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August 24, 1998 ( � Mr. J . W. Watkins Division Engineer ( Division 7) NC Department of Transportation P. O . Box 14996 Greensboro , NC 274154996 Dear Mr. Watkins : Bane Road (SR 1337) in rural Orange County bisects our yard and, according to local Transportation Planner Slade McCalip, is scheduled for paving this spring . This news is welcome only in part since widening the existing road- bed to twenty feet will adversely impact our historic home and its natural surroundings. Ours is one of the few remaining 18th century homes in the state and is a "high priority" site with the Orange County Historic Landmark Designation Program. It is also on the study list for the National Register of Historic Places. Coupled with the house, the landscape here provides a rare, largely unspoiled 360-degree view of Orange County "as it was" . Power lines and SR 1337 's unfortunate halving of the yard are the only modem intrusions . Here, then, are our primary concerns regarding D . O.T. 's plans : 1 . SR 1337 brings an ever-increasing volume of traffic through the yard within thirty feet of the home 's west side. This is already ruining the tranquility of an otherwise pristine early American homestead. 2. Should widening occur, our two surviving American elms will surely be killed. During the course of this century, such magnificent trees have become nearly extinct nationwide. We ' re serious about preservation and have spent hundreds of dollars rescuing these old survivors temporarily - at the expense of neglecting desired home improvements. 3 . SR 1337 probably evolved from a farm path into a connecting road and would have been a welcome convenience in, say, 1960. Today, though, it 's downright dangerous here given the volume and speed of the traffic. Malicious and/or reckless drivers further compound the problem by ignoring hazards such as blind spots and thick dust clouds. Speeding vehicles have several times come close to wiping us out - after we ' ve "looked both ways". Being long, mostly level and straight, the existing road- bed is a dragster 's dream . Paving this stretch of road would create- in our yard - Orange County Speedway #2. No thanks. And, of course, traffic laws are generally unenforceable on country roads given available manpower. We acknowledge that this area is fast outgrowing dirt roads and are as eager as our neighbors for improvement. Still , we reasonably fear the potential negatives of "progress" . SR 1337 was meant to enhance the community rather than destroy one of its most significant historic sites . What alternatives can best serve all concerned? We want to initiate a constructive dialogue to explore the possibilities . As such, it is our hope that we can work with the D. O.T. and other government agencies towards the common goal of improving SR 1337 while preserving the integrity of this special property. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. Sincerely, Rob Golan and Diana Montgomery P. O. Box 193 Hillsborough , NC 27278 (919) 644-6069, 644-6483 cc: Donald Belk, Orange County Historic Preservation Commission cc: David Brook, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer cc: Slade McCalip, Orange County Transportation Planner 11