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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEAVER COUNTY.
I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THE COUNTY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING BETWEEN BUFORD COUNTY COUNCIL AND HILTON HEAD ISLAND COUNCIL FOR THE HIGHWAY 2 78 PROJECT TO ORDER.
WOULD YOU ALL RISE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, PLEASE? I PLAYED THE LEAD TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL PUBLIC NOTICE OF THIS MEETING HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, POSTED AND DISTRIBUTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.
BEFORE I ASKED FOR A MEMBER OF COUNCIL TO, UH, MOVE OUR AGENDA.
LET ME GIVE YOU SOME HOUSEKEEPING THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO.
YOU'LL SEE IN FRONT OF YOU IS A MICROPHONE.
IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK, YOU WILL HAVE TO PRESS THE BUTTON TO CHANGE IT TO GREEN.
WE DO HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE ROOM.
THERE WILL BE PEOPLE WHO WILL BE LOOKING IN.
WE SEE EACH OTHER'S NAMES, BUT PEOPLE ON THE COUNTY CHANNEL MAY NOT.
SO WHEN YOU ARE SPEAKING WITH, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE IDENTIFY WHO YOU ARE.
SO WITH THAT IN MIND, MAY I HAVE AN APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA PLEASE? FROM A MEMBER OF COUNTY COUNCIL? MR. RODMAN MAKES THE MOTION.
MAY I? ALICE HOWARD MAKES THE SECOND ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THE AGENDA.
SEEING NONE, THE AGENDA WILL BE APPROVED WITHOUT ANY OBJECTIONS.
AND I SEE NO OBJECTIONS THIS EVENING UNDER ITEM NUMBER FIVE, THE SED OT, THE BUFORD COUNTY COUNCIL AND THE TOWN OF HILTON HAD COUNCIL ARE GOING TO CONDUCT A WORKSHOP FOR THE HIGHWAY 2 78 PROJECT.
I'M GOING TO DO SOME INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
I AM THEN GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO JARED, WHO WILL DO SOME OTHER REMARKS.
I WILL THEN TURN IT OVER TO CRAIG WYNN, WHO WILL HAVE A PRESENTATION FOR US.
I WILL THEN TURN IT OVER TO MY COUNTERPART MAYOR MCCANN FOR ANY REMARKS HE WISHES TO MAKE.
AND THEN WE CAN HAVE A DIALOGUE ON ALL THE INFORMATION WE HAVE RECEIVED.
IT'S A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GET TOGETHER AGAIN, YOU KNOW, JUST RECENTLY WE WERE AT HILTON HEAD COUNCIL WHERE WE TOOK THE 26 RECOMMENDATIONS AND THOROUGHLY DISCUSSED THEM.
SENATOR DAVIS THEN CAME ABOARD AND SAID THAT HE WANTED TO DO SOME THINGS BASED UPON SOME OF THE THINGS HE DID FOR US, BY GOING TO THE STATE AND MEETING WITH SECRETARY HALL AT S C D O T, ALLOWS US TO HAVE THIS MEETING SO THAT WE CAN TAKE THOSE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AND NARROW THEM DOWN.
SO WE'RE THAT MUCH CLOSER TO MOVING THIS PROJECT ALONG TO THE FULL DESIGN THAT HAS TO BE DONE BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE CAN HAPPEN.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO JARED.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY FOR PARTICIPATING AND JOINING US TONIGHT.
UM, JUST A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO WORK TOGETHER AND CONTINUE TO MOVE THIS PROJECT, WHICH IS A GENERATIONAL PROJECT, UM, TO BOARD INTO FRUITION.
SO, UH, ONE THING I JUST WANT TO REITERATE IS KIND OF WHERE WE ARE.
UM, ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT WE'RE ALL AWARE OF IS, UM, THE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE SET UP FOR THE PROJECT.
SO THE BIGGEST ONE, UM, NO FUNDING COMES WITHOUT ITS OWN RESTRICTIONS.
AND THE BIGGEST ONE THAT WE HAVE IS THE SIB APPLICATION AND THE SUB GRANT.
SO THERE'S $120 MILLION THERE.
UM, THE WORST THING ABOUT THE FUNDING IS THAT IT'S ONLY $120 MILLION.
SO AS THIS PROJECT DEVELOPS, UM, AS WE ALL ARE AWARE OF IN TODAY'S ENVIRONMENT WITH INFLATION AND INCREASED COSTS, UM, IT'S ONLY $120 MILLION.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING FOR US TO BE AWARE OF IS SOMETHING, UM, THAT WE HAVE AS THE COUNTY IN SIGNING THE APPLICATION OR THE IGA THAT, UH, ANY COSTS INCURRED, UH, BEYOND THAT, UM, DON'T GO BACK TO SIB.
DON'T GO BACK TO DLT TO COME BACK TO THE COUNTY.
SO, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE CONSTANTLY AWARE OF AND ARE WORKING THROUGH, UM, THE OTHER PARTS WITH THE SIB APPLICATION AND THE FUNDING
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THAT COMES ALONG WITH THAT IS SOME RESTRICTIONS.UM, BASICALLY WHAT WE SUBMITTED TOGETHER, THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY WITH OUR SIP APPLICATION, UM, IS BASICALLY CODIFIED IN THE IGA AND IS BASICALLY THE GOSPEL, UH, FROM, FROM HOW IT'S APPROACHED.
SO EVERYTHING THAT WE SUBMITTED BETWEEN OUR TIMELINESS OF THE PROJECT, UM, WHEN WE GET STARTED, THE FUNDING SOURCES, ALL THAT IS CODIFIED AND IS OUR RULES OF ENGAGEMENT.
UH, ONE THING THAT WE DID ALSO MAKE MENTION, UM, AT THE TIME WAS THAT THIS PROJECT WAS PRETTY CLOSE TO SHOVEL-READY.
UM, SO ONE OF THE COMMITMENTS THAT WE HAVE AS A COUNTY, UM, IS TO PROVIDE QUARTERLY UPDATES TO THE SIB.
SO WE JUST PROVIDED OUR FIRST QUARTERLY UPDATE SINCE THE, THE APPLICATION OR THE GA WAS FINALIZED, UM, LAST FALL WITH THAT QUARTERLY REPORT.
AND IT WAS, IT WAS A, UH, DIFFICULT REPORT TO WRITE AS FAR AS THE QUARTERLY REPORT BASED OFF WHEN THE APPLICATION WAS AND APPROVAL FROM, FROM THE SIB IN 2020.
UM, AND WE STARTED WORK ON THIS ALL THE WAY BACK IN 2017 WHEN WE FIRST ENGAGED DDOT, UH, UNDER CONTRACT.
SO, UM, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME IN THE MAKING, UM, ALL THE WORK THAT WE'VE WORKED ON, ISN'T IN VAIN, BUT IT'S BUILDING US UP TO A POINT.
BUT, UM, WHAT IF THAT DID ANYTHING WAS TO REMIND ME AND US AS A COUNTY AND US AS A GROUP AT LARGE IS THAT WE CAN'T JUST MARCH AIMLESSLY, WE GOTTA HAVE A DIRECTION.
THEN WE GOT TO CONTINUE TO KEEP PRESSING FORWARD.
UM, AND THAT SCHEDULED US ALONG WITH THAT IS THAT THIS PROJECT IS TO BE FULLY COMPLETED BY THE END OF 2028.
SO THE LONGER THAT WE TAKE ON THE FRONT END IS LESS TIME ON THE CONSTRUCTION OR VICE VERSA IF WE GET MORE TIME, UM, FINISHED EARLY ON THE FRONT END ON THE DESIGN, MORE TIME FOR CONSTRUCTION.
UM, SO AS, AS WE TAKE TIME, UH, IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE MOVING AIMLESSLY, BUT WE DO HAVE A POINTED DIRECTION AND THAT SORT OF APPLICATION, UH, AND THAT $120 MILLION WORTH OF FUNDING IS SOMETHING THAT IS A CONSTANT REMINDER TO ALL OF US.
UM, SO THAT'S ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE'RE APPROACHING THEM.
ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE AS THE COUNTY.
UM, SO BASED OFF LAST MEETING AND A LOT OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE'VE HAD, WE'VE HAD NOW THREE OR TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS, AND THEN A THIRD PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING HELD IN MARCH.
THERE WAS A LOT OF GOOD COMMENTS.
