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ro <br /> • <br /> PROTECTION OF THE ENO RIVER, DUKE FOREST, PARK LANDS, NATURAL AREAS, <br /> AND SITES OF ENDANGERED SPECIRS <br /> Comments: Comments were made that road construction will have adverse impacts on <br /> the Eno River, Duke Forest, and other natural areas. However, several citizens <br /> commented that protection of neighborhoods should take precedence over environmental <br /> concerns ("People over possums") <br /> Response: Care will be taken when functional designs are prepared to find designs which <br /> minimize the impact of thoroughfare construction on these areas. After functional designs <br /> are drawn, environmental and social impacts will be assessed and alternatives will be <br /> evaluated. <br /> ADVANCE RIGHT-OF-WAY ACQUISITION <br /> Comments: Several citizens who own property within or near the corridor of a proposed <br /> thoroughfare have stated that the resale value of their property will be reduced due to <br /> the threat of future road construction. They have requested that the NCDOT purchase <br /> their property as soon as the alignment for the road has been determined. <br /> Response: Thoroughfare planning is a method for reserving corridors for future roads <br /> when and if they are needed. The thoroughfare plan is used to identify and reserve <br /> rights-of-way through new developments. However, the information is not detailed <br /> enough to permit acquisition of existing development. The adoption of a thoroughfare <br /> plan by a local government does not mean that funds are allocated for right-of-way <br /> acquisition or construction. In some cases, it may be twenty or more years before the <br /> road would be built, or the alignment would have to change for some unexpected reason, <br /> or the need for the road would disappear entirely. In any case, it is neither practical nor <br /> feasible for the government to acquire vast quantities of land so far in advance of <br /> construction. Funds are not available for such an investment. Furthermore, government <br /> owned land does not generate tax revenues, therefore, the county and city tax base would <br /> decrease as the state investment increased. <br /> All property owners are entitled to make maximum utilization of their property, within <br /> current land-use regulations. The city or state will pay the appraised fair market value <br /> of all property taken by a roadway improvement. In most cases, this will be just prior <br /> to construction while in some cases it may be through advanced right-of-way acquisition. <br /> Advanced right-of-way acquisition is generally for either proven hardship or to reduce <br /> future right-of-way cost. <br /> 2.5 <br />