Monroe Connector/Bypass STIP Project No. R-3329/R-2559 Mecklenburg and Union Counties PUBLIC HEARINGS December 9, 2013 South Piedmont Community College Monroe, NC Pre-Hearing Open House 4:00 - 6:30 PM Formal Presentation 7:00 PM December 10, 2013 Union County Agricultural Center Monroe, NC Pre-Hearing Open House 4:00 - 6:30 PM Formal Presentation 7:00 PM December 11, 2013 Next Level Church Matthews, NC Open House 4:00 - 7:00 PM WELCOME to the public hearings for the Monroe Connector/Bypass project hosted by the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Thank you for participating in tonight’s hearing and providing your input on the project. WHAT TO DO TONIGHT... READ this handout - It presents information about the project history, recent activities, and the project schedule. REVIEW the project displays - Project maps on display show the Detailed Study Alternatives (DSA), including the Preferred Alternative (DSA D). The Preferred Alternative has not changed since the Final EIS. Other displays show the proposed typical sections and traffic flow diagrams. TALK with the project team - We are here to answer your questions and discuss the project one-on-one. TELL us what you think - There are several ways to make your voice heard. Please fill out a comment form, discuss your comments with a project team member, and/or sign up to speak during the public comment portion of the public hearing. NCDOT Division 10 Office 716 West Main Street, Albemarle Monroe Planning Department 300 West Crowell Street Indian Trail Planning Department 130 Blythe Drive Monroe Library 316 East Windsor Street Edwards Memorial Library 414 Hasty Street, Marshville CRTPO/Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Dept. 600 East Fourth Street (8th Foor), Charlotte Stallings Planning Department 315 Stallings Road Matthews Branch Library 230 Matthews Station Street Union West Library 123 Unionville-Indian Trail Road, Indian Trail DOCUMENT REVIEW LOCATIONS Legend Preferred Alternative Right of Way Preferred Alternative Study Corridor ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! N Rocky River Rd Unionville - Indian Poplin Rd S Rocky River Rd Medlin Rd Old Monroe Marshville Rd Ridge Rd Austin Grove Church Rd Walkup Ave Monroe - Ansonville Rd Austin Chaney Rd Olive Branch Rd Mills Harris Rd Ansonville Rd Old Highway Rd Forest Hills School Rd McIntyre Rd Lake Twitty Lake Lee Richardson Creek Meadow Branch h c n a r B k c i l p m u t S South Fork Crooked Creek North Fork Crooked Creek Bearskin Creek Stewarts Creek Monroe Unionville Wingate Marshville Indian Trail Weddington Stallings Lake Park Hemby Bridge Wesley Chapel Mecklenburg Co. Union Co. Matthews Mint Hill Fairview Õ Ö 218 Õ Ö 51 Õ Ö 84 Õ Ö 205 Õ Ö 75 Õ Ö 200 § ¨ ¦ 485 § ¨ ¦ 485 Pebble Creek Golf Course Rolling Hills County Club Future Matthews Sportsplex Belk Stadium Sardis Elementary School Forest Hills High School Stallings Elementary School Central Piedmont Community College 74 74 74 601 ) " 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 Wesley Chapel Stouts Rd Waxhaw-Indian Trail Rd Old Charlotte Hwy Stallings Rd Indian Trail Fairview Rd Matthews Indian Trail Rd Trail Rd Unionville - Indian Trail Rd Secrest Short Cut Rd 74 Fowler-Secrest Rd Secrest Short Cut Rd Fowler Rd Deese Rd Lawyers Rd Goose Creek Grass Creek Salem Creek Beaverdam Creek West Fork Twelvemile Creek East Fork Molly Branch Davis Mine Creek Price Mill Creek Charlotte Monroe Executive Airport US 74 Business Indian Trail-Fairview Road Rocky River Road Concord Highway (US 601) Morgan Mill Road (NC 200) Austin Chaney Road Forest Hills School Road 8 US 74 Business 9 7 6 5 4 2 1 Monroe Connector/Bypass Preferred Alternative NCDOT STIP Project No. R-3329/R-2559 POTENTIAL INTERCHANGE LOCATIONS Unionville-Indian Trail Road 3 December 2013 0 1.5 0.75 Miles ! 8 Based on functional designs. Subject to change. NOTE: The Preferred Alternative, the light yellow area on the map, is a minimum of 1,000 feet wide. The functional engineering design for the road has a minimum right-of- way width of 260 to 300 feet and is located within the corridor. Go to www.ncdot.gov/projects/monroeconnector for a detailed look at the Preferred Alternative.