WE'VE MADE A LOT OF MODIFICATIONS OVER THE PROCESS IN COORDINATING WITH, WITH, UH, ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS, NOT JUST US, UM, BUT ALSO THE LOCALS AND, AND THE, UM, THE AGENCIES THAT, THAT ARE GOING TO BE REVIEWING THE PROJECT.
ALL OF THOSE WERE INCORPORATED.
UM, AND A LOT OF ADDITIONS AND, AND MODIFICATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE ALONG THE WAY.
SO THE COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE PUBLIC ARE NOT MADE IN VAIN.
THEY HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED INTO WHAT WE HAVE NOW AS THE MODIFIED PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE.
SO, UM, THOUGHT IT WAS FITTING FOR US.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB AS, AS SPEARHEADING THE PROJECT OF COMMUNICATING ALL THE EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT INTO THE PROJECT THUS FAR, UM, BOTH TO OUR COUNCIL AND TO HILTON HEADS, COUNCIL, TOWN COUNCIL.
SO, UM, THOUGHT IT WAS FITTING FOR US TO INVITE DDOT AND, UH, KCI THE DESIGN TEAM TO COME AND TALK AND TELL US WHAT HAS BEEN INCORPORATED.
AND SOME OF THE MORE RECENT ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED.
UM, AND FROM THERE, WE CAN TALK FROM WHERE WE GO FROM, WHAT OTHER ITEMS DO WE HAVE THE RESOLVE TO KIND OF AGAIN, PRESS THIS PROJECT FORWARD, UM, AND, AND BRING IT INTO EXISTENCE.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, CRAIG, I'LL LET YOU GUYS START WITH WHAT YOU HAVE.
UM, SO WHAT I'LL PULL IT CLOSER.
AND THAT'S WITH, FROM THE
SO WE'VE GOT SHORT, MAYBE 10 SLIDE POWERPOINT.
THAT JUST GOES THROUGH SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE ISSUES WHERE WE'RE BEEN IN NEPA, BUT IT ALSO ADDRESSES SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT SENATOR DAY WAS SHARED IN HIS LETTER AS WELL.
SO WE'RE GOING TO TALK THROUGH, THROUGH THE NEPA PROCESS.
WE'RE GONNA TALK THROUGH TRAFFIC.
WE'RE GONNA TALK INTO IN SIMULATION.
THAT'S BEEN A BIG THING THAT IT HASN'T BEEN DONE.
IT'S BEEN DONE, WE'LL SHOW THE NUMBERS AND EVERYTHING FOR IT.
IT WAS ALL AT THE PUBLIC HEARING, BUT IT WILL BE SHOWN AGAIN AS PART OF THIS AND THESE SLIDES WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO EACH AND EVERY.
SO FIRST WE'LL START WITH THE NEPA PROCESS OVERVIEW.
SO W WHEN WE LOOK AT THE NEPA PROCESS, GREAT, CAN I DROP YOU A SECOND AS YOU GO THROUGH THESE TERMS? NOT EVERYBODY IS FAMILIAR WITH THE TERM, BOTH HERE IN PUBLIC.
YOU CAN EXPLAIN EACH OF THE TERM TO BE BENEFICIAL.
UM, SO THE NEPA PROCESS IS THE OVERARCHING ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS AND DEVELOPING, UM, A PROJECT, WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH FEDERAL HIGHWAYS, THAT'S THROUGH EPA, THAT'S THROUGH ANY FEDERAL AGENCY, THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW THE NEPA PROCESS, WHICH IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL
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POLICY ACT.SO IT'S AN OVERARCHING POLICY THAT GATHERS ALL THE OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES, FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES, STATE POLICIES UNDERNEATH OF IT, AND WHAT'S LOOKED AT FOR IT.
SO AS YOU LOOK THROUGH IT, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST THING THAT WE DID IN 2018, WE HAD A PUBLIC INFORMATION, WHICH WAS ENTIRELY TO GATHER THE PUBLIC'S UNDERSTANDING WHAT, WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE AS PART OF THE PROJECT.
WE HELD THAT IN SEPTEMBER OF 2018.
SO IT WAS ACTUALLY HELD TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE REFEREE, AND I'M JUST TRYING TO GATHER IDEAS TO GET, TO GET THE PROJECT.
IT WAS KIND OF THE KICKOFF OF THE PROJECT ON THE NEXT THING WE GO OUT AND WE DO IS PERFORM TACTICAL STUDIES.
SO WE HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTISTS, UM, SPECIALISTS GO OUT.
THEY, THEY LOOK AT ALL THE WETLANDS.
INITIALLY THEY STARTED WITH GIS BASED MAPS TO UNDERSTAND THE WETLANDS, THE CULTURAL RESOURCES, UM, ANY ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT.
AND THEY START COORDINATION WITH ALL THE FEDERAL AND STATE PARTNERS.
SO WE AT THE DLT, WE HAVE AGENCY COORDINATION MEANS THAT HAPPENED MONTHLY.
SO THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN BEFORE THE AGENCY COORDINATION MEETING, WHICH INCLUDES, UM, COAST GUARD, UM, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, FISH, AND WILDLIFE, FEDERAL HIGHWAYS, UH, DNR, ET CETERA, ALL THE FEDERAL AGENCIES THAT HAD TO MAKE A DECISION ON THE PROJECT, SHIPPO IS TYPICALLY INCLUDED IN THAT AS WELL.
SO WE DID ALL THESE TECHNICAL SIDES THAT KIND OF GIVES US THE BASE MAP TO GO ON.
SO THEN WE DEVELOPED 19 ALTERNATIVES AND I'LL GO THROUGH THOSE AGAIN.
SO WE DEVELOPED THE NIGHT, THE RAINS OF 19 ALTERNATIVES.
THOSE WERE BASED ON SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT FROM THE PUBLIC, AS WELL AS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS TO UNDERSTAND, HEY, WHAT OTHER WAYS ARE WE LOOKING AT? WHAT CAN WE FIND, YOU KNOW, THAT POTENTIALLY TO SOLVE THIS SOLUTION? SO WE HAD ANYTHING THAT WENT FROM THE BLUFFTON PARKWAY THAT CONNECTS THE CROSS ISLAND PARKWAY TO THE ONES THAT WENT NORTH AND CONNECTED INTO THE OTHER END OF THE OTHER END OF THE CROSS ISLAND PARKWAY.
SO WE HAD MULTIPLE OPTIONS AND I'LL SHOW THOSE.
SO IN THAT, THEN WE ANALYZE THOSE ALTERNATIVES, THERE'S INITIAL CRITERIA.
AND I BELIEVE THAT'S THE NEXT SLIDE THAT SHOWS THE INITIAL CRITERIA, WHICH HAS ALL GIS BASE.
IT WAS WETLANDS PROPERTIES RIGHT AWAY, UM, CONSISTENTLY WITH THE PING AND WILDLIFE REFUGE.
CAUSE I WAS A BIG THING THAT WE HAD TO LOOK AT IS WE HAVE WILDLIFE REFUGE IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS PROJECT.
SO WE HAD TO WORK WITH FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE TO FIND SOMETHING THAT MET THEIR PURPOSE OF WHAT THEIR REFUGE WAS FOR.
SO WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE COORDINATION MEANS DIRECTLY WITH THEM AS WELL AS ACE MEETINGS.
SO WE ANALYZE THOSE ALTERNATIVES THAT GIVES US THAT KIND OF HELPS US EVALUATE THOSE.
AND THEN WE WENT FROM 19 TO NINE UNDER THAT.
SO THAT'S THAT KIND OF KEY, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THOSE ALTERNATIVE, CARRY IT DOWN.
THEN WE TOOK THAT TO A SECOND PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING IN 20, LATE 2019.
AND THEN THAT'S WHERE WE SHOWED THE IMPACTS OF THOSE.
FROM THERE WE GO BACK AND WE DEVELOPED A PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE BASED ON THE IMPACTS THAT WERE SHOWN AT THAT MEETING AND BAYS AFTER THAT'S DONE, WE DEVELOPED THE, UM, THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT.
SO THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT, BEFORE WE GO TO THE PUBLIC HEARING, FEDERAL HIGHWAY SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS, WE START GATHERING ALL THE OTHER COORDINATION, SAY NURSES, WE'VE GOT MULTIPLE PARTICIPATING AGENCIES THAT THE FEDERAL PARTNERS PARTICIPATE IN THE NEPA DOCUMENT, WHICH BASICALLY MEANS THAT THEY CAN TAKE THAT DOCUMENT AS THEIR OWN.
