Board Asks NCDOT To Suspend Paving

The board voted unanimously to request that the NCDOT halt paving Arthur Minnus Road, located between Chapel Hill and Hillsborough, until it has time to clarify details.

NCDOT Division Engineer Mike Mills said right of way was given to proceed with the paving project, which is currently an 800-foot dirt road.

"We are required by general statute to pave the roads when we get the right of way," Mills said.

A group of residents -- opposed to the continued development of the Tuscany Ridge subdivision, which hinges on the paving of the road -- attended the meeting at the Orange County Courthouse. Among the concerns raised by residents were well water quality preservation, erosion control and septic tank issues.

Fred Zimmerman of 1910 Arthur Minnus Road said he and his fellow residents were unaware of the proposed subdivision before the board moved to allow development at the area.

"We never heard of Tuscany Ridge until we heard (the board) approved the subdivision," Zimmerman said. "We believe that it was made in a discriminatory manner because we were not notified."

Board Chairman Barry Jacobs said the particular area the Tuscany Ridge subdivision is located in is subject to slightly different rules. The county is legally obligated to notify affected residents of new developments, except when those residents live in what has been dubbed the "rural buffer," which includes the Tuscany Ridge development.

Jacobs said the board will investigate the possibility of changing this requirement.

The board also directed county staff to notify residents of future subdivision projects and examine erosion, septic tank and other issues related to development.

Board members expressed concern over the development project as well.

Commissioner Stephen Halkiotis said the threat to well water is a major concern.

"When I hear about roadways coming within feet of someone's drinking supply, I have a problem with that," Halkiotis said.

Despite residents' concerns over potential encroachment on septic tanks and well lines, Mills said the stretch of road would not have been given right of way if this was an issue.

But Commissioner Margaret Brown said the effort to halt the road work would be a difficult one.

"We have the DOT to contend with, and they tend to do things on their own terms and on their own time," she said.

Commenting on the decision to contact the NCDOT, Mills said he will examine the board's resolution when he receives it. "When I get the request, we will certainly look at it," he said.

The City Editor can be reached at citydesk@unc.edu.