November 29, 2023<\/p>\n
Mayor and Members of the Carrboro Town Council:<\/p>\n
I am speaking for Friends of Bolin Creek, a 501 c (3) non-profit established in 2003\u00a0to protect the Bolin Creek Watershed.<\/p>\n
First, let me speak to our preference for Flexible Funding Option 1 because it supports long-standing improvement projects all citizens of Carrboro have been long-awaiting and that are “shovel ready,” with all reports and reviews finished.<\/p>\n
Second, while this Board has chosen the Creekside route located in the riparian buffer of Bolin Creek and would like to advance it with the MPO, this project is not sufficiently complete to be worthy of a recommendation for funding.\u00a0You cannot depend on the 2009 Bolin Creek Greenway Conceptual Plan because this plan recommends the sewer easement and trail be moved away from the creek.<\/p>\n
At the October 17 Council meeting, we learned for the first time that Sungate Design Group had prepared a 09\/28 technical review of the \u201cBolin Creek Greenway Conceptual Master Plan\u201d for the Town Planning staff.\u00a0\u00a0When the Planning Director concluded her\u00a0presentation to the Council she said\u00a0that no regulatory barriers were found, and listed this conclusion on a slide.\u00a0This report had not been made public and the Council did not have a copy of the report when they voted.<\/p>\n
Since then, we\u2019ve read the report and found a number of regulatory barriers. I\u2019ll mention just two here. A state riparian buffer authorization will be needed under the Jordan Lake Buffer Rules. For the approval to be granted, the Town must demonstrate that there are \u201cno practical alternatives\u201d that would better minimize disturbance to the buffer and aquatic environment. 15A NCAC 02B .0267. The reports states there \u201cappears to be other practical alternatives\u201d that would better minimize disturbance.<\/p>\n
The Sungate engineers also reports that they talked to OWASA and learned that the start of the sewer replacement for this entire line has been pushed out to FY 29. Does it make sense to construct a multi-million-dollar cement structure and rip it up a few years later when the sewer replacement is constructed?<\/p>\n
These are just two examples of regulatory problems with the route you have chosen.\u00a0That should be enough to give this Board pause about the wisdom of proceeding further.<\/p>\n
Martha Hoelzer<\/p>\n
Friends of Bolin Creek
\nNovember 29, 2023<\/p>\n
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