Bypass Routing At Issue

A horse grazes in a pasture on a farm on Youngs Road outside Southern Pines.

As of Saturday, October 8, 2011

Public Meetings on U.S. Bypass Proposal

Foundation Meetings

The Walthour Moss Foundation plans two “informational meetings” about the state’s proposed U.S. 1 bypass project at the Sunrise Theater in downtown Southern Pines.

The sessions will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 18 and Oct. 25.

Public Workshops

The N.C. Department of Transportation has released the following schedule for its planned “charrettes,” or public workshops.

Nov. 1:

Fair Barn

200 Beulah Hill Church Road South

Pinehurst

3-5 p.m.

Nov. 1:

Aberdeen Park Recreation Station

301 Lake Park Crossing

Aberdeen

6-8 p.m.

Nov. 2:

West End Senior

126 Old West End School Lane

West End

1 p.m.

Nov. 2:

Community Building

203 Barrett St.

Carthage

6-8 p.m.

Nov. 3:

Cameron Fire Department

170 Red Hill Road

Cameron

1-3 p.m.

Nov. 3:

Assembly Hall

395 Magnolia Road

Pinehurst

6-8 p.m.

Nov. 4:

Douglass Community Center

1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave.

Southern Pines

9:30-11:30 a.m.

Each charrette will provide the same information. Seating is limited by facility capacity.

BY TOM EMBREY

AND TED M. NATT JR.

Of The Pilot Staff

Southern Pines Town Council member Fred Walden says he remembers when Horse Country residents lobbied local and state politicians in the 1950s to get a new route for U.S. 1 cut through the middle of town instead of their land.

“The politicians at that time convinced the state to divide Southern Pines,” Walden says. “We’ve been having access problems between east and west ever since, because the only links between the two are the overpasses at Morganton Road and Pennsylvania Avenue. There used to be more cross-streets.”

The more things change, the more they apparently stay the same.

The N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has targeted Horse Country for a new U.S. 1 bypass, an 11-mile stretch of four-lane highway that would start north of Southern Pines and reconnect south of Aberdeen. The proposed route drew the ire of residents when it was unveiled in 2002, and nothing has changed in the interim.

Walden represents the town on the Moore County Transportation Committee, or MCTC. He says that “every time it [the bypass idea] comes up, people in Horse Country lobby the politicians to prevent it from going through there.”

The proposed bypass likely would go through the Walthour Moss Foundation, a 4,200-acre nature preserve in Horse Country that is home to large stands of longleaf pines as well as numerous endangered plants and wildlife.

Supporters of the foundation, which was created in 1974, say they are concerned that a highway bypass would cause economic and environmental damage — though members of the foundation’s leadership differ with Walden’s recollection of the nature of past struggles over routing.

Richard “Dick” Moore, president of the foundation board, says his organization supports finding a way to meet the future needs of the county as far as U.S. 1 is concerned, but its supporters think there is a better answer than a bypass.

“A freeway going through a nature preserve and going through rural horse country is devastating and totally incompatible,” Moore says.

Other Projects Included

This time, there are four other major road projects in Moore County that will be included in a Comprehen-7sive Transportation Plan (CTP) being developed for the county that will reflect the priorities of residents and elected officials.

The other projects include improvements to N.C. 24/27 and the N.C. 211 Bypass/Western Connection. According to NCDOT, the need for these projects is to ease heavy traffic congestion along, N.C. 2, N.C. 5, U.S. 1 and U.S. 15-501.

For more about the comprehensive transportation plan click here.

“Moore County’s transportation infrastructure is vital in supporting continued growth, the public’s well-being and safety, economic development and statewide mobility,” says Frances Bisby, a transportation engineer for NCDOT who is spearheading the agency’s public outreach initiative for the CTP.

Transportation Secretary Gene Conti says heavy vehicle use along U.S. 1 and other roads is severely crippling traffic and posing potential threats to motorists.

“Some of the transportation needs the county faces may require new or different routing of existing roads to protect community resources,” Conti says.

But he stressed that the final plan would be the county’s, not the DOT’s.

