Orange County NC Website
11 <br /> PUBLIC COMMENT: <br /> John Hollingsworth from the Northwood community said he is grateful that the Board of <br /> County Commissioners has been supportive to the Northwood neighborhood. He asked that <br /> the Board endorse this resolution tonight. He said while they have fended off one crisis, they <br /> still face grave threats from the design of this road and the amount of traffic that will use their <br /> neighborhood as a cut-through. He said they are going to continue to advocate for their <br /> neighborhood and ask for the Board's continued support. <br /> Chair Rich asked John Hollingsworth (Northwood resident) to read this item: <br /> A RESOLUTION OPPOSING ALTERNATIVE 4A AS A DESIGN FOR MODIFICATIONS TO <br /> EUBANKS ROAD AND NC 86 AS PART OF NCDOT PROJECT 1-3306A FOR <br /> PROPOSED WIDENING OF 1-40 FROM 1-85 TO DURHAM COUNTY LINE <br /> WHEREAS, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has initiated a project <br /> for widening 1-40 in Orange County, which includes proposed modifications to Eubanks Road <br /> as part of reconstruction of the 1-40/ NC 86 interchange; and <br /> WHEREAS, NCDOT has developed alternative designs for modifications to Eubanks Road and <br /> has shared them with the public for feedback in January of 2019; and <br /> WHEREAS, alternative 4A and precursor designs depicted a realignment of Eubanks Road <br /> through the Northwood neighborhood that would necessitate the demolition of multiple <br /> homes and would create substantial negative impacts to the neighborhood fabric; and <br /> WHEREAS, residents of the Northwood neighborhood submitted a petition to Orange County <br /> urging a design solution that does not endanger homes, property values, well and septic <br /> infrastructure, or neighborhood character; and <br /> WHEREAS, NCDOT has been exploring additional alternatives such as the one shown on Map <br /> 4B which align Eubanks Road in a way that reduces impacts to the Northwood neighborhood. <br /> NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Orange County Board of Commissioners that <br /> the Board hereby states its opposition to the alternative 4A realignment of Eubanks Road, as <br /> depicted on NCDOT Public Meeting Map 4A, for this portion of the design for NCDOT Project <br /> 1-3306A. <br /> BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board supports a design that does not significantly <br /> alter the alignment of Eubanks Road, and strongly encourages NCDOT to continue refining <br /> design options in order to meet the following criteria: <br /> • Minimize and mitigate adverse impacts on neighborhoods surrounding the <br /> project <br /> • Support alternative modes of travel, specifically bicycle and pedestrian <br /> • Contribute positively to the character of Chapel Hill <br /> • Stagger construction of improvements on Old NC 86 and NC 86 so that <br /> construction occurs on each road at different times, thereby optimizing <br /> vehicular access to 1-40 <br /> • Protect the feasibility of future improvements to Eubanks Road and NC 86 for the <br /> North South BRT project, as planned by Chapel Hill Transit <br /> • Ensure design that allows for sufficient emergency response <br /> • Maintain left turn movements from Eubanks Rd onto northbound NC 86 as <br />