Agenda - 06-04-1981 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

These trends are a matter of concern to Bingham Township residents. AS with many rural residents of the County, this new growth is perceived as a disquieting element in their lifestyles. The designation of Proposed Cane Creek water supply watershed has created a very specific focus for this concern. It pinpoints the conflict between two valuable and necessary land uses: agriculture, as a life supporting and income-producing activity, and a water reservoir, also a life supporting land use. The resolution of this issue as well as the other land use issues facing Bingham Township today and in the near future:needs to be addressed in a way which seeks to balance the competing uses so as to be least disrupting to the current residents and existing land use pattern and which most enhances the public benefits to be gained County-wide. The Township is not currently served by public sewer and water systems. It is not anticipated that such service will be provided during the plan period. Transportation A modified version of the North Carolina Highway Functional Classification System has been used to describe the road network in Bingham Township. This system describes parts of the road network based on the factor of access and mobility. The most important roads (Interstate and arterial highways) provide the best service (shortest travel time) to and from im- portant centers. Roads of lesser importance (collector roads) do not pro- vide as good a service function, but do provide an area with access to the major road system. The least important roads (local roads) function in the most limited service capacity, but in aggregate provide large land areas with access to the more important roads and highways. Bingham Township's transportation network adequately connects it with the urban areas of Chapel Hill-Carrboro, Burlington and Durham. In its capa- city as the major transportation route in Bingham Township, the arterial N.C. 54 carries an average daily traffic load, of 6000 vehicles at its busiest point within the Township. A second important east/west route is the Old Greensboro Road (SR 1005), a collector. The north/south routes are not as important. They include the collectors Orange Grove Road (SR 1006), White Cross Road (SR 1951), Dodson's Cross- roads (SR 1102), Mebane Oaks. Road (SR 1007) and Orange Chapel Clover Road (SR 1956) . All other roads provide a local level, of service. The construction of the proposed N.C. 54 Southern By-Pass would make the southern tier of Bingham Township more accessible for commuting to and from Chapel Hill. In addition, both Durham and the Research Triangle Park would be brought within reasonable commuting range of this tier of the Township. The construction of the proposed Interstate 40 extension in neighboring Chapel Hill Township would reduce the commuting travel times to and from the northern and central portions of Bingham Township from both Durham and Research Triangle Park. Agriculture Although an important and predominantly agricultural area, Bingham Township has experienced the County-wide trend of farmland and conversion in recent