Transcript
Monroe Connector/BypassSTIP Project No. R-3329/R-2559
Mecklenburg and Union Counties
PUBLIC HEARINGSDecember 9, 2013
South Piedmont Community College
Monroe, NC
Pre-Hearing Open House
4:00 - 6:30 PM
Formal Presentation7:00 PM
December 10, 2013
Union County Agricultural Center
Monroe, NC
Pre-Hearing Open House
4:00 - 6:30 PM
Formal Presentation7:00 PM
December 11, 2013
Next Level ChurchMatthews, NC
Open House4:00 - 7:00 PM
WELCOME to the public hearings for the Monroe Connector/Bypass project hosted by the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Thank you for participating in tonight’s hearing and providing your input on the project.
WHAT TO DO TONIGHT...
READ this handout - It presents information about the project history, recent activities, and the project schedule.
REVIEW the project displays - Project maps on display show the Detailed Study Alternatives (DSA), including the Preferred Alternative (DSA D). The Preferred Alternative has not changed since the Final EIS. Other displays show the proposed typical sections and traffic flow diagrams.
TALK with the project team - We are here to answer your questions and discuss the project one-on-one.
TELL us what you think - There are several ways to make your voice heard. Please fill out a comment form, discuss your comments with a project team member, and/or sign up to speak during the public comment portion of the public hearing.
NCDOT Division 10 Office716 West Main Street, Albemarle
Monroe Planning Department300 West Crowell Street
Indian Trail Planning Department130 Blythe Drive
Monroe Library316 East Windsor Street
Edwards Memorial Library414 Hasty Street, Marshville
CRTPO/Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Dept.600 East Fourth Street (8th Foor), Charlotte
Stallings Planning Department315 Stallings Road
Matthews Branch Library230 Matthews Station Street
Union West Library123 Unionville-Indian Trail Road, Indian Trail
DOCUMENT REVIEW LOCATIONS
LegendPreferred Alternative Right of Way
Preferred Alternative Study Corridor !
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
N Rocky River Rd
Unionville - Indian
Poplin Rd
S Rocky River Rd
Medlin Rd
Old Monroe Marshville Rd
Ridge Rd
Austin Grove Church RdWalkup Ave
Monroe - Ansonville Rd
Austin Chaney Rd
Olive Branch Rd
Mills Harris Rd
Ansonville Rd
Old Highway Rd
Forest Hills School Rd
McIntyre Rd
LakeTw
itty
LakeLee
Richardson Creek
Meadow Branch
hcnar B kcil p mut SSouth Fork Crooked Creek
North Fork Crooked Creek
Bearskin Creek
Stewarts Creek
Monroe
Unionville
Wingate
Marshville
IndianTrail
Weddington Stallings
LakePark
Hemby
Bridge
Wesley
Chapel
Mecklenburg Co.
Union Co.
Matthew
s
Mint Hill
FairviewÕ Ö 218
Õ Ö51
Õ Ö84
Õ Ö 205
Õ Ö75
Õ Ö 200
§̈¦ 485
§̈¦ 485
Pebble CreekG
olf Course
Rolling HillsCounty Club
FutureM
atthews
Sportsplex
BelkStadium
SardisElem
entarySchool
Forest HillsHigh School
StallingsElem
entarySchool
Central Piedmont
Comm
unity College
74
74
74
601
) "
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
9
Wesley Chapel Stouts Rd
Waxhaw-Indian Trail Rd
Old Charlotte Hwy
Stallings Rd
Indian Trail Fairview Rd
Matthews Indian Trail Rd
Trail RdUnionville - Indian
Trail Rd
Secrest Short Cut Rd
74
Fowler-Secrest Rd
Secrest Short
Cut Rd
Fowler Rd
Deese Rd
Lawyers Rd
Goose Creek
Grass Creek
Salem Creek
Beaverdam Creek
West Fork Twelvemile Creek
East Fork Molly Branch
Davis Mine Creek
Price Mill Creek
Charlotte Monroe
Executive Airport
US 74 BusinessIndian Trail-Fairview Road
Rocky River RoadConcord Highway (US 601)M
organ Mill Road (NC 200)
Austin Chaney RoadForest Hills School Road
8US 74 Business
9 7
6 5 42 1
Monroe Connector/Bypass
Preferred Alternative
NCD
OT STIP Project N
o. R-3329/R-2559
POTENTIALINTERCHANG
E LOCATIO
NS
Unionville-IndianTrailRoad3
December 2013
01.5
0.75
Miles
! 8
Based on functional designs.Subject to change.
