PEMBROKE — Road projects were the main topics of discussion at two meetings held Monday by the Town Council.
At a special meeting that took place two hours before the regular monthly meeting, council members heard from the N.C. Department of Transportation about how it is addressing concerns brought up during and after the open house in February on the N.C. 711 widening project. The council expressed new concerns.
“Unfortunately, we’re not able to address and accommodate all problems,” said Bryan Eason, of H.W. Locklear, an engineering firm hired by DOT.
The project spans about one mile and is designed to ease traffic flow along Pembroke’s busiest street and provide greater safety through the use of four lanes, concrete mediums and restricted turning at some intersections. Sidewalks and bike lanes, which are part of the town’s strategic plan, are intended to make travel safer for students walking and biking to apartments and shopping.
Various home and businesses owners on the south side of N.C. 711 expressed concerns about the project not allowing much left-in access for west-bound traffic and left-out access for east-bound traffic. The board was particularly worried about not having left-turn access to the McDonald’s restaurant. The plans would force increase in traffic on Lowery Road, which parallels the business, Councilman Ryan Sampson said.
“That little road has major problems,” Mayor Greg Cummings said. “It just can’t hold that traffic.”
Town Manager Tyler Thomas expressed concerns about the lack of plans for pedestrian crossings.
“The town was under the impression that there would be signals for pedestrian to get across 711 in your plans,” Thomas said.
Bryan Maynor, of Lumbee Guaranty Bank, requested the reduction of an easement so as not to affect parking at the business. Eason said that the easement was to accommodate larger utility trucks, so the DOT agreed to reduce it to accommodate passenger-sized vehicles.
Councilman Larry McNeill was confident in the project, but said it will take a lot of work.
“Overall there’s some progress, but there’s some uncertainties about the project,” he said.
Cummings was less confident.
“It’s gonna have a major effect on the commercial growth of the town of Pembroke,” Cummings said. “This is affecting our tax base and projects for the future.”
Construction is planned to begin in January 2022 and end in April 2023.
At the regular meeting, council members heard results from the Pembroke Traffic Separation Study from Scott Sibert, a senior rail and transit planner from WSP, a rail system planning, design and management firm. The study is an evaluation of traffic patterns and road usage at railroad corridors within the town.
Suggestions in the report included eliminating crossings at Redmond Road; Odum, Barker and Vance streets; and near The University of North Carolina at Pembroke; and adding pedestrian crossings. The proposal also includes adding stop bars and four-quad gates to the crossing on Third Street.
Councilman Channing Jones encouraged Sibert to make sure plans do not conflict with future DOT projects.
“I want to make sure all those other plans are incorporated into your analysis,” Jones said.
The cost of the repurposing the crossing is estimated at between $926,000 and $1,075,000.
Also at the meeting, council members approved a rezoning request to change a 2.74-acre tract off N.C. 711 from an Industrial District to a Residential-Agricultural District. The applicant, Jonathan Brewington, said the land will be subdivided into about six lots to allow for the placement of double-wide mobile homes for rent.
“It’ll be a community,” Brewington said. “I plan to name it. It will be done very nicely.”
In other business, the council:
— Accepted a $150,000 grant from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality the town will use to perform asset inventory and assessment work for the town’s water and sewer system.
— Approved a resolution to accept Hunter’s Run Avenue as a public road.
— Approved the plat for the Village Hunter’s Run Apartments. The complex will consist of 10 apartment buildings with 24 single-, two- and three-bedroom units in each building.
— Heard from Councilwoman Theresa Locklear about the Once Upon a Time Tea Party scheduled for June 8 at Milton R. Hunt Memorial Park. The event is for children ages 5 through 12.