AND THEN THEY MAKE A DECISION BASED ON THAT DOCUMENT.
UM, SO AFTER THAT, WE WENT TO THE PUBLIC HEARING, WHICH WAS LATE LAST YEAR.
I THINK IT WAS SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR OR JULY, JULY OF LAST YEAR.
AND BASED ON THAT, WE GOT COMMENTS THAT WE REVISED THE BASE ON.
SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE GOT FROM THE TOWN
SO BASED ON THAT, WE HAVE ANOTHER PUBLIC INFORMATION WE NEED TO SH TO DISPLAY TO THE PUBLIC WHERE WE WERE FINDING THAT WENT FROM THERE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THE COMMENTS AND REVISING AGAIN, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE REVISED FOR IT FROM AN IMPACT STANDPOINT.
SO NEPA IS REALLY GIVES YOU THE BOX TO WORK WITH IT.
YOU'RE TRYING TO FIND A BOX WORK IN THAT'S GIVES YOU THE IMPACTS, THE HIGHEST LEVEL IMPACTS, AND THEN YOU REFINE FROM THERE TO YOUR PHONE DESIGN.
SO IF YOU'LL LOOK AT AND WE'LL SHOW THE, THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE STARTED OFF WITH, I BELIEVE 40 ACRES WHILE IN IMPACTS, IT ENDS UP AS THE RECOMMENDED PREFERRED AT 22 AND A HALF.
UM, SO THEN ULTIMATELY THE FILED FEDERAL HIGHWAY DECISION IS THE, UM, AS A FALL FINDING THOSE THAT IF YOU IMPACT OR YOU NEED TO DEVELOP AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT, THAT'S, THAT'S THE DECISION THAT THEY'RE MAKING.
UM, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE FONZIE DOCUMENT NOW THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME BUY-IN LOCALLY FROM, TO MAKE SURE BEFORE THEY SIGN IT, THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THEY'RE ALL WORKING.
EVERYBODY LOCALLY IS WORKING TOGETHER BEFORE THAT DOCUMENT IS SIGNED.
SO A FEDERAL HIGHWAY DECISION DOES NOT MEAN IT CAN'T BE ADJUSTED SO THAT THERE'S REFINEMENTS.
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IS 20 TO 30% DESIGN PLANS.SO IT'S JUST NOT ENOUGH BASICALLY TO GET A FOOTPRINT AND THEN YOU WERE FIGHTING IT FROM THERE.
YOU CAN TIGHTEN SLOPES AND YOU CAN ADJUST IT.
WE CAN MOVE THE MULTI-USE PATH.
WE CAN MOVE THINGS AROUND, BUT WE WANT TO STAY WITHIN OUR RIDEAWAY FOOTPRINT THAT WE'VE SHOWN AS PART OF THAT ALTERNATIVE.
SO THIS WAS THE ORIGINAL, UH, NIGHT RANGE AT 19 ALTERNATIVES.
SO THIS WAS WHAT WE CALL THE SPAGHETTI MAP.
SO THIS IS WHERE WE GO AND WE LOOK AT EVERYTHING.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE ONE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE ALTERNATIVES THAT WAS MENTIONED IN THE PROPOSAL FROM SENATOR DAVIS WAS ONE THAT TIES FROM THE BOTTOM PARKWAY TO NEAR WHERE THE TOLL RAMS ARE.
SO YOU CAN SEE IT'S LIKE THE LIGHT BROWN COLOR SHOWS THAT ALTERNATIVE, ROUGHLY SHOWS ALTERNATIVE.
IT COMES DOWN, IT CROSSES OVER THE INTERCOSTAL WATERWAY.
SO WE'VE GOT TO BE PERPENDICULAR AND THEN IT COMES BACK IN AND TIES IN.
SO WE DID SOME EVALUATION THIS, THIS WEEK, JUST HIGH LEVEL, LOOK AT THIS.
AND THAT'S, SO HERE HERE'S WHERE THE REASONABLE ALTERNATIVE.
SO YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING IN GRAY WAS ELIMINATE BASED ON IMPACTS.
AND THERE IS A MATRIX ON THE WEBSITE THAT SHOWS WHAT EACH OF THOSE LEVELS ARE.
UM, IT'S GOING TO BE THE NEXT SLIDE.
NOBODY'S GOING TO BE ABLE TO READ IT BECAUSE IT'S JUST THE SHOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE MATRIX LOOKS LIKE.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE ONES THAT GREEN WERE, THE ONES THAT WERE CARRIED FORWARD.
UM, BUT THEN WE'LL GO TO, SO THAT 40 IS ROUGHLY THE PERIPHERAL ALTERNATIVE.
THAT'S THE LIVE THAT WENT ON THEN 60 IS THE ONE THAT CONNECTS DIRECTLY TO THE CROSS ISLAND PARKWAY.
THERE'S 40 ACRES OF WETLAND SHOWN THERE FOR 40, 60 IS 122 ACRES OF WETLAND IMPACTS.
THE RIGHT-AWAY PARCELS ARE 88 AND ONE 10.
BUT UNDER THAT, THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE HAS TWO RELOCATIONS.
UM, 60 HAS 30 PLUS RELOCATIONS, WHICH ALSO GOES THROUGH, UM, THE SPANISH WALLS COMMUNITY.
IT WAS SPLIT THE COMMUNITY AGAIN.
SO IT WAS ALREADY SPLIT ONCE BY THE CROSS ISLAND PARKWAY, MAKING THIS CONNECTION IN THERE WAS SPLIT THE COMMUNITY AGAIN.
AND MAJORITY OF THOSE RELOCATIONS ARE WITHIN THE SPANISH WALLS COMMUNITY.
YOU WANT TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY? YES.
SO THIS IS THE FLOW CHART AS WE WENT THROUGH AND EVALUATED ALTERNATIVES.
SO THE INITIAL EVALUATION CRITERIA GOING FROM 19 TO NINE WAS, DID IT MEET THE PURPOSE AND THE, OF THE PROJECT, THE PURPOSE OF ANY OF THE PROJECT WAS TO REPLACE THE MACKEY CREEK BRANDS AND IMPROVE, REDUCE CONGESTION THROUGH THE CORRIDOR WAS THE GIST OF THE PURPOSE AND NEED.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, SO PERSONALLY WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT STRUCTURAL AT THIS POINT, THEN WE LOOK AT GIS BASE WETLANDS, PROTECTED, ACRE, PROTECTED LAND, RIGHT AWAY, IMPACTS COMPATIBILITY WITH THE PINEY ISLAND, THE US FISH, WILDLIFE SERVICE, AND THEN NEIGHBORHOOD IMPACTS.
SO FROM THAT, THERE WAS A CLEAR DEFINITION OF, UM, OF THOSE 19 DOWN TO THE NINE OF THE IMPACTS WHERE YOU COULD SEE THE BREAK IN THEM.
SO THEN THE NEXT EVALUATION CRITERIA AFTER THE PUBLIC MEETING WAS, SO YOU HAVE THE PURPOSE OF NEED TRAFFIC PERFORMANCE VERSUS LEVEL OF SERVICE AND INTERSECTION OPERATIONS.
THEN YOU GO DOWN TO, YOU KNOW, DELANEY AID WETLANDS.
WE ACTUALLY WENT IN THE FIELD AND DELINEATE ALL THE WETLANDS WHILE THIRD GPS ARE RIGHT IN ANY WETLANDS.
AND SO WE CAN HAVE A GREATER ACCURACY IN OUR CALCULATIONS, UH, THIRD AND DANGEROUS SPECIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIES ARE, UM, TYPICALLY MINORITY LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES.
UM, LET'S SEE, HISTORIC AND CULTURAL PROPERTIES, NOISE IMPACTS.
SO WE DO A NOISE STUDY THROUGH AS PART OF THAT.
SO WE LOOK AT ALTERNATIVES, LOOK AT THE NOISE, STAY.
THEN WE DO A DETAILED NOISE STUDY FOR THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE.
UM, WE LOOK AT HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, UTILITY IMPACTS.
UM, THIS IS WHERE PROJECT COST COMES IN.
SO THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT YOU REALLY LOOK AT TRAFFIC PERFORMANCE.
THE FIRST TIME YOU LOOK AT COST FOR THE PROJECT.
SO THIS IS OUR MONITOR AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS.
