The Southern Shores Town Hall newsletter published today (April 13) contains links to budget materials that will be discussed at the budget-planning work session April 17 and to plans described as “preliminary design” work for “a conceptual walkway along South Dogwood Trail.”
Construction of the Dogwood trails walkway system is one of the big-ticket items expected to command the attention of the mayor and Town Council when Town Manager Peter Rascoe presents the anticipated income and expenses for FY 2018-19.
The Beacon doesn’t really understand what a conceptual walkway is and will endeavor to sort through the fragmented content on the website about the proposed South and East Dogwood Trail walkways and report back to you soon. We believe the walkway system is beyond mere concept.
You will find the agenda for the April 17 budget-planning session, which will be held at 9 a.m.—and last until such time as our public officials decide to adjourn—in the Pitts Center here:
A meeting packet for the budget-planning session, which details facts and figures that will be under discussion, is available on the town website here:
The Beacon will highlight some of the proposed budget items in a report before the April 17 planning session.
An April 13 “Draft of preliminary design plans for a conceptual walkway along South Dogwood Trail” may be accessed here:
https://www.southernshores-nc.gov/4-13-18-south-east-dogwood-trail-walkway-paths/
According to information under this link, the South and East Dogwood Trails “paths” have been broken into three segments, described as follows:
Segment 1: “runs along South Dogwood Trail from the SS Cemetery to Fairway Drive.”
Segment 2: “runs along South Dogwood Trail from the Dogwood Intersection down to Fairway Drive.”
Segment 3: “runs from the Dogwood Intersection to NC 12.”
It would appear from these descriptions that when construction on South Dogwood Trail occurs, it will be done first from south to north and then second, from north to south, with a convergence at Fairway Drive. The Beacon has not studied the 33 links under the listed segments, which are described in terms of six “paths,” to ascertain if this is what is “conceptualized.”
While The Beacon appreciates notice about the design plans for this massive construction project on South and East Dogwood Trails, it would much rather have them synthesized and summarized in a written report, rather than presented in multiple links as drawings and figures. Certainly someone familiar with this project can explain the options and costs being contemplated in a few easy-to-read paragraphs. Most of us are not engineers and those who are undoubtedly have plenty of other work to do.
The Beacon will report again after the April 17 budget-planning session, too.
(To read yesterday’s blog post about the Town Council’s effort to change the law on calculating 30% lot coverage, so as to enable construction of larger houses, click on the link in the right-hand column of this page.)
Beacon Editorial Board, April 13, 2018
The Southern Shores Beacon 