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BlockWorks

Months ago, our Community Appearance Commission conceived a groundbreaking project. Take nominations from neighborhoods for the block most in need of a makeover. Have an impartial committee select the neediest block. Gather volunteers and improve the block: trim vegetation, replace porch rails, paint, plant. The improvements could serve as inspiration to the rest of the neighborhood.

The committee named the project, BlockWorks.

Four or five neighborhoods submitted applications. A selection was made. One neighborhood that was not selected decided to perform their own makeover, since the committee was not going to do it. Already BlockWorks had made a positive effect.

The City employee who serves as staff liaison to the committee, fortunately enough, is a landscape architect and an urban planner. Further, she is amazingly dedicated, even though she lives 35 miles away. She partnered with the United Way for volunteers. She divided the assigned area into various projects, and assigned project chairs to each individual project. She gathered tools, equipment, and even acquired a front-end loader on loan. She wrote grants and received more money than ever imagined.

At that point, the committee agreed with the selected neighborhood to expand the project from 1 block to 2.

Fortune smiled so much on this project, that the day selected by the committee, 22.October, turned out to be National Make a Difference Day. No one had realized it. Scads of citizens who called the United Way for recommendations as to how to make a difference, were referred to BlockWorks.

Yesterday was the long-awaited day. It dawned cool, sunny, and clear -- the perfect workday.

We had 90+ volunteers throughout the day.

The 2-block area included a small church in real need of maintenance, and about 9 homes.

We:

• Built picket fences, (8 of them, I think.), and painted them;
• Painted the church's fellowship building, erected a new awning above the door;
• Replaced the church's sign;
• Installed a wooden fence to hide the church's garbage cans;
• Installed pavers at the corner where pedestrians had worn the yard bare;
• Installed 15 or so landscaping beds and mulched them;
• Edged all the sidewalks and cleaned them, swept about 100 miles of concrete (or so it feels);
• Plowed up old bushes and planted new ones;
• Replaced porch railings on 2 houses;
• Pulled 10,000 weeds;
• Laughed, rubbed each others' shoulders, drank a lot of water;
• Cared for the neighbors' babies while they worked.

 

Many of the neighbors worked hard, too, including one church member who has only 1 arm. How’s that for humbling.

It was one of the best days of my life.

I was determined not to leave while anyone was still working. I left at 6pm and the neighborhood looks amazing. I am truly proud of this community.

Please take a few moments of your day and drive, slowly, down the 200 and 300 blocks of South Shaver Street to see the results for yourself. Not sure where it is? It's about a block and a half behind the big Post Office. If you happen upon a block where every home has a lovely little picket fence in front, you're there.

 

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I Voted No

At a recent City Council meeting, we heard a request to close off an alley so that a private developer could combine two separate parking lots, enclose the entirety with curbing, and add a gate.

I voted, “No.” The measure passed on a 4-1 vote.

Why did I vote against it?

• I’m not against parking.
• I’m not against the individual or the company.

I gave a great deal of thought to this issue. I realized I would probably be the Lone Dissenter. Yet, I could not let that change my vote.

The two lots are currently open, meaning that many folks park there without a paid subscription while they eat dinner at a local restaurant or see a play.

The enclosed lot and gate will put an end to that practice.

Nothing wrong with that – on private land. But to incorporate public land into a private, for-profit business is hard for me to go along with. Our city revenues are down – citizens are buying less, translating into lower sales tax revenues. Likewise, property values are down, translating into lower property tax revenues.

The alley that City Council ceded to this private business is larger than Salisbury’s favorite hot dog place. It is about 18% as large as either one of the parking lots – and they are valued at $100,000 each.

I feel the alley is worth something – particularly to the developer who needs it to create one large, profitable, private enterprise.

So I voted, “No.”

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Yadkin Bridge Update

I was fortunate to attend a presentation at the Chamber of Commerce last week where we learned plans for the new Yadkin River Bridge.

The speaker was Pat Ivey, engineer for NCDOT. I think it's safe to say there's no one with more comprehensive knowledge on the project than he.

He covered information in five areas:

• History and facts on the current bridge
• Plans for the new bridge
• Timeline
• Budget
• Demolition of the old bridge

HISTORY AND FACTS

The Yadkin Bridge (YB) was built in 1955 as part of the Eisenhower Interstate System. I was surprised to learn that the original goal of the interstate system was not travel or commerce, as I had thought - but national defense - providing a means of evacuation in case of attack or extreme weather.

• The I-85 corridor is the most-traveled artery between Richmond and Atlanta.
• More than 60,000 vehicles cross the bridge every day.
• About 24%, or 15,000, of these are freight trucks. The average for any roadway is about 8% trucks.
• This high volume of trucks is one reason the maintenance of I-85 is much higher than normal - and it has also led to a quicker demise of the YB.
• NCDOT predicts the YB will carry 124,000 vehicles a day by 2025.
• Bridges in NC are rated on a 100-point "sufficiency rating." The YB scores 33.9 on this scale.

The crash rate on and around the YB is 77% higher than the national average. This is due to the narrow width combined with the high volume of cars. If the volume were lower, the narrow width would not present a problem. Likewise, if the bridge were wider, the volume of cars would not be an issue.

NEW BRIDGE

The project for the new bridge spans 6.8 miles, although the bridge itself will not be that long. Altogether, 9 bridges will be replaced, including several over minor water and railroad tracks. The project will straighten the sharp curve just south (our side) of the bridge, and will move the bridge 500 feet to the east (towards Buck Steam Station). By having the new bridge further to the east, workers will have an easier time demolishing the old bridge.

The roadway throughout the project will be widened to 8 lanes.

• The old exit for 29/150 will be moved north.
• The Clark Road interchange will be eliminated.
• The Belmont interchange will be redesigned to meet current standards.
• Phase I is 3 miles long, starting at Long Ferry Road and running north to NC 150.
• Phase I includes the YB.
• Phase II is 3.8 miles long, starting at NC150 and running north to the Business 85 interchange.
• Phase II is much simpler than Phase I.

The project also includes work to realign the railroad tracks beneath the bridge, as they have a sharp curve as well. The sharp curve is not conducive to high-speed rail, which will be implemented in the near future. Realigning the tracks allows more room for them, also supporting high-speed rail. This work will be paid from the $545 million in ARRA (stimulus) funds earmarked for high-speed rail. 

TIMELINE

• Award the contract: First week of May
• Begin construction in Phase I: Summer 2010
• Complete Construction Phase I: 2013
• Phase II: undetermined; may define in Fall, 2010.

Utility relocation is currently underway; most additional property has already been acquired.

BUDGET

Phase I totals about $180mm.

o $10mm comes from ARRA (stimulus) funds.

o $20mm comes from Division 9 funding - earmarked for right-of-way and utilities work.

o $150mm comes from Garvee bonds, which is a state's way of borrowing money against its expected receipts. The money is repayable over 12 years with interest. Interest alone on this amount totals $12.3mm. This project takes our state to its maximum allowed use of Garvee bonds.

Phase II totals about $120mm. The funding plan is being developed at this time.

We may receive additional TIGER funds to supplement this project, per Congressman Watt.

DEMOLITION

The demolition of the old bridge will cost about $2.5mm and will involve barges and divers. No concrete is to go into the river.