Our State Historic Preservation Office in the Department of Cultural Resources and the NCDOT's architectural staff have determined that the proposed Carolina Vista/Route 2 Roundabout project "will adversely affect the [historic] district" of Pinehurst. I learned this information last week after contacting the preservation office in Raleigh.

The village wants the roundabout project to "be in place for the summer golf season."

The roundabout project will be paid for with state money, so it is considered a "state undertaking" and subject to N.C. General Statute 121-12(a). This statute kicks in to protect a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It means that state money is involved in a plan that could harm a historic district.

Three reasons I was given for the roundabout project are: traffic congestion, safety, and rejection of the streetlight plan at the intersection.

The traffic congestion report for the intersection was studied by an adjacent property owner. Congestion was found to be minimal. For safety, a simple streetlight was proposed and rejected by the village.

The streetlight was rejected because its wires and structure would interfere with the "historic view" from the Carolina Hotel to the Pinehurst Country Club, yet the damage to the entire historic district is being ignored.

Pinehurst residents were never advised of the harm the roundabout will cause. Nor were we told that when General Statute 121 kicks in, the North Carolina Historical Commission wants to hear comments from local residents.

It will be up to individual concerned Pinehurst residents to save our historic district. All comments in writing should be sent to Dr. Jerry Cashion, North Carolina Historical Commission, 4610 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-4610

Pinehurst needs to make available all the pertinent documents.

Tia Wallman

Pinehurst