Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
PROTECTION OF THE ENO RIVER, DUKE FOREST, PARK LANDS, NATURAL AREAS, <br />AND S1TE.S OF ENDANGERED SPECIES <br />C gnments: 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 C?eople 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.s <br />