SO YOU COULD HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE THAT PERFORMS GREAT FROM A TRAFFIC PERSPECTIVE, BUT IT IMPACTS 120 ACRES.
WELL, AND SO IT DOESN'T GET CARRIED FOR, BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE LEAST IMPACT, LEAST IMPACTFUL, PRACTICAL ALTERNATIVE.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR ONE THAT MEETS THE PURPOSE, NEED THE BEST, BUT ALSO HAS THE LEAST IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE HUMAN AND NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT.
UM, SO THEN AGAIN, WE GOT THE U S FISH WILDLIFE COMPATIBILITY, UM, SHELLFISH HARVESTING WATERS, AND THE ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT.
WE'RE LOOKING, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT FISH SPECIES THAT THERE'S ENDANGERED FISH, THERE'S ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT THROUGHOUT THERE THAT PROTECTED AND WHAT THOSE IMPACTS WOULD BE.
UM, AND FROM THERE, IT WENT TO THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN THAT'S WHERE THE REC THE RECOMMENDED PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE WAS.
AND THEN WE CARRIED IT FORWARD AND MODIFIED IT AND TOOK IT BACK TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, SO AGAIN, HERE IS THE RECOMMENDED, THE MODIFIED RECOMMENDED PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE, WHICH INCLUDES
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THE, THE MEANDER THROUGH STONEY, UM, INCLUDES THE THIRD JENKINS ARE THROUGH JENKINS, THE INTERSECTIONS, UM, THE CHANGE THAT INTERSECTS WITH SQUARE POPE WROTE IN SPANISH WALLS ROAD, AS WELL AS THE REDUCED IMPACTS WITHIN STONING.SO NOW WE'RE HAVE A, A QUICK DISHONEST DISCUSSION ON TRAFFIC STUDIES ANALYSIS, WHICH IN AN COMMUTER COMPUTER, COMPUTER MODELING.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY CAN READ THIS, UH, WHAT, WHAT WE'RE SHOWING HERE THAT, SO WHEN WE LOOK AT TWO DIFFERENT WAYS, WE LOOK AT IT THROUGH ST.
CROW INITIALLY, AND THEN SOME TRAFFIC IS SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT, SEE GIRL LOOKS AT IT IN THE END SEGMENTS MILE LONG SEGMENTS.
WHEN THERE'S AN INTERSECTION, THEN INTERSECTS WITH SIM TRAFFIC LISTS THE ENTIRE CORRIDOR.
IT DOES MULTIPLE RUNS TO THE QUARTER.
CAUSE EACH TIME YOU RUN THE SIMULATION, YOU'RE GOING TO GET A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT RESULTS.
SO IN THIS AND THE AM, SO THIS IS ALL 2045 TRAFFIC AND THE AM IN THE EASTBOUND DIRECTION.
IT WOULD TAKE APPROXIMATELY 60 MINUTES TO GET ON THE ISLAND.
AND THAT'S FROM MOSS CREEK TO SPANISH WELLS ROAD AT A SPEED OF 10 MILES AN HOUR UNDER THE MODIFIED REASONABLE FERT ALTERNATIVE IT'S 14.1 MINUTES AT 24 MILES AN HOUR FOR A TIME SAVINGS OF 45 MINUTES.
UM, AND THEN IN THE, IN THE PM GETTING OFF, YOU'RE STILL LOOKING AT, UM, IN THE EASTBOUND DIRECTION.
SO GETTING BACK ON THE ISLAND AND THE PM, YOU'RE STILL LOOKING AT 30 MINUTES AT 13 MILES AN HOUR.
AND THEN UNDER THE MODIFIED ALTERNATIVE, YOU'RE 10 AND A HALF MINUTES AT 37 MILES AN HOUR.
SO AGAIN, IN THE WESTBOUND DIRECTION.
SO GETTING OFF THE ISLAND IN THE AM, IT'S NO BELTS SCENARIOS.
SO THAT'S NO IMPROVEMENTS WITH 2045 GROWTH.
TRAFFIC IS 24.3 MINUTES IN THE, IN THE MORNING AT 15 MILES AN HOUR AND THE, IN THE AFTERNOON, OR SORRY, IN THE MORNING WITH MODIFIED REASONABLE ALTERNATIVES.
YOU'RE AT 8.8 MINUTES MINUTES AT 41 MILES AN HOUR WITH, WITH, UH, UM, SAVINGS AT 15 AND A HALF MINUTES.
SO IN THE PM, NO BILL R IS BASICALLY 52 MINUTES TO GET OFF THE ISLAND.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S GETTING THROUGH THAT CORRIDOR TO GET OFF DOWN THIS 52 MINUTES UNDER THE MODIFIED REASONABLE FOR ALTERNATIVE YOU'RE AT 19.7 MINUTES, WHICH IS A TIME SAVINGS OF 31.9 MINUTES.
SO AGAIN, YOU'VE DOUBLED, YOUR SPEED IS STILL A LOT, SO NOT GREAT, BUT YOU'RE STILL, YOU KNOW, MUCH IMPROVED OVER WHAT'S THERE.
AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S AGAIN, GROWING THAT PEAK HOUR TRUCKS.
SO THIS IS ALL BASED ON PEAK HOUR TRAFFIC.
SO THIS IS LOOKING AT THE PM IS FOUR TO 6:00 PM THE MORNING OF SEVEN TO 9:00 AM.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE TRAFFIC THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
SO WHEN WE DETERMINE WHAT THOSE HOURS ARE, WE LOOK AT, WE RANK ALL THE HOURS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND YOU TRY TO FIND SOMETHING BETWEEN THE 70TH TO A HUNDRED HIGHEST HOUR OF THE YEAR.
THAT'S NOT A SPECIAL EVENT OR A WEEKEND.
AND THAT, AND THEN YOU TYPICALLY TAKE THAT AS YOUR, WHAT YOUR PEAK HAS GROWN OFF US.
YOU GET YOUR GROWTH RATE AND THEN YOU GROW YOUR PEAK BASED ON THAT, AGAIN, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
I THINK WE ENDED UP WITH THE 130 FIRST HIGHEST HOUR.
ONCE WE TOOK OUT THE, THE WEEKENDS HOLIDAYS, SPECIAL EVENTS, WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR THE HERITAGE.
WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR A WEEKEND COMMUTE CAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO OVER-DESIGN HAVE YOU LOOKED AT THOSE EVENTS, YOU'RE GOING TO, OVER-DESIGN THE CORRIDOR.
WE'RE TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO MEET THE NEEDS FOR A MAJORITY OF THE TIME THREE, KNOWING THAT YOU'RE GOING TO EXCEED IT AS YOUR AC YOUR CAPACITY AT SOME POINT THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT.
SO AGAIN, THAT THE LOWER RIGHT ON THE SCREEN THERE, THAT GREEN IS BASICALLY AN OUTPUT FROM THIS AND TRAFFIC MODEL.
AND WE SHOWED ALL THIS AS PART OF THE PUBLIC HEARING.
WE HAD THE SOME TRAFFIC MODELS THAT WE RAN FOR EVERYBODY.
AND THEN, YEAH, I THINK ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, WE TOOK THE EAST OF THE COUNCILS WHERE WE RAN A MODEL WHERE WE PUT A CAMERA ON TOP OF A CAR AND THE SAME MODEL RUNNING THROUGH THE CORRIDOR.
AND THEY WENT FROM THE SPANISH WALLS INTERSECTION ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE CORRIDOR WITHOUT HAVING TO STOP IN THE PM CONDITION.
SO THE NEXT DISCUSSION I AM AS A SINGLE BRIDGE VERSUS TWO BRIDGE.
SO THIS IS WHAT I QUICK SKETCH OF WHAT WE'D LIKE TO ADD THAT THAT WOULD MEET THAT THE CURVATURE AND THE NEEDS OF IT.
SO THIS GETS YOU, YOUR SEPARATION FROM THE BRAVES THERE.
BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS, WE HAVE THREE POINTS THAT WE HAVE TO MEET AT THAT BRINGS US BACK TOGETHER TO A SINGLE BRIDGE.
THAT'S THE POINT WE TAKE OFF IN BLUFFTON, ESPECIALLY ACROSS PENA ISLAND.
WE HAVE A THERE'S AGREEMENTS WITH THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE FOR WHERE THAT'S, WHERE THAT'S GOING.
THAT IS A SIGNIFICANTLY LONG PROCESS TO GET TO THAT AGREEMENT WITH THEM.
