Work begins on US 421 expansion to four lanes

By Melissa Ledgerwood

Motorists should expect delays in both directions of US 421 between Siler City and Gulf as construction crews from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) begin preparing the road for expansion.

As part of NCDOT’s transportation improvement program, construction crews are expanding the two-lane stretch of highway along US 421 between Siler City and Gulf to four lanes.

When construction is complete, US 421 will be four lanes all the way from Siler City to Sanford, according to NCDOT resident engineer John McDonald.

The engineer said there are approximately 12 miles of roadway that will be affected by the project.

In 1996, NCDOT began planning the project, which is expected to be complete in September 2007.

Engineers began the design process in 1999 and a contract to begin the project was awarded in 2004.

“It takes a long time before you can get started on a project,” McDonald said.

The engineer said NCDOT began acquiring right-of-ways along US 421 in the area of the project in the mid 1960s.

However, when engineers pursued a new design, additional right-of-ways and easements were needed, according to McDonald.

Expansion projects on major roadways such as US 421 take quite a bit of time, the engineer stated.

Before a project can begin several things must take place: a hearing process, environmental impact statements, design and a permit process.

more- See Thursday, January 6 paper: Vol 85, No.5

Hospital, churches receive grants

By Randall Rigsbee

Chatham Hospital in Siler City and three local churches were among the beneficiaries of more than $54 million in grants approved in December by the Duke Endowment.

Trustees of the Duke Endowment, which was created by James B. Duke in 1924, approved the $54 million in grants at a meeting in Charlotte last month

The total includes approximately $22.5 million to four colleges in North and South Carolina, $20 million for not-for-profit hospitals and other health care organizations, $7.1 million for building and operating rural United Methodist churches, and $3.5 million for not-for-profit children’s homes and other programs that support adoption or prevent child abuse and neglect.

Chatham Hospital was awarded a $200,000 grant to construct a community health center providing primary care to indigent and low-income citizens.

The hospital was awarded an additional grant of $87,473 for its  Caring Community and Health Ministry Outreach program.

Three Chatham County United Methodist churches were among the 105 grants totaling $3.8 million to maintain and operate rural churches.

Piney Grove United Methodist Church in Siler City received a $25,000 grant to provide domestic violence prevention training and awareness activities.

West End United Methodist Church in Bonlee received a $20,000 grant to establish a day care center.

Goldston United Methodist Church received a $3,000 grant to help provide adequate housing in rural Chatham County.

more- See Thursday, January 6 paper: Vol 85, No.5

County commissioners eye land transfer fee

By Randall Rigsbee

County commissioners Patrick Barnes and Mike Cross are hopeful Chatham may be able to implement a land transfer fee which they say would be more equitable than the county’s $1,500 impact fee on new construction and could even enable commissioners to lower the county’s tax rate.

The pair of commissioners – both newly seated last month – recently attended an orientation for county commissioners at the Institute of Government, where they learned that the coastal counties of Currituck and Dare employ a land transfer fee.

On Monday, they shared their findings with the rest of the board.

“It looks very interesting,” Barnes said Monday.

Cross shared a written analysis he has made of Chatham’s school impact fee versus a 1 percent land transfer fee.

“It is apparent,” Cross observed in his report, “that these fees [currently charged by Chatham County] will not cover the growth expenses we must meet.”

But the 1 percent land transfer fee, he said, would put Chatham County revenues in line with school impact fees of neighboring counties; better protect Chatham’s lower income families; may negate the need for the current impact fee; and will enable the county to maintain a low property tax rate.

“It’s recurring,” Cross said of the land transfer fee. “Every time your land is sold, you’d be expected to pay it.”

Cross said the land transfer fee is preferable to raising taxes.

“We have to do something,” he said.

more- See Thursday, January 6 paper: Vol 85, No.5