“This is your plan,” he says. “I can’t stress that enough.”

Moore says he and others are committed to preserving the foundation, and they are hopeful they can offer a viable solution to a bypass.

“What we’ve tried to do, rather than be an opposition, we’ve tried to be part of the solution and say what is the best way to do it,” Moore says.

Other Options Explored

To identify possible alternatives to a bypass, the foundation has engaged Martin Alexiou Bryson, a Raleigh-based transportation firm that regularly works closely with NCDOT.

“What we’ve found,” Moore says, “is that there are ways of upgrading the existing U.S. 1 to make it a freeway that would meet the criteria of the DOT that are far less expensive than a huge bypass going around, that would offer an opportunity for improvement and reinvestment rather than destruction of a very valuable asset.”

Moore says a detailed plan is still being completed. He says it is being shown to stakeholders for their input and then being revised with the goal of presenting a completed plan to the DOT during the “charrettes” — or public workshops — scheduled throughout Moore County during the first week of November.

“Everything culminates with the charrettes — that’s election date, that is when people get to vote,” Moore says.

Prior to the charrettes, the foundation says it plans to hold two informational meetings at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 18 and 25 at the Sunrise Theater in downtown Southern Pines.

Moore hopes that with public input, the bypass can again be put aside, this time in favor of a better option.

“For the town (Southern Pines) and the county, it would be an absolute disaster to see this (Moss Foundation and Horse Country) destroyed — especially when I don’t think it has to be,” he says. “I think there are other ways to do it, and we all have to work together to find a better solution.”

NCDOT is working with the MCTC, the Moore County Planning and Community Development Department and the Triangle Area Rural Planning Organization. They will host the charrettes.

“Our job is to make sure everyone has the same information and opportunity to speak out before we start the CTP,” Bisby says. “People need to voice their opinions and tell us their priorities. It’s not about one stakeholder. Everyone needs to stand up and be counted.”

‘A Chance to Participate’

Moore County Commissio-ner Jimmy Melton, who chairs the MCTC, calls the planning process one of the most important to occur in the county “in quite some time.”

“This will affect us for the next 30 or 40 years,” Melton says. “If we don’t do it ourselves, the state and federal governments will do it for us. We need to protect those areas where the roads are going to go from development. We’ve got to do it this time.”

Melton believes that one of the main goals should be to upgrade the county’s existing roads wherever possible.

“So we don’t have to cut new roads through farmland and our countryside,” he says. “I want to preserve the way Moore County looks now.”

To help residents and elected officials better understand the transportation planning process, NCDOT says it intends to utilize “Strings and Ribbons” for the first time during the charrettes. Strings and Ribbons is a consensus-building exercise used to teach citizens about needs, constraints, priorities and funding flexibility.

The name comes from the materials used in playing the game/exercise. It includes ribbons for roads, string for sidewalks, and paper cutouts for buses and other modes of transportation.

“It kind of works almost like Monopoly. It’s the same process we go through in the planning process,” Bisby says. “The results of each table at the charrettes in Moore County will be scanned and put into a database. The data will be included in a report that will be presented to the MCTC.”

Each table will get a map of the county, scissors, glue, and “money” to spend for transportation improvements.

Players soon become aware that there are many transportation needs and not enough money.

Right now, DOT has more than $50 billion in transportation needs across North Carolina and only about $10 billion in the budget, Bisby says.

“This is a chance for the public to participate in the decision-making process,” she says, “and to help determine how to improve its roads for current and future growth.”

More like this story

Sean 1 year, 7 months ago

I think Fred Walden has a point. It should have been built out there in the first place, but it wasn't and there is no sense wishing it had been. That said, the road should be re-fashioned to accommodate the needs of the DOT.

Notice I said needs of the DOT, not needs of the citizens. Because I don’t see all the congestion they are talking about in the article. I drive about 400 to 500 miles a week in this area. If you want to see congestion, go to Fayetteville.

I don’t know what the projections are for growth, but I cannot believe that a bypass around Southern Pines will really be needed in the next 10 or 15 years. I believe fixing the existing roads is the better option.

