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~~~~~~ <br />JAMES e. Hulvr JR. October 5. 2000 <br />GOVCRNOR <br />BILL HQLMAN Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />SECRETARY Moses Carev, Chairman <br />5 <br />NOR'T'H CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF <br />ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL R1wSOURCES <br />DIVISION OF PARKS AND RECREATION <br />Dear Mr. Carev: <br />DR. AH1LIp K. MCKNELLY. This letter is to explain the NC Division of Parks and Recreation petition to obtain most of Virginia <br />~IRECTpR <br />Cates Raad (SR 1183) for the division from the Department of Transportation. Virginia Cates Road <br />serves as the entrance to the Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area, operated by NC Division of <br />Parks and Recreation and managed as part of Eno River State Park. <br />One thousand three hundred eighty-two feet of Virginia Cates Road, beginning at the Orange Grove <br />Road center line and going west parallel to Interstate 85 is D.O.T. right of way. From there, the road <br />is owned by the NC Department of Environment and Natural resources, west to Orange County's four <br />acres at. the top of the mountain. We are requesting control of the final 1,080 feet of the road, that is <br />302 feet west of the Orange Grove Road center line. This is where the road reaches the park property. <br />The purpose of this request is to improve security to the park. We wish to place a proper gate where <br />the road reaches the park to prevent after hour public access. Currently, the park has a gate at the end <br />of the D.O.T. right-of--way. We wish to remove that gate and construct one in a more strategic <br />location where the road reaches the park. All agencies that need access through the gate have it now <br />with the current gate and will continue to have access with the new gate. The new gate will be easier <br />to operate. The primary reason for access through the gate after hours is to reach the communication <br />towers on the county property at the mountain top, State park rangers currently provide courtesy <br />patrols at the county property and.towers several times a dav. <br />State Parks contracts with D.O.T. for road maintenance and will continue maintenance on Virginia <br />Cates Road through that contract. <br />The road will be open for public use of the park conforming with standard state park operating hours <br />(generally 8:00 a.m. until dark). <br />Please contact me with any questions at 383-1686. <br />Sincerely, <br />~ ~~ . <br />Gee. <br />Dave Cook <br />Superintendent <br />Eno River State Park <br />DC/ktiv <br />~. <br />1615 MAIL SERVICE CENTER, RALfi IGN, NORTH CAROLINA 27899-161$ <br />