UM, AND THEN AGAIN, WE'RE TYING BACK IN ON JENKINS ROAD.
SO YOU CAN SEE YOU GET SOME SEPARATION THAT CURVATURE MEETS THE DESIGN SPEED OF IT, BUT ISSUES YOU RUN INTO, AND THIS IS NOT THE $31,000,031 MILLION DIFFERENCE.
THIS IS PROBABLY CLOSER TO $50 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL COST BECAUSE YOU'RE EXTENDING THE BRIDGE BY PUTTING ALL THESE CURVES IN IT, PROBABLY TWO TO 300 FEET.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING, YOU KNOW, 10, $20 MILLION OF ADDITIONAL COST IN THERE AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL DESIGN COST TO DO THIS BECAUSE
[00:25:01]
INSTEAD OF BEING ABLE TO REPLICATE PARTS OF THE BRAINS THAT YOU'VE YOU'RE, AS YOU'RE DESIGNING IT, EACH, EACH INDIVIDUAL PIER IS DESIGNED.SO INSTEAD OF SAYING, WE HAVE 10 PIERS ARE IDENTICAL, WE CAN DESIGN THEM EACH.
NOW YOU END UP WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL PEER THAT GOES ACROSS THERE AS A, AS A SINGLE DESIGN, BUT ALSO YOU'RE WRITE IN THE DIFFICULTY OF NOW YOU'RE SKEWING THE BRIDGE PEERS IN RELATION TO THE WATER TRAVEL.
AND WHEN YOU TRY TO GET ACROSS THERE WITH A BOAT, YOU HAVE DIFFICULTY LINING YOUR PEERS UP.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S JUST SOME OF THE THINGS WE'VE IDENTIFIED WHEN WE LOOKED AT THIS.
UM, AGAIN, THIS IS A QUICK LOOK AT IT.
WE'VE DONE THIS OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS TO COME UP WITH ROUGHLY WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
UM, ONE THING TO LOOK AT THROUGH THIS, YOU CREATE ADDITIONAL WETLAND IMPACTS, ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT, RESIDENTIAL RELOCATIONS, RECREATIONAL, AND RIGHT AWAY IMPACTS.
SO, UM, AGAIN, WHEN WE GO BACK AND WE LOOK AT, WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE LEAST ENVIRONMENTALLY IMPACT ALTERNATIVE, WHEN WE START SPLITTING THE BRIDGE, YOU'RE INCREASING YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS.
SO WHEN WE GO TO GET THE PERMIT GUARD, GET THE FONT FONZIE FOR THE PROJECT, THEY'RE GOING TO LOOK AT US AND SAY, YOU HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE.
THAT'S A, THAT'S A LESS IMPACTFUL ALTERNATIVE.
WHY ARE YOU NOT DOING THAT ALTERNATIVE? THEN WE WOULD GO TO TURN IT BACK OVER TO THE CHAIRMAN.
JOHN, DO YOU WANT TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, KEVIN, FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER, GREG, I MUST TELL YOU THAT YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB.
IS IT ON? YES, YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB DOING THE PUBLIC SERVICES AND THE PUBLIC MEETINGS.
I MEAN, YOU'VE GONE OUT OF YOUR WAY TO MEET PEOPLE AND TALK TO PEOPLE AND WE IN A DOWNHILL MET APPRECIATE IT WAS WELL RECEIVED.
WE, UM, AUSTIN, ALL CONSULTANTS SEND FORWARD 26 ITEMS TO THE COUNTY TO LOOK AT AS TO WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE CHANGED OR DONE ON THE BRIDGE CORRIDOR.
WE BELIEVE THAT IF YOU DISREGARD THE COST OF ANYTHING, THAT THOSE ITEMS AS WE SEND THEM FORWARD SHOULD BE APPROVED BY THE COUNTY AND SAN ONTO THE STATE.
SO IF IT DOESN'T COST THE COUNTY ANY MONEY TO APPROVE IT, WHY NOT JUST APPROVE IT, SEND IT TO THE STATE, LET THE STATE TURN US DOWN AND THEN PUT THE RESPONSIBILITY BACK ON THE TOWN OF HILTON HAD TO LOOK FOR THE MONEY THAT'S NEEDED TO DO WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN US AND THE COUNTY WILL SERVE IN THE SAME PUBLIC AND WE'RE ALL HERE TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
UM, BUT IT'S AN ART BEST INTEREST TO COME TOGETHER AND DO SOMETHING TOGETHER AND THEN SEND IT TO THE COUNTY, TO THE TOWN, TO THE STATE AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE REALLY LIKE ALONG THE WAY, UM, TO BRIDGE CONCEPT, THERE WAS INTERESTING.
THERE'S JUST TOO MUCH GOING ON AT ONE TIME FOR ME TO GRASP IT ALL IN ONE PIECE.
UM, IT LOOKED LIKE I WAS SPAGHETTI FROM THE BEGINNING, BUT I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT ONE OF THE CONCEPTS ON THE, THE IMPORTANT PART OF THE TWO BRIDGES IS WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY EXIT, BETTER THING IS DOWN WITH ONE BRIDGE.
WE HAVE THE OTHER BRIDGE AND THAT'S MOST IMPORTANT TO ME MORE THAN THE, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
UH, BUT WE NEED THAT SECOND BRIDGE SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY.
AND WHEN WE FIRST STARTED DOING THIS PEOPLE FROM SONY TO WHY DON'T YOU BUILD A SEPARATE BRIDGE SOMEPLACE ELSE FOR A BACKUP? WELL, THIS WAS A GOOD ALTERNATIVE TO PUTTING A SECOND BRIDGE RIGHT NEXT TO THAT.
SO THE IMPORTANT PART FOR ME IS THE SAFETY OF OUR PEOPLE AND GETTING THEM OFF THE, OFF THE ISLAND.
IF ONE OF THE BRIDGES GO DOWN FOR WHATEVER REASON IT IS, UM, WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF BEING HERE JOEL TODAY.
UM, IT'S A GOOD DISCUSSION AND I HOPE TO WALK AWAY WITH SOME RESULTS BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND THE TOWN.
UM, INDIVIDUALS WILL HAVE QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO GIVE EVERYONE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN HERE TONIGHT AND SEE HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.
SO WHO WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN MR. BROWN AND EVEN EVERYONE? UM, I TOO THINK YOU MISSED THE CHAIRMAN FOR BRINGING US TOGETHER AS GOOD TO SEE EVERYBODY.
I'D LOVE TO SEE YOU ALL MORE OFTEN.
UM, SO LET'S, UH, LET'S, LET'S CONTINUE THIS, THE SPIRIT.
UM, I AGREE WITH THE MAYOR WITH, UH, AT LEAST TAKING A BREATH FOR A MOMENT AND, UH, THINKING THROUGH THIS AS IF MONEY WASN'T AN OPTION.
AND, UM, THIS IS NOT A QUESTION THAT I NEED ANSWERED, BUT I'M NOT QUITE SURE HOW WE CAME UP WITH THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE AS FAR WHAT WE WERE SUBMITTING TO BANK, NOT UNDERSTANDING THE ENTIRE IMPACT OF THIS PROJECT.
UM, AND AGAIN, I'M NOT LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER FOR THAT, BUT I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR CRAIG IF HE COULD ANSWER FOR ME.
UM, I KNOW IT'S BEEN THIS, THIS, UH, THIS FEAR OF FUNDING DISAPPEARING, UM, IF FOR SOME REASON, UM,
[00:30:01]
THE FUNDS HE IS NOT ACHIEVED.UM, AND IT DOES MAKE ITS WAY TO A FULL-BLOWN EIS.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE FUNDING AND WHAT HAPPENS TO THE ESCALATION AS FAR AS INFLATION AND THE OTHER ACCOUNTS, UH, AT THAT POINT, UH, A PROJECT OF THIS SCALE, WE WILL, YOU KNOW, ROUGHLY YOU'RE LOOKING AT ROUGHLY A MILLION DOLLARS A WEEK RIGHT NOW, AN ESCALATION OF COST ONE WEEK A WEEK.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN TWO TO $4 MILLION A MONTH IN COST ELATION ON DELAY.
SO THAT, THAT, WASN'T MY QUESTION.
MY QUESTION WAS, I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION, BUT MY QUESTION IS THIS IS, THIS IS NOT THE FIRST PROJECT THAT SE DLT HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD TO THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION.