Zippy 1 year, 7 months ago

We are going to need a by-pass congestion on business US 1 is already an obstacle. Improving the existing road doesn't make sense to me, how are you going to improve the congested business alley? Of course we can't build on the recreational enclaves of the rich they need a vast tract to exercise their expensive hobby. But they have the money to lobby like everywhere else in America so they hold more sway then ordinary, average citizens in every community in America. Watch the struggle, its going on all over the nation, and in most cases the rich and privileged win. Go to the meetings scheduled and speak out against the protected preserves of the wealthy equestrian community around here, they'll probably end up winning, they have the power, but "do" something anyway.

Sean 1 year, 7 months ago

Well the rich and privileged argument is bound to be driven to death, but the undeveloped natural resources of the area are what make the area nice. They should be preserved.

In addition, I don’t think local business owners would appreciate diverting all those potential customers away from their businesses. And there really is not much congestion. Certainly nothing that couldn’t be handled by re-routing traffic patterns at this point, and adding a lane in the near future.

CNMT 1 year, 7 months ago

I just hope that the Town of Southern Pines has more of a say in this DOT project than the Village of Pinehurst had in the widening of 211. The DOT is making a mess of this entire stretch of roadway claiming it will ease traffic congestion. I have driven 211 at many different times of the day and have yet to see the congestion they are referring to. And I am still baffled how they are going to merge 2 lanes of eastbound traffic onto a one lane traffic circle! Maybe that is the plan - this will make the traffic circle a disaster and they can change it to a traditional 4 point (or 5 points if you count HWY 2 headed toward the village) intersection. Put up traffic lights and let the congestion begin!!!!

SandhillsCitizen 1 year, 7 months ago

As a birder, I have walked in the Walthour-Moss Foundation often, and it is open to the public. So I respectfully disagree that it is a "protected preserves of the wealthy equestrian community." That open space is part of what makes this such a special area. What would our area look like without all that open space? More development that would require government services and drive up Moore County taxes? More development that would limit training at Fort Bragg? Fort Bragg loves Horse Country because, unlike development next to base in other neighboring counties, it is low density and doesn't force training farther into the reservation. The horse people spend their money in town. They and people who come here for horse shows spend money in local restaurants, hotels, and shops. Why would we want to destroy Horse Country and drive them away? I sure like the scenic roads and my pocketbook sure likes county taxes that they pay without getting any real services out there. That's good for everyone. I hope our local officials don't get bulldozed by DOT. DOT engineers just care about building roads, because that's their job, and economic effects on our communities are irrelevant. How do you think that those businesses in Vass are doing after the bypass was built several years ago? How would downtown Aberdeen and Southern Pines do with Big Box retailers out on a bypass? That's certainly not good for our towns. DOT engineers and the highway construction contractors just want to keep laying pavement on the taxpayers' dime. Whether we need it or not!

DaveyNC 1 year, 7 months ago

Sean, above, hits on the real issue. Not a good idea to route all that traffic away from the main business district. It would likely create a new business corridor along the bypass and orphan the current businesses. Of course, those in the real estate bidness might welcome such a thing.

Personally, this sounds like the DOT wanting to build a road just because they can. Local leaders need to fight this one both for the sake of the Moss Foundation and the local merchants.

Easygoing 1 year, 7 months ago

When your only tool is a hammer everything looks like it needs a nail driven in it. When you are the NC DOT and you only want to build roads, everywhere you look needs another road (or guardrail, or widing, or traffic light, or another lane, or something to make you important and keep your job.

RObertLittle23 1 year, 7 months ago

I live in horse country and work in Raleigh area. In my drive every week day, the traffic between Southern Pines and Tramway is extremely light. After Sanford the traffic is light, and once you get to Apex, the traffic is extremely heavy. So I don't understand the need for a by-pass. The traffic on Hwy 1 in town is local traffic with very little through traffic.

dlb 1 year, 7 months ago

It looks as if the work this article is about takes place from Morgantown Rd to a point south of US 5. Unless the maps are purposely misleading I do not see how horse country is affected. The project seems to be a major upgrade to the existing roadway by widening, limiting access, and the coustruction of several bridges and elevated roadway at US 5. But I am just a dumb yankee.

