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By Frank Ruggiero
The Boone Town Council has paved the way for progress
on the U.S. 421 widening with a $1.2 million commitment for
utility upgrades.
Council members took action at their annual retreat Friday,
Feb. 20, having learned such an agreement would be necessary
for the N.C. Department of Transportation to open the project
for construction bids.
Boone Town Council members
Lynne Mason and Rennie Brantz consider funding for U.S.
421 improvements. Photo
by Frank Ruggiero |
Drawn from funds presently committed to other town projects,
including the acquisition of land for the new raw water intake,
improvement of the Hunting Hills Lane park and the Howard Street
revitalization project; the $1.2 million is composed of approximate
sums to the tune of $780,000 toward utility relocation, namely
water and sewer; $77,000 for utility adjustment, namely sidewalks
leading to the new Watauga High School; and $300,000 for street
lights and other amenities, such as fencing and stone facades
for retaining walls.
The Howard Street fund would contribute $168,661 toward the
421 widening.
The project, designated 4020, would see the widening of U.S.
421 from Hardin Street to N.C. 194, modifying the four-lane
roadway to a six-lane divided highway.
As of May 2008, the 1.1 mile project weighed in at a grand total
of $34.8 million, including right-of-way acquisition and construction.
In the process, one residential property owner and 65 residential
tenants will be displaced, as well as nine business owners and
21 business tenants.
Council members were reluctant to draw funding from the Howard
Street revitalization project, which is intended to beautify
the downtown roadway by incorporating one-way and two-way streets
to provide additional parking and pedestrian access, while placing
utilities underground.
Under the new plan, Howard Street would run one way from Depot
Street to Water Street, and two ways from Depot Street to Appalachian
Street, with sidewalks on both sides of the road, benches, bicycle
racks and a kiosk.
Council member Rennie Brantz observed that action on the Howard
Street funding is sitting stagnant, with progress at a virtual
standstill as the town attempts to gather right-of-way easements
necessary for the project.
“I hate to (draw funds from the Howard Street project),
but I don’t know where else,” council member Stephen
Phillips said.
Council member Liz Aycock agreed, noting that the Howard Street
project would result in increased taxes for Boone citizens,
which she called an unfair burden in the economy’s weakened
state.
The tax increase, which would fund debt services, was set at
3 to 3.5 cents, based on 2008-09 estimates.
Mayor pro tem Lynne Mason was also hesitant, considering $1
million in Howard Street funding was already diverted toward
the creation of a new raw water intake.
Aycock expressed frustration with the project’s lack of
progress, and Phillips said somebody must take charge in the
situation to acquire remaining right-of-way easements.
“We’re ready to go, pending (property owners’)
cooperation,” Mason said, suggesting condemnation of easements
for those holding out. “If people don’t want to do
it on a voluntary basis, which has given them the opportunity
to, at least, negotiate to a certain point … I think it
would be shortsighted on our part.”
The right-of-way acquisition process has been pending since
July 2006. In the meantime, the council approved an appropriation
of $25,000 toward engineering costs from the W.K. Dickson firm,
with which the town had contracted for the project, for natural
gas coordination, a redesign of alley utilities, the Kraut Creek
Committee’s suggested best management practices, plan and
specification updates, and streetscape revisions near ECR Software.
The funding was unanimously approved, on condition that Boone’s
community appearance standards are implemented into the design.
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