AND I'M SURE THERE HAS BEEN PROJECTS THAT HAVE NOT ACHIEVED THIS FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT.
AND HAVE TO GO TO AN EIS OR HAVE TO BE ADJUSTED OR WHATEVER THE PROCESS IS, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE MONEY YOU SAY THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN ASSIGNED TO THE PROJECT AT THAT POINT, THAT WOULD BE A COUNTY QUESTION VERSUS A DOD QUESTION.
SO THE COUNTY IS THE ONE WITH THE APPLICANT OR WITH THE IGA, WITH THE SIB.
SO THAT WOULD BE US UPDATING THEM ON THE STATUS OF THE PROJECT.
AND THEN IT'D BE US COORDINATING WITH SIB ON THAT FUNDING SOLUTION.
SO IF THEY'RE WILLING TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH US, IT, AT THAT POINT, IF IT GOES TO THE EIS, IT'S ANOTHER 12 TO 18 MONTHS WORTH OF PROCESS.
UM, SO THEN WE HAVE TO COORDINATE WITH THEM AND BASICALLY IT'S WHETHER WE CAN WORK SOMETHING OUT WITH THE SIB TO MODIFY OUR AGREEMENT, BECAUSE WE BE EXTENDING BEYOND THE 20, 28 COMPLETION DATA AT THAT TIME SCHEDULE.
AND IF WE CAN GREAT, IF WE CAN'T, THEN I'M SURE THERE MAY BE OTHER COUNTIES OR MUNICIPALITIES THAT WOULD BE EAGER TO TAKE THAT FUNDING.
IT SHOULD SAY, UM, DRAW THAT MONEY BACK.
THANK YOU FOR THIS FAIR LAKES.
THAT'S ALL HE HAVE YOU, UH, GREG, YOUR EXPERIENCE, HAVE YOU SEEN WHERE, UH, ASIDE MONIES HAVE GONE BACK BECAUSE THERE'S MORE WORK TO DO BECAUSE WE FOUND SOME SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS THAT WE NEED TO WORK THROUGH.
IT'S KIND OF DEPENDENT BECAUSE THE BOARD HAS CHANGED THEIR DIRECTION OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, I WOULD SAY IN THE HISTORY OF IT, THEY'D LESS OFF.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT LIKE MARK CLARK IN CHARLESTON, IT SAT AROUND FOR 20 YEARS, BUT BECAUSE OF MARK CLARK AND CHARLESTON, I DON'T THINK THAT'S EVER GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN.
THERE'S GOING TO BE 40 OTHER COUNTIES GONE FOR THIS MONEY.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GOING TO BE TALKING TO THE CITY BOARD SAYING, HEY, WE CAN SPEND IT RIGHT NOW.
WE'VE GOT THIS PROJECT READY TO GO.
UM, AND I'LL, I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST END WITH, UM, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THOSE, UH, THOSE CHARTS AND BE EAGER TO GET OUR HANDS ON THEM SO WE CAN LOOK AT THEM, UH, A LITTLE DEEPER, UH, THE TRAVEL TIME, AT LEAST FROM MY RECOLLECTION LAST TIME THAT WE MET AS A COUNCIL AND YOU ALL PRESENTED US WITH NUMBERS HAS, UH, HAS INCREASED TREMENDOUSLY.
I THOUGHT IT WAS LIKE A SEVEN MINUTE SAVINGS.
UM, BUT, UM, WHAT I, WHAT I WOULD, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT THE IMPACTS ON HILTON HEAD ARE BIGGER THAN JUST THE TWO, TWO RELOCATIONS THAT ARE BEING DESCRIBED.
UM, MR. FELIX MENTIONED EARLIER THAT THIS IS A GENERATIONAL PROJECT AND IT ABSOLUTELY IS.
AND, UH, WE NEED TO BE CERTAIN THAT WE GET IT RIGHT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN COMPARING THIS PROJECT TO, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN, UH, IN CHARLESTON WITH THE 5 26, UH, EXTENSION AND SE DLT STATE HAS GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND TO ACHIEVE REASONABLE MITIGATION FOR THE PROJECT AND TO DATE, UM, THE COMMUNITY ON HILTON ED IS NOT YET SATISFIED WITH, WHAT'S BEEN PROPOSED AS MITIGATION.
AND, UM, I'LL PAUSE IF SE DLT WANTS TO MAKE SOME SORT OF COMMENT TOWARDS THAT.
UM, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE CAN DO BETTER.
I MEAN, THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY IS THOSE ARE TWO SEPARATE PROJECTS.
SO THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS ON 5 26 FOUND EJA IMPACTS AS PART OF THAT PROJECT.
THIS PROJECT DOES NOT HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF IMPACTS THAT THAT PROJECT HAS.
THEY'RE JUST DIFFERENT IN THE WAY THAT THEY'RE DEVELOPED.
THEY'RE DIFFERENT IN THE IMPACTS AND THE WAY THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY
[00:35:01]
HAS LOOKED AT THOSE IMPACTS, WHEN YOU DEFINE IMPACTS, THE IMPACTS ARE RIGHT AWAY, RELOCATIONS, ET CETERA, THOSE ARE DIRECTLY TO THE EGA.SO IT'S A NUMBER OF RELOCATIONS.
THEY WILL USE IT AND THE METRICS AND CUMULATIVE RELOCATIONS.
AND THEN AGAIN, FOR US AS A GROUP, I'D ASK US TO THINK MORE ABOUT IMPACTS OUTSIDE OF JUST RELOCATIONS.
UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE REASON THAT WE ARE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION AND THAT WE HAVE MONIES ON THE TABLE IS BECAUSE OF HOW SIGNIFICANT HILTON HEAD IS.
AND TO ME, IT HAS LEVERAGE IF WE WANT TO DO BETTER FOLLOWING THE NORMAL GUIDELINES THAT S C D O T PUTS IN PLACE TO DELIVER A FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT.
IT'S JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR HILTON HEAD.
UM, ONE DAY PLANT CLARIFICATION.
THE TRAVEL TIME PREVIOUSLY WAS JUST THROUGH THE INTERSECTIONS THAT SHOWED THE TIME-SAVINGS.
IT WASN'T THE ENTIRE CORRIDOR.
SO WE'RE NOT, WE MIGHT MAKE COMMENTS.
I WOULD LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING ELABORATE ON.
DID NOT THE ORIGINAL STUDY SHOWED NO IMPACT.
SO THIS PROJECT THROUGH STOLEN, AS FAR AS THE FEDERAL AGENCIES, LIKE THE MITIGATION IS AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND THE DLT.
IT IS NOT A FEDERAL HIGHWAY REQUIREMENT FOR THE PROJECT.
WHAT'S THAT AGAIN, THE RELOCATIONS ARE NOT HOW WE MEASURE THE IMPACT.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE'VE GOT A FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION THAT IS SAYING, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DESTROY MINORITY NEIGHBORHOODS BY BUILDING HIGHWAYS ANYMORE.
AND HERE YOU HAVE A HISTORICAL GULLAH NEIGHBORHOOD.
MR. UH, MR. FAIRLEY HAS MENTIONED THAT WE BUILT ACROSS ALLEN.
WE DISTURBED SPANNING AS WELLS, AND HERE WILL BE DETERMINANT TWICE.
WHAT HAS TO BE THE THIRD TIME FOR STONEY? THERE WAS NO BRIDGE BRIDGE CAME.
THEY WOULD HAVE STIRRED CAME BACK FOR FOUR LANES.
AND NOT AT A THIRD, A THIRD TIME.
IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE INDIVIDUALS THAT LIVE NEXT TO THE ROAD.
IT WAS ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF COMING ON TO HILTON HEAD, A PLACE THAT IS RICH AND A HISTORY AND A CULTURE.
SO I WILL CONTINUE TO CHALLENGE THIS IDEA OF IF YOU ONLY MOVED TWO STRUCTURES AND REPLACED THAT WITH A PAVILION OR A SIGN THAT SAYS FOLKS WERE ONCE A YEAR, AT LEAST NATIONAL LEVEL.
I MIGHT ADD SOMETHING ON THAT.
UM, SO ONE THING I THINK, UM, SENATOR DAVIS MADE MENTION THAT THIS, AND HE'S CHAMPIONED THIS EVER AT THE STONEY AT THE STATE LEVEL IS TO TRY TO REDIRECT SOME APPROPRIATIONS, UM, $5 MILLION TOWARDS THE STONY EDC.