NOTE: The Preferred Alternative, the light yellow area on
the map, is a m
inimum
of 1,000 feet wide. The functionalengineering design for the road has a m
inimum
right-of-way width of 260 to 300 feet and is located within thecorridor. G
o to www.ncdot.gov/projects/monroeconnector
for a detailed look at the Preferred Alternative.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), proposes to construct a project known as the Monroe Con-nector/Bypass, which would be a controlled-access toll road extending from US 74 near I-485 in Mecklenburg County to US 74 between the towns of Wingate and Marshville in Union County, a distance of approximately 20 miles. The purpose of the project is to improve mobility and capac-ity within the project study area by providing a facility for the US 74 corridor that allows for high-speed regional travel consistent with the designations of the North Carolina Strategic Highway Corridor program and the North Carolina Intrastate System, while maintaining access to proper-ties along existing US 74.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION (PROPOSED ACTION)
NCDOT previously studied two projects in this area – the Monroe Bypass (1990’s) and the Monroe Connector (early 2000’s). In 2005, the Monroe Con-nector was identified as a candidate toll facility by the General Assembly and in January 2007, NCDOT combined the Monroe Bypass and Connector into a single project, known as the Monroe Connector/By-pass. The Federal Highway Administration issued a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in January 2007 and environmental analyses were begun for the combined project re-sulting in the completion of a Draft EIS (March 2009) and a Final EIS (May 2010). Following publication of the Final EIS, Detailed Study Alternative D was iden-tified as the Preferred Alternative, as documented in the Record of Decision (ROD) (August 2010) for the project. Public involvement opportunities during the development of the Draft and Final EIS includ-ed Citizens Informational Workshops, held in June 2007, followed by Public Hearings in May 2009.
After the August 2010 ROD was published, a legal challenge of the environmental analysis was filed against FHWA and NCDOT alleging that the envi-ronmental documentation did not comply with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). FHWA and NCDOT prevailed in a fed-eral District Court decision issued in October 2011. In May 2012, the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the lower court’s decision ruling that “by [using MUMPO’s data] without disclosing the data’s underlying assumptions and by falsely responding to public concerns, the Agencies failed to take the re-quired ‘hard look’ at environmental consequences.” A Public Workshop was held in June 2012 to provide a project status update and the ROD was rescinded by FHWA in July 2012.
PROJECT HISTORY
In response to the opinion of the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals, NCDOT and FHWA prepared a Draft Supplemental Final EIS (approved by FHWA on November 8, 2013) and supporting technical documentation to specifically disclose and evaluate the critical data used as the “No-Build” scenario in the environmental analysis. In addition, the Draft Supplemental Final EIS addresses current con-ditions and focuses on any changes that have occurred with regards to the project (NOTE: there have been no changes to the proposed action), the alternatives analyses, the affected environment and impacts, and any new issues or information identified since the Final EIS was published. As part of these new analy-ses, additional field reviews, environmental studies, and coordination with environmental resource and regulatory agencies and the public have been undertaken. The results of these additional analyses are documented in the Draft Supplemental Final EIS.
WHAT’S NEW?
The most notable updates to project impacts since the Final EIS involve indirect and cumulative effects and protected species. An update of the indirect and cumulative effects analysis found that additional development (including indirect and direct effects) estimated to occur in the year 2030 with the project in place (Build Scenario) totals about two percent more than the total development expected in the year 2030 without the project (No-Build Scenario).
For protected species, new surveys were conducted for federally endangered mussels (Carolina heelsplitter) and plant species (Schweinitz’s sunflower and Michaux’s sumac) in the project area. No new specimens or populations were found. NCDOT and FHWA are currently working with the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to reach concurrence on the biological conclusions presented in the new Biological Assessment prepared for the project.
A complete discussion of updates since the Final EIS is presented in the Draft Supplemental Final EIS and summarized in Table P-1 of that document. The Draft Supplemental Final EIS is available for review this evening but can also be found, along with all supporting documentation, on the project website at www.ncdot.gov/projects/monroeconnector.
