Our Newsletter

Build the Bridge-Preserve Our Roads, Inc. Annual Membership Meeting
November 8, 2007

Board of Directors in attendance: G. Cruickshanks (President), G. Sullivan (Treasurer), and S. Taylor.

The meeting was called to order at 5:00 PM.
The Board received 96 proxy statements in addition to the meeting attendees.

Minutes of November 30, 2006 Membership Meeting: Approved as presented.

Treasurer's Report: explanation of 2007 fund expenditures ($1,058 primarily in communications) with a balance of $34,210 in the treasury. Report to be filed for audit.

2008 Budget: The Board has decided there are sufficient funds for 2008 planned expenditures, so 2008 membership fees have been waived for current members. The budget was approved unanimously. A copy of the budget is attached.

Election of Board Members: Don Smith, Chairman of the Nominating Committee, reported that the current Board Members have agreed to stay on for another year. Th slate of Board Members was proposed and unanimously accepted by the membership:

Gwenn Cruickshanks, President Currituck
John Wander, Vice President Duck
Geri Sullivan, Treasurer Southern Shores
Bob Palombo, Secretary Southern Shores
Gene Gregory Currituck
Keith Hall Currituck
Allan Starr Duck
Sam Taylor Duck
Grayson Via Southern Shores

Project Manager's Report: S. Taylor presented the Toll Authority status to the membership. He reported that the BB-PR Board has been coordinating with the Toll Authority Project team and is pleased with the results so far. Recently the Board completed a review of Authority handouts provided to the environmental regulatory agencies involved in monitoring the bridge study and the minutes of the Authority meetings with these agencies during 2007. As a result of this review, a letter was prepared and mailed to the Authority with comments from the BB/PR Board. Copies of the letter have also been mailed to local organizations. A copy of the letter was provided to attendees and is attached.

Jennifer Harris, coordinator for the Authority and project manager of the Currituck Bridge project study, reports that efforts towards a bridge are actively being pursued. Work is underway in determining 158 tie-ins with a bridge road, on related environmental work, and on accesses on each end of the bridge.

The authority has recommended that widening NC 12 is not a preferred option over building a bridge. While several of the coordinating agencies still want a NC 12 widening option to remain on the table, the Authority has the prerogative to continue studies without this option and they are doing so.

The current project schedule provided by the Toll Authority this month includes the following target dates:

Draft environmental impact statement July 2008
Final alternative selected November 2008
Final environmental impact statement May 2009
Record of Decision August 2009

Once the Record of Decision is completed, permitting can be formalized and contracts can be finalized with private concerns who will be involved in final designs, construction, and operation of the bridge.

The Toll Authority expects to hold public meetings on the Outer Banks late this year or early next year. It is important that our members attend/communicate with the project team to insure our members' voices are heard.

Jennifer Harris reports that ECU is providing needed study data for the authority and their first major report is expected during January 08.

S. Taylor and G. Sullivan provided the members with the current estimated costs of widening route 12 to 3 lanes ($304 million) and 5 lanes ($527 million). The cost for 3 lanes assumes a bike path on both sides of the road. Property along the Duck Road section in Southern Shores and Duck would have to be condemned to accommodate 3 or 5 lanes, as the current right of way is only 60 feet.

Member Comments:

1. A 1 ½ mile bridge was built across Biloxi Bay in record time. Can we make sure the project team looks at this project?
The length of time it takes to build a bridge is driven by a number of factors, which can impact the schedule. For example, the Virginia Dare Bridge was approved without having to go through the long study process, as it was considered a replacement bridge.
In looking up information on the Biloxi Bay Bridge, it was a replacement bridge, and total construction time from design to completion was about 15 months.

2. Is there opposition to the bridge in Corolla?
Based on BB-PR activities so far, there appears to be majority support in Corolla for a bridge. Many visitors and property owners signed our petition, and about 1/3 of BB-PR members are Corolla a property owner. We need to insure that these property owners are heard, when public hearings are held over the next several months.

Announcements: The next membership meeting will be in November 2008, specific date and time TBA.

The meeting adjourned at approximately 6:35 PM.

Submitted by:

F. Geri Sullivan