate change. DEQ should deny the 401. Maia Hutt: SELC DEQ should deny the 401 because there are more practical alternatives with less environmentally damaging effects. DOT failed to look at improving existing roads. This project will increase congestion on existing roads. Southern Wake County will see development like Raleigh. Water quality standards will degrade due to this project. Nick Jimenez: SELC Access 2040 should be considered which is improving existing roads and less cost and impacts to the environment. He showed this map at the hearing: https://www.southernenvironment.or�/uploads/news-feed/Fi�ure 3 NC 540.ip� He also stated that the timing of the public hearing was not favorable for public comments. He wants DWR to have future public hearings. Geoff Lang: RTA (Regional Transportation Alliance) Vital to complete 540. He's confident that DOT did its due diligence for environmental protection and that they are fully mitigating the impacts. He applauds DOT for spending $5 million on endangered species mitigation and research. Joe Miuzzo: RTA Need to complete 540. I-40 is congested. No other way to get around unless 540 is completed. The project will be safer than widening existing roads due to the lack of stop lights on the freeway. Secondary roads can't handle the increased congestion. This project compliments Wake County's transportation plan. Michael Haley: Wake County Economic Development This project is a result of a planned corridor. Important to complete 540. Smart growth like this is critical. He's confident that DOT did its due diligence for environmental protection and that they are fully mitigating the impacts. South East Wake has large growth and needs this project. Joey Irby: RTA Vital to complete 540. He's confident that DOT did its due diligence for environmental protection and that they are fully mitigating the impacts. South East Wake has large growth and needs this project. Mike Krannitz: RTA Resident off Ten-Ten Road since 1984. Supports 540. Widening of Ten-Ten since it's a ridgeline, would impact swift Creek. Any corridor with idling cars will increase air and water pollution due to the stop lights. Jim Beley: Umstead Hotel Supports 540. Applauds DOTs responsiveness to the public. Umstead employees 340 people that must get from their homes to work. This is a challenge without 540 being complete. He's confident that DOT did its due diligence for environmental protection and that they are fully mitigating the impacts. He's sure this project will not violate the Clean Water Act. Pete Marino: RTA and Smith Anderson This project is a result of a planned corridor. Important to complete 540. Smart growth like this is critical. He's confident that DOT did its due diligence for environmental protection and that they are fully mitigating the impacts. South East Wake has large growth and needs to project. Mike Mancure: Smithfield Chamber of Commerce He represents 470 companies that are dependent on 540 being completed. He supports the project and trusts that DOT did their due diligence. Chris Johnston: Johnston Company He lives in Johnston County. There are 200,000 people in Johnston County and this is just increasing. In 10-15 years there will be more than 300,000 people. This project is about jobs and the quality of life. This will help the rural areas because they can better access the jobs in the urban areas. Kerry Heckle: UNC Rex Healthcare Supports the project to alleviate congestion. This project will be a time savings and is critical for emergency services to have quick access. The alternatives being proposed will not help emergency services because they will be stopped by traffic congestion and stop lights. Natalie Griffith: RTA This project is a result of a planned corridor. Important to complete 540. Smart growth like this is critical. She's confident that DOT did its due diligence for environmental protection and that they are fully mitigating the impacts. South East Wake has large growth and needs to project. April Wood: Garner Chamber of Commerce Vital to complete 540. Will allow for free flow traffic to access jobs. This project will provide long term economic viability. Michael Greenspan: Resident of Cary Area is going to continue to grow. Believes DOT will mitigate the impacts. Approves the project. Anne Runyon: Resident of Garner Disappointed in the hearing that DOT had in February of 2018. The hearing had no discussion or input from the public. She believes that DOT could elevate the road above the wetlands. Also, she supports the Access 2040 plan as an alternative. Jackie Gray: Resident of Raleigh Against the project. Believes it will contribute to the carbon load. She believes this happened when the portion of 540 was completed near Apex. This project goes against Governor Cooper's initiative to combat climate change. She supports upgrading existing roads and the Access 2040 plan as alternatives. Heather Clarkson: Defenders of Wildlife This project will have a negative impact on the protected species. She believes this project will destroy wetlands and their functions (she went into the explanation of wetland functions). Will Lechworth: RTA Growth is here and more coming. Supports the project. He's familiar with and has been a part of DOT's design/build process. He knows this process is designed to reduce impacts to the environment to the greatest extent practicable. Bryan Fox: Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce Supports. There is a rich history of balancing development and environmental impacts. DOT is not ignoring the environment with this project. Ryan Combs: Research Triangle Regional Partnership Raleigh native. 100 people a day move here. Fastest growing region of the state. 300,000 people drive along this corridor. This project is vital for the State. Public transit is not enough. Keep the region moving and build the project. Roger Friedensen: RTA and Forge Communications Complete 540 will bring Wake and Johnston Counties a main East/West artery. People are coming and we need to provide transportation. This project is responsible and sensible. Rodney Dickerson: Town of Garner Supports 540. Has used this planned corridor to plan. He can see congestion from Wake and tremendous growth in the area. We need the infrastructure to support the growth. The red route would cost Garner millions of dollars and displace many people. Michelle Myers: Center for Biological Diversity This project will degrade streams. The increased development that this project will cause, will impact Swift Creek and will escalate the sediment impacts to the species' habitats. There will be increased stormwater run-off into the sensitive watershed. DOT is unable to mitigate for the impacts to the threatened species.