UM, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING IN ADDITION TO, THERE'S NO, UM, MAXIMUM OF MITIGATION THAT YOU CAN DO, UM, ONLY MINIMUM WOULD AND WHETHER THERE'S A MINIMUM OR NOT, THERE'S SOME PRECLUSION ALREADY THAT WE'RE MAKING IN THE PROJECT, UM, IN MEETING WITH STONY COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT THEY'VE PRESENTED AS, AS A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THE PAVILION AND A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
THERE'S NOTHING TO SAY THAT WE HAVE TO STOP THERE TO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
UM, AND I THINK WHAT, WHAT SENATOR DAVIS HAD MENTIONED IN SETTING THAT UP, I THINK THAT'S A WORTHWHILE ENDEAVOR AS WELL THAT WE SHOULD WORK ON.
UM, AND I WOULD, I WOULD SAY ALSO THAT, UM, WHETHER WHETHER THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD TAKES LEAD IN THAT OR WHETHER WE DO OR WHETHER WE DO THAT JOINTLY IN SOME MANNER.
UM, I THINK WITH SENATOR DAVID'S SELF, I THINK
[00:40:01]
THAT'S ANOTHER WAY THAT WE CAN PRESENT MITIGATION, UM, AS PART OF THIS PROJECT, WITH THAT SONE DEVELOPMENT.EDC, I AGREE WITH YOU, MR. FARRELL, AND IT GOES BACK TO WHAT THE MAYOR SAID IN THE BEGINNING.
THE TOWN IS A MUNICIPALITY HAS PRESENTED 26 RECOMMENDATIONS TO OUR COLLEAGUES.
WE'RE ASKING FOR YOU TO SAY, OKAY, WE AGREE WITH YOUR 26 AND GIVE THEM TO THE STATE AND GET A RESPONSE.
SO I'D LIKE YOUR RESPONSE, BUT WE'RE LOOKING FOR A RESPONSE FROM SE DLT.
WELL, THE RESPONSE ISN'T FOR SCD OT, THE RESPONSE, THE BOT'S NOT THE OWNER OF THE PROJECT AND NOT GOING TO PROVIDE THAT RESPONSE.
AND THEY'VE MADE THAT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR TO US THE COUNTY, UM, THE COUNTY IS, IS THE OWNER OF THE PROJECT AND THE RESPONSES ARE A CHOREOGRAPHED RESPONSE.
SO WHAT WE PROVIDED PREVIOUSLY IN THE RESPONSES WAS NOT JUST THE OT.
IT WAS, IT WAS WITH THE COUNTY AS WELL, AND A LOT OF THOSE RESPONSES.
AND I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THEM AND, UM, SEAN ENUMERATED THEM AND WE LISTED THEM, WALKED THROUGH THEM LAST TIME WE MET, UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ACCOMMODATIONS TO THOSE.
AND AS GREG MENTIONED TODAY WITH THE TWO BRIDGE SCENARIO THAT HAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT IMPACTS, UM, THAT ARE GOING TO SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT EVERYTHING.
NOW AT THIS POINT IS MEASURED TO THE PREFERRED, MODIFIED, PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE THAT HAS BEEN SET FORTH.
SO IF THERE'S IMPACTS TO, UM, A CHANGE BEYOND WHAT'S BEEN PRESENTED THUS FAR, THEN THAT WOULD LOOK, UM, UNFAVORABLY FROM THE AGENCIES THAT HAVE APPROVE THE PROJECT.
SO THE BAR HAS BEEN SET WITH THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE AND NOW THE MODIFIED PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE.
UH, AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS LOOKED AT, EVEN WITH THE LEFT-HAND TURN AT STONEY ESQUIRE POPE IS ORIGINALLY, THAT WAS NOT PART OF THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE.
AND THEN PER THE COMMENTS FROM THE TOWN AND MKS GAY AS WELL AS MANY THAT WE HEARD AT THE PUBLIC HEARING, UM, THAT WAS RECONSIDERED AND COORDINATED AND CHOREOGRAPH WITH FEDERAL HIGHWAY.
UM, AND THAT WASN'T A SIMPLE TASK IN ITSELF.
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE HAD TO, UH, PLAN ON.
AND HOW DO WE MITIGATE THE TRAFFIC IS A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN HOW IT PERFORMED IN THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE, BUT NOT SO SIGNIFICANT THAT THE IMPACTS, UM, WEREN'T SOMETHING THAT WE COULD OVERCOME WITH THEIR BLESSING.
SO, UM, THOSE THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL CHANGES AND MODIFICATIONS THAT WERE INCORPORATED, UM, DO THOSE 26 COMMENTS, BUT DDOT IS NOT THE ENTITY TO COME BACK AND PROVIDE A ANSWER ON THOSE 26 COMMENTS THAT WOULD COME FROM THE COUNTY.
LET'S PUSH IT THROUGH THE LEFT TURNS.
UM, I THINK THAT GIVES THE COMMUNITY, UH, SOME CONFIDENCE THAT PRECEDENT HAS BEEN SET, THAT WE CAN PUSH THROUGH THE OTHERS THAT WE STILL HAVE CONCERNS WITH.
SO YOU'RE SAYING INITIALLY THERE'D BEEN A TOWN PROJECT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, AS OPPOSED TO A COUNTY PROJECT THAT THE TOWN SHOULD HAVE STARTED THIS PROJECT AND RAN WITH THIS PROJECT AND THAT WE DON'T KNOW BETTER.
THE COUNTY KNOWS BETTER WHAT WE NEED THAN WE WAIT.
I MEAN, THIS IS COMING THROUGH HILTON HEAD.
AND NO ONE SHOULD BE TELLING US WHAT WE WANT IS WRONG.
THEY SHOULD TRY TO HELP US FACILITATE WHAT WE GET IS RIGHT, BECAUSE WHAT WE GET IS TWICE AS GOOD FOR EVERYBODY, NOT JUST THE TOWN.
UM, I KIND OF DISAGREE WITH THAT, JOHN.
AND LET ME EXPLAIN WHY WE LITERALLY HAVE TWO PROJECTS.
THE BRIDGES ARE A COUNTY PROJECT THEY'RE ON COUNTY LAND.
AFTER THAT, IT GOES THROUGH THE STONEY COMMUNITY, WHICH IS A TOWN PROJECT WHERE WE ARE NOW IS ACCEPTING THE FACT THAT WE TOGETHER WANT THE BRIDGES REPLACED, WHERE WE HAVE A DISAGREEMENT RIGHT NOW IS TWO BRIDGES VERSUS ONE BRIDGE.
AND IF YOU COULD PUT THE SLIDE BACK UP AGAIN, WE OKAY.
CAN I HAVE YOU OUT OF POINT ON THE SAFETY ASPECT OF THAT? SO THOSE BRIDGES WITH THE SHOULDERS THAT ARE ON THE ONE ON THE BRIDGE, IF YOU HAVE AN, AN IMPACT OF THAT BRACE, I WOULD TAKE IT DOWN, HAVING AN AX ON ONE DIRECTION, THE OTHER SIDE CAN BE REVERSED AND YOU HAVE ENOUGH TO GET TWO LANES IN EACH DIRECTION ON AN OFF THE ISLAND.
AND THOSE BRIDGES WILL DESIGNED FOR ANY SORT OF IMPACTS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT BARGE LEVEL IMPACTS, VESSEL COLLISION, AND IMPACTS ON THOSE PEERS OR EARTHQUAKES.
RIGHT NOW AREN'T DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND ANY SORT OF EARTHQUAKE.
IF THERE IS PRETTY MUCH ANY OR ANY LEVEL OF EARTHQUAKE RIGHT NOW, THOSE BRIDGES WOULD JUST SINK INTO THE GROUND.
JOEL, I AGREE WITH YOU, BUT THAT MEANS THAT OUR ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THE BRIDGE THAT EVERYTHING ELSE IS SHOULD BE RUN BY HILTON HEAD.
YOU SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT COMMON.
[00:45:01]
WE WANT.AND I UNDERSTAND THE BRIDGE IS LIKE IT'S IN THE COUNTY.
AND SO, AS THEY SAID, THE PINCH POINTS, THE FISH AND WILDLIFE CONTROLS EXACTLY HOW THE BRIDGE IS GOING TO GO OVER THAT ISLAND.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THE BRIDGES ARE BACK TOGETHER.
