http://www.hendersoncountync.org/minutes/050207m.htm

MINUTES (excerpt)

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

COUNTY OF HENDERSON FEBRUARY 7, 2005

The Henderson County Board of Commissioners met for a regularly scheduled meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the Commissioners' Conference Room of the Henderson County Office Building.

PRELIMINARY HIGHWAY MAP – Comprehensive Transportation Plan, Phase I

Justin Hembree informed the Board that on January 27, 2005, Beverly Williams, of the North Carolina Department of Transportation presented to the Henderson County Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) a Preliminary Highway Map for Phase I of the Henderson County Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP). The TAC is requesting that each governing board in the county review and provide comments on the Preliminary Highway Map. The TAC plans to initiate a public input process on the Map after receiving comments from the governing boards.



The Preliminary Highway Map, a staff memorandum and other materials were included for the Board’s consideration.



Mr. Hembree provided the Board with an overview of NCDOT’s recommendations. There had been a large copy of the Preliminary Highway Map in Mr. Hembree’s office for review.



Mr. Nicholso suggested that after reviewing the materials and discussing the NCDOT recommendations, that the Board should consider what comments it would like to send to the TAC on the Preliminary Highway Map.



Project Description

The Preliminary Highway Map is one component of the overall CTP (Comprehensive Transportation Plan) for Henderson County. The CTP will consist of a series of maps that show the transportation infrastructure that will be needed to manage travel demand in the study area during the life of the CTP (through 2030). The CTP will be a multi-modal plan, meaning it will include recommendations for public transportation and rail, bicycles, and pedestrians, as well as for roads. NCDOT is still working on its recommendations for the other transportation modes.



The CTP is being prepared by NCDOT in phases. Phase I, which has been in progress for several years, encompasses a study area that is concentrated on the transportation network serving the central core of Henderson County. Phase II will include areas of the county that fall outside of the Phase I study area but are within the French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization (FBMPO) planning areas.



A travel demand model developed by NCDOT, with assistance from a consulting firm, forms the basis for the recommendations shown on the Preliminary Highway Map. The model takes into account current and future population and employment statistics for the study area. Using the model, NCDOT identified deficiencies in the existing road system and anticipated where future problems might occur. The model also allows NCDOT to see the impact of changes or improvements to the transportation network, such as those due to planned road projects. NCDOT and the community can also test examine alternative growth scenarios and solutions to transportation needs through the model.



The CTP will eventually have to be adopted by the FBMPO as well as NCDOT. Because it is a long-range plan that identifies priorities for transportation improvements in Henderson County it will help justify projects proposed for the NCDOT Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) in the coming years. The CTP must be updated every five years.



NCDOT Findings

Current TIP Projects – The projects currently identified in the TIP as funded projects are considered constructed by 2030 for the Plan analysis. NCDOT staff has noted that these projects will offer much needed improvement to the highway system and will need local support to advance.



Inner Loop – Improvements in lane width, alignment, and traffic operations on several local streets will facilitate traffic movement around downtown Hendersonville. Many of these improvements can be accomplished at the NCDOT Division level and may not require TIP funding.



Corridor Improvements – US 25 North, US 176, and Four Seasons Boulevard should be given a more detailed study in an effort to identify any access management techniques and land use considerations that can maintain mobility in these areas. US 25 North currently has sufficient capacity to act as the primary entrance to Hendersonville. Following the completion of the current US 25 North project, I-26 signage changes are recommended to divert traffic from the north to downtown Hendersonville along this corridor rather than continue to the US 64 interchange.



Howard Gap Road – As development increases on the eastern side of the planning area, Howard Gap Road will become a major north-south corridor. In order to maintain the mobility on this corridor, special consideration must be given to control of access to adjacent development. Improvements in alignment, addition of turn lanes, limited driveway cuts, use of service roads, and limited signalized intersections are recommended as strategies to maintain capacity. For protection of future needed rights-of-way, a four-lane median-divided cross-section is recommended. This corridor will be given additional study in Phase II.



