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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: February 19, 2013 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 7 -a <br />SUBJECT: North Carolina State Clearinghouse Request for Intergovernmental Review of <br />Proposed Private Crossing Closures with the North Carolina Railroad (NCRR)- <br />Norfolk Southern (NS) Railway <br />DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) I No <br />ATTACHMENTS: <br />1. Figure 1 Project Vicinity Map <br />2. Revised Gordon Thomas Drive, <br />Greenbriar Drive, and Byrdsville Road <br />Project Study Maps <br />3. December 20, 2012 Letter from <br />NCDOT Rail Division Addressing <br />Orange County's November 5, 2012 <br />Comments Letter <br />4. Summary of Public Comments <br />5. Second Set of Draft Comments for <br />NCDOT <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Abigaile Pittman, Transportation /Land <br />Use Planner, 245 -2567 <br />Tom Altieri, Comprehensive Planning <br />Supervisor, 245 -2579 <br />Craig Benedict, Planning Director <br />245 -2592 <br />PURPOSE: To receive information on the North Carolina Department of Transportation <br />(NCDOT) proposal to close private North Carolina Railroad (NCRR) /Norfolk Southern (NS) <br />Railway crossings at Gordon Thomas Drive, Greenbriar Drive and Byrdsville Road in Orange <br />County, and consider a second letter submitting scoping comments related to the project. <br />BACKGROUND: As part of the North Carolina State Clearinghouse Intergovernmental Review <br />process, the Planning and Inspections Department received a solicitation for scoping comments <br />from the NCDOT in September 2012 with regard to the proposed private crossing closures with <br />the North Carolina (NCRR) /Norfolk Southern (NS) Railway crossings at Gordon Thomas Drive <br />(TIP No. P- 44051), Greenbriar Drive (TIP No. P- 4405J), and Byrdsville Road (TIP No. P- 4405K) <br />in Orange County (Attachment 1). NCDOT requested that Orange County provide scoping <br />comments consisting of any information that would be helpful for evaluating potential <br />community and environmental impacts for these projects, including identifying any permits <br />and /or approvals required by the County. The County's comments will be used in the <br />preparation of a proposed federally- funded Environmental Assessment (EA) in accordance with <br />the National Environmental Policy Act. Provision of scoping comments is an early part of the <br />process for development of the EA. <br />The railroad track is part of the Southeast High Speed Rail corridor (SEHSR) which, when <br />complete, will provide high speed passenger rail service between Washington, DC and <br />Charlotte, NC. These three private road rail crossings were identified in NCDOT's Private <br />