Roorke 1 year, 7 months ago

U.S. One still will reduce to a two lane road in Rockingham, and that being downtown. Are there any plans to bypass there where it is needed?

Sean 1 year, 7 months ago

dlb, I don't see any maps in the article, but I'm just a dumb hick. Perhaps you might consider shareing your source/link?

pacer 1 year, 7 months ago

dlb, it would have a huge impact on horse country because a lot of people ride in the foundation. The WM foundation is land that was given for people to use and the "givers" were horseman. The acreage is full of riders on a daily basis on pleasure trips as well as competition. Just so you know.

dlb 1 year, 7 months ago

Sean, Look at the 3rd paragraph after Other Projects Include.

Toda 1 year, 7 months ago

The DOT can gladly have my property for Moore County tax value!!

djcalaska 1 year, 7 months ago

Seems like the government has just a little bit of land east of S. Pines which may be an avenue for discussion. There are too many "if's" here to even begin discussing this seriously.

Sean 1 year, 7 months ago

Thank You.

dlb 1 year, 7 months ago

Here is a link that is a letter from the council for the Walthour-Moss Foundation to NCDOT dated February 9, 2011 that includes a map of a proposed alignment of a Southern Pines BYPass East of Southern Pines and Aberdeen. If this is a serious plan, I am against it. There is no need to build this proposed option. The plan was proposed in 2006. NCDOT can't be this dumb.

http://www.ncdot.org/doh/preconstruct/tpb/PDF/MooreCo_letter_to_Conti.pdf

Matt_Woodruff 1 year, 7 months ago

Newsflash: "Horse country" is not in Southern Pines. But I am all for the town annexing it!

isthisamerica 1 year, 7 months ago

I think these are just ideas at this time. Options are still out there. Yes, traffic on US 1 isn't LA or Raleigh yet, but it's nice to know someone is actually planning for the future and we don't have to be reactive. If you create a route next to Ft. Bragg you always have the option to enfore restrictive development zoning codes. This Bypass will no doubt cost the business folks on Hamburger Alley. It would not kill them, but would hurt some pockets. SP and P Hurst have a good enough brand name it will be a destination point and Aberdeen will get the run off from that. Should we stir up the pot about a few other bypasses in Moore County :)

gherkinsmom 1 year, 7 months ago

I think we have to consider how this might affect our values as a community.
Ft. Bragg, Weymouth Woods and the Walthour-Moss Foundation provides a large, intact ecosystem and is one of the last of the great long leaf pine forests. The Sandhill ecosystem is one of the oldest and most diverse of ecosystems. To consider placing a major highway smack in the middle of this wildlife corridor that is home to numerous species, including the endangered Red Cockaded Woodpecker just doesn't make sense. Open space is a good thing and once its gone, its gone for good.. Some very generous people with vision granted this open space to future generations of plants, animals and people. To put a highway through it would have multiple impacts not the least of which would be destruction of critical habitat and elimination of some of the most scenic and rural parts of Moore County. I think we all have to come together and find a solution that works without costing us critical habitat, loss of open space and some of the most scenic, rural area in the county.

veesutherland 1 year, 7 months ago

Here is the link to the NCDOT site where the bypass is discussed for US1. It's in the "Long Term Projects" section of the site. http://www.ncdot.gov/projects/moorechoices/ There are a bunch of pdf files which I could not download, but I don't know why. There are also a handful of videos discussing the "problem:" congestion. I find it very interesting that every single shot of traffic flowing through the county shows, at the worst, light congestion.
I appreciate the fact that the DOT is allowing us to be a part of the solution, but thus far, I do not see the problem. I honestly hope that in the upcoming meetings we will see studies and reports with detailed data outlining the problem. As far as I'm concerned, the burden of proof is on the DOT to prove to us that we're headed for disaster with our current roads and traffic patterns.

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