M E M O R A N D U M
TO: File
FROM: Jason A. Stone
DATE: July 25, 2001
RE: VTrans
Pittsford Bypass Scoping
Study
NH 019-3(49)SC
CLD Reference No. 01-0168
Subject: Pittsford
Bypass Steering Committee Meeting
Location: Pittsford
Municipal Building
attendees: Four
members of the public attended in addition to the attendees listed below.
Peg Flory Pittsford
Selectboard PBSC,
BBSC
Lynn Saunders Brandon
Selectboard PBSC,
BBSC
Dan Peterson VTrans
LTF PBSC, BBSC
James O’Gorman Pittsford Town Manager PBSC
Hank Pelkey Pittsford
Selectboard PBSC
C. Baird Morgan Pittsford PBSC
Chris Bean CLD
Engineers, Project Manager PBSC,
BBSC
Jason Stone Environmental
Specialist
Unable
to Attend:
Greg Riley VTrans
Project Manager PBSC,
BBSC
PBSC:
Pittsford Bypass
Steering Committee
BBSC: Brandon Bypass Steering Committee
1. Introductions/Purpose
of Meeting
Chris Bean asked the attendees to introduce
themselves, as two members of the public were present at the beginning of the
meeting. Dan Peterson informed the
Committee that Greg Riley is now the VTrans Project Manager for the Bypass
Studies, and that he will stay on in an advisory capacity. Chris then explained that the purpose of the
meeting was to update the Steering Committee on, and discuss the following
items:
·
US
Route 7 Upgrade and Pittsford and Brandon Bypass Scoping Study Schedules.
·
Status
of the Bypass Study Scoping Report.
·
Issues
raised at, and comments received after the May 21, 2001, Public Informational
Meeting.
·
Purpose
of the August 30, 2001, Public Informational Meeting.
2. Project Schedules
a)
US Route 7 Upgrade Projects
Chris explained that Conceptual Plans for all
six project segments have been submitted to VTrans, and that the final Comment
Review Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 31, 2001, at VTrans headquarters
in Montpelier, VT, from 9:00 AM until noon.
The current Upgrade Project schedule is an
example of how any of the project segments may be advanced to advertisement for
construction, currently slated for summer, 2006. Chris related the input received at the July 23, 2001, Brandon
Bypass Steering Committee Meeting; the time slated for the right-of-way process
is excessive and may give the impression that either the projects, or obtaining
funding for the projects, are less than urgent. The Pittsford Steering Committee concurred. Chris explained that CLD will investigate
ways to reduce the period of time slated for the Right of Way process, and also
noted that an updated Upgrade Schedule will be prepared for the next Upgrade
Steering Committee Meeting, to be held on Monday, August 6, 2001, at the
Brandon Fire Station, from 4:00 – 7:00 PM.
Peg Flory added that Project Segment 6
(Brandon Village) is likely to advance ahead of the others, as the Town of
Brandon owns the highway right-of-way and would, therefore, be the condemning
authority for that segment. This could
result in a reduction in the time required to purchase property for the
project.
Dan Peterson stressed that it is important
for the Steering Committee to stay together, to see the projects through to
construction.
b)
Pittsford and Brandon Bypass
Scoping Study
Chris explained that CLD is preparing the
Draft Bypass Scoping Report, which will be provided to the Steering Committees
for review and comment, prior to the August 30, 2001, Public Informational
Meeting. Chris explained that to date,
no resource impacts or other issues have been identified that would indicate
the study should not move forward.
Therefore, the recommendation of the Draft Scoping Report will be in
favor of advancing the Bypass Projects into the EIS process. The Report will be finalized in September,
2001, and then forwarded to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission and the
Transportation Advisory Committee in October, 2001, where priorities for
funding and listing on the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) are
determined. Chris explained that
funding for the STIP is very tight; in fact, as Dan Peterson noted, the STIP is
already approximately $30 million behind the projects that are already designed
and “on-shelf,” awaiting funds. Chris
added that the Legislature could also mandate that an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) be done. Dan stressed
the importance of strong local support for projects competing for funds, and
added that the Steering Committee should contact local and regional
transportation officials to emphasize the importance of the Bypass Projects to
Pittsford and Brandon, as well as other communities along the US Route 7
corridor.
3. May 21, 2001, Public Informational
Meeting
The
following issues were raised at the May 21, 2001, Public Informational Meeting,
and will be addressed in the Draft Scoping Report:
The likely socio-economic
effects of Bypasses on similar communities have been studied, and will be
discussed in the Report. While not all
effects are positive, the studies demonstrate that Bypasses are not as negative
as generally anticipated by locals.
·
OMYA Rail Spur
OMYA is studying the
feasibility of a rail spur that would allow transport of raw material from its
quarry, north of Brandon, to the Florence Facility. The spur would remove approximately 115 round truck-trips from
Brandon Village. An obvious question
is, therefore, “Would the spur give sufficient relief to eliminate the need for
a bypass around Brandon?” Based on currently available information and
considering the current rate of truck volume growth, the reduction in trucks on
US Route 7 resulting from the spur would not reduce the overall volume of truck
traffic on US Route 7 to a degree that would obviate the need for a
bypass. Anticipated truck traffic
growth alone would offset OMYA's 115 truck trips per day within 5-6 years.
Several in attendance
expressed the concern that the value of property affected by conceptual
corridors would be diminished. A
realtor stated his opinion that the Scoping Study and the locations of the
conceptual corridors must be disclosed to perspective property buyers and
sellers in the area. Peg Flory stated
that Greg Riley informed her of the VT Attorney General’s Office recent
opinion, that this scoping study is of such a preliminary nature that
disclosure by or to sellers is not necessary.
Peg added that a letter from the Attorney General’s Office to this
effect is forthcoming.
4. Next Meeting
A Joint Pittsford and Brandon Bypass Study Public Informational Meeting is
scheduled for August 30, 2001, at the Otter Valley Union High School
Auditorium. The meeting will begin at
6:00 PM, with an informal question and answer session. The formal presentation will begin at 7:00
PM, and a public input session will run from 7:45 to approximately 8:30
PM. The purpose of the meeting is to
present the findings documented in the Draft Scoping Report. The Report will also make the preliminary
recommendation to advance the Scoping Study into the EIS process.
JAS:cww
cc:
|
Lynn Saunders |
Brandon |
Scott Newman |
VTrans |
Chris Borstel |
Louis Berger Grp. |
|
Peg Flory |
Pittsford |
Duncan Wilkie |
VTrans |
Kathleen Ryan |
Landscape Architect |
|
Richard Baker |
Brandon |
Greg Riley |
VTrans |
Gary A. Klinefelter |
VSE |
|
Jim O’Gorman |
Pittsford |
Dennis Benjamin |
VTrans |
Virginia Russell |
State Transportation Board |
|
Mike Balch |
Brandon |
John Narowski |
VTrans |
Jon Satz |
Store Owner, Brandon |
|
Hank Pelkey |
Pittsford |
Chris Slesar |
VTrans |
Sen. Gerry Gossens |
State Senator |
|
C. Baird Morgan |
Pittsford |
Paul Conner |
RRPC |
Roy Newton |
Brandon-Pittsford
Reporter |
|
Dolores Furnari |
Brandon |
Mark Blucher |
RRPC |
Ed Barna |
Rutland
Herald |
|
Dan Peterson |
VTrans |
Mark Germanowski |
RRPC |
Frank Farnsworth |
Otter
Valley Press |
|
Alan Neveau |
VTrans |
Susie Leonard |
RRPC |
Harry McKinley |
Pittsford |