Northern Connection – An additional I-26 interchange north of US 64 offers the most relief in future traffic volumes for Four Seasons Boulevard. Several interchange locations were studied. However, the Balfour Parkway alignment is preferred by the TAC. This new location facility allows a limited access roadway that can be implemented in stages to provide connections to US 25, NC 191, and US 64. In addition to a new interchange at I-26, this alignment will require an interchange at US 25 North to allow a railroad crossing. This facility will require major TIP funding and in-depth environmental and design considerations.



Staff Comments

Planning Staff had reviewed the Preliminary Highway Map in terms of its relationship and/or impact on current plans and projects of Henderson County Government and offered the comments that follow. Karen Smith reviewed these comments with the Board:



Relationship to the CCP – staff has found that the improvements and new road construction projects proposed on the Preliminary Highway Map support the principles of the CCP. The Transportation Element of the CCP has one recommendation: “Develop and maintain a high quality transportation network, and continue to provide leadership at every level in transportation planning.” The first action strategy under CCP Recommendation T-01 is: “Adopt and Implement a Multi-modal Transportation Plan.” This action strategy acknowledges that the CTP is under development by NCDOT but does not assume that the CTP is the plan that will be adopted by Henderson County.



The Phase I study area for the CTP is similar to the Urban Services Area identified in the Growth Management Strategy of the CCP. Through the Growth Management Strategy, the County has determined that it wants to focus growth, including investments in infrastructure, within the Urban Services Area. The proposed projects on the Preliminary Highway Map will help accommodate such additional growth. Three of the next four small area plans proposed in the CCP are in areas where road improvements are proposed (East Flat Rock/Upward Road, NC 191 South/Mills River East and Howard Gap Road). When funding is provided and planning begins for specific road projects, the County will need to review such projects at a more detailed level and in light of other planning efforts, such as the small area plans. Coordinating land use and transportation planning will be critical as the County implements the CCP and develops the small area plans.



The recommendations accompanying the Preliminary Highway Map state that certain road corridors should be studied in more detail to identify if there are access and land use management techniques that would maintain mobility on the roads. Action Strategy B of Recommendation T-01 in the CCP is: “Identify and incorporate access management standards and requirements into County land development ordinances.” The Board will recall from its Strategic Plan discussions that staff intends to examine access management standards in developing the Land Development Code. The Land Development Code should also provide the County with a greater ability to manage land uses in and around major road corridors.



Relationship to Other Plans and Projects – The “Balfour Parkway” shown on the Preliminary Highway Map could ultimately provide connections between I-26, US 25, NC 191 and US 64. It is intended that the project be constructed in stages. A conceptual alignment for the project is shown on the map prepared by Laughter, Austin and Associates. That map shows the proposed road section between US 25 and NC 191 spanning portions of several County properties, including those containing (or to contain) the landfill, Stoney Mountain Activity Center and the future animal shelter. The proposed road is also shown as crossing the Henderson County Public Schools bus garage site and the old prison camp property owned by NCDOT. The CTP recommendations indicate that substantial funding as well as detailed environmental and design work would be needed if the project were to be constructed.



Mr. Hembree asked the Board’s pleasure on how they would like to proceed on this.



Jack Lynch, Chair of the TAC (Transportation Advisory Committee), stated that the original concept for the public hearings was to bring this to the Board of Commissioners and all the out-lying communities. In the event that either the Commissioners or the out-lying communities, which know the road system, have a major objection they would take it back to DOT before taking it out for a public hearing, in the event of a major problem. If there was a minor problem with a single community and/or the Commissioners, they would take that and review with the Commissioners and/or the out-lying community. The idea behind the system was to look at major problems that might have been identified and take it back to NCDOT or review internally. From there, they would go out to public hearings. They would hold one or two public hearings, probably in the out-lying areas so that the public could get there. With regard to the TIP, he assured the Board that a lot of things would not be back on the TIP this coming April. Due to the shift in DOT funding, some of these projects will get delayed.



Following discussion, it was the consensus of the Board for staff to draft a letter of recommendation to send to the TAC based on the Comprehensive Plan. In the meantime each Commissioner should think about any major problems or concerns and the Board will discuss those at the next Commissioners’ meeting on February 16.