AGAIN, WHEN YOU HAVE SEPARATION OF THE BRIDGES, YOU'RE GOING TO ADD WHAT'D YOU SAY 300 YARDS, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO AFFECT ONE COMMUNITY THERE.
AND IS IT WORTH IT TO ELONGATE THE PROJECT YOU'RE OUT OF THE, UH, APPROVED CORRIDOR THAT THEY HAVE SET UP.
AND THEREFORE WE HAVE, WE'LL HAVE DELAYED THE PROJECT AS MUCH AS 18 MONTHS.
AND THEN WE ARE VERY CONCERNED WHETHER WE ALL AGREE WITH THAT OR NOT THAT AT SOME POINT IN TIME, SOMEBODY MAY SAY THE SIP MAY SAY I GOT 40 OTHER COUNTIES THAT WANT THIS MONEY, AND YOU'RE NOT READY TO DO THE PROJECT.
YOU SAID IT WAS SHOVEL-READY AND IT'S NOT.
AND THEREFORE WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO SOMETHING ELSE, BUT AT THIS POINT IN TIME, BUT THE REAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND THE TOWN IS THE BRIDGE IS NOTHING ELSE.
UM, I WOULD HOPE IT'S, YOU KNOW, ONE BRIDGE VERSUS TWO.
AND THAT'S OUR ONLY DIFFERENCE RIGHT NOW.
BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WE'RE AT THE PROCESS WHERE WE ACCEPT THE PROJECT.
NOW WE GET TO DESIGN IT THE WAY WE THINK IT'S BEST FOR THE EXPERIENCE TO ALEX'S POINT.
WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE JUST TRAVELING THROUGH THAT QUARTER, NOT KNOWING WHAT THE EXPERIENCE IS IN THE STONEY COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING DYNAMIC AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
IT'S PART AND PARCEL OF THE DESIGN.
AS WE GO THROUGH THAT CORRIDOR, THE BRIDGE IS THE BRIDGE.
YOU KNOW, IT HAS TO GO A CERTAIN WAY BECAUSE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND FISH AND WILDLIFE.
AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE TO DESIGN IT IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE BOAT TRAFFIC CAN GET UNDER THERE.
ALL OF THAT IS TO ME RUDIMENTARY ONCE, ONCE WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT, YEAH, WE WANT TO DO THE PROJECT.
UH, AS HE SAID, THE BRIDGE IS GOING TO BE DESIGNED SUCH THAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENED ON ONE SECTION OF THE BRIDGE, YOU HAVE THE OTHER SECTION OF THE BRIDGE.
IF YOU HAD TO DO REVERSE LANES AND GET EVERYBODY ON, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAD A MAJOR ACCIDENT THAT TIED UP ONE PART OF THE BRIDGE, YOU COULD ROUTE THE TRAFFIC AND MAKE IT GO BOTH WAYS.
SO I THINK WE COULD COME TO THAT AGREEMENT THAT WE DON'T WANT TO HOLD UP THE PROJECT BECAUSE WE THINK A COUPLE HUNDRED YARDS OF CONCRETE IS THE WAY TO GO.
THE REST OF IT TO ME IS, UH, HOW DO WE DESIGN THE REST OF THE WAY INTO HILTON HEAD AND MAKE IT AS AN EXPERIENCE AS WE POSSIBLY CAN HAVE.
AND WE, THE COUNTY WANT TO WORK WITH YOU ON THAT, WHATEVER AGENCY, WHATEVER FUNDING, ADDITIONAL FUNDING WE CAN GET LET'S HAVE AT IT.
BUT I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN WALK AWAY FROM THIS MEETING WHERE YOU CAN GO BACK TO YOUR COUNCIL AND SAY, LET'S APPROVE THIS AND START THE PROCESS FOR THE TRUE DESIGN OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO GET, BECAUSE WE WERE READY TO DO THAT.
NO, WE, WE ACCEPTED EVERYTHING EXCEPT FOR THE BRIDGE.
WE DON'T FEEL THAT, UH, IT'S NECESSARY TO EXPEND THAT KIND OF MONEY.
WE DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE AS BENEFICIAL AS EVERYBODY THINKS IT'S GOING TO BE AS FAR AS AESTHETICS.
AND I HOPE EVERYBODY ELSE WILL WEIGH IN THAT WAY.
I WOULD DISAGREE WITH THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN ON THAT.
UM, SCALE IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO THE ENTRY EXPERIENCE INTO HILTON HEAD AND BY HAVING A SINGLE BRIDGE, IT IT'S AN INTRODUCTION TO HILTON HEAD THAT RIVALS MAJOR CITIES.
[00:50:01]
AND SO I, I, I FUNDAMENTALLY DISAGREE THAT THAT'S THE WAY WE WANT TO INTRODUCE THE ISLAND.AND TO THE EXTENT THAT WE DISAGREE, THEN I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IT IS A HUNDRED PERCENT A BUFORD COUNTY DECISION BECAUSE THE CITIZENS OF HILTON HEAD ARE CITIZENS OF THE COUNTY.
AND HAVE I WAS GOING TO SAY AN AX TO GRIND, BUT, BUT IN ORDER TO PUT IN THE WATER, THE, THE, I THINK WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT A GOOD DEAL OF THOUGHT HAS GONE INTO THIS BY THE TOWN, BY OUR CONSULTANTS AND BY CITIZENS.
OUR CONCLUSION HAS BEEN THAT THERE ARE 26 RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT TO THE STATE AND SEEK OUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION ON OUR BEHALF TO PUSH THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS FORWARD.
AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY WHERE, WHERE I AM AS A SINGLE MEMBER OF COUNCIL.
THANK YOU, JOAN, JARED, I THINK THEY'RE, UH, OF THE 26 RECOMMENDATIONS COMING OUT OF THE M K S K WORK.
UH, THERE WERE FOUR OR FIVE THAT NEEDED MORE FULLY, UH, DEVELOPED.
UH, AND ONE OF THEM WAS TWO BRIDGES VERSUS ONE.
AND BASED ON CRAIG'S COMMENTS AND JARED'S COMMENTS AND THE VISUAL OF SEEING THE ALTERNATIVE, UH, TWO BRIDGES, UH, I THINK THE VISUAL, UH, IS VERY DISSERVING.
AND, UH, WE'VE SAID FOR A LONG TIME, THE POSTCARD IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THE BRIDGE.
THE POSTCARD IS THE ISLAND, AND I WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT CONTINUES.
SO I THINK FOR, FOR THAT REASON THAT I DO SUPPORT, UH, THE RECOMMENDED, UH, RECOMMENDATION OF ONE BRIDGE, THE OTHER ISSUES THAT I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT, AND MOST OF THE TALKS SURROUNDED COST WAS THE MEANDERING ON JENKINS ISLAND OF THE ROADWAY, THE BUBBLE OUTS ON THE BRIDGE PATHWAY, UM, AND THE SMART SIGNALS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CORRIDOR.
AND THE QUESTION I WOULD HAVE CRAIG GERARD AND JOE, UH, WOULD BE OTHER THAN COST.
ARE THERE OTHER ISSUES OR OBJECTIONS, UH, THAT COULD BE RAISED ON THOSE ITEMS THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING X, THE BRIDGE ON THE ITEMS YOU JUST MENTIONED BEYOND THE BRIDGE? NO, THOSE ARE ALL ATTAINABLE.
SO IF WE JOINTLY COULD FIND A WAY, UH, TO FINANCE THOSE INTO THE PROJECT, THE LIKELIHOOD OF THOSE BEING DONE IS GOOD.
WE ACTUALLY DO BELIEVE WE CAN HAVE THE OTHER PARTNERS THAT WE NEED IN THERE.
LANDSCAPE DESIGNERS, OTHER DESIGN TEAM MEMBERS THAT CAN FALL UNDER THE KCI CONTRACT IN THE OVERALL DESIGN OF THE BRIDGE THAT THIS BECOMES PART AND PARCEL OF THE WHOLE BRIDGE PROJECT.
AND CRAIG, AS I LOOK BACK TO THE MOST RECENT PROJECTS DLT HAS DONE ON OR AROUND THE ISLAND, THE MOST RECENT IS THE CROSS ISLAND OR EXCUSE ME, THE MOST RECENT IS THE FLY OVER.
UH, AND THEN 20 YEARS AGO, THE CROSS ISLAND, IN MY OPINION, DOD IS TWO FOR TWO.
AND I HAVE NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THE COMBINATION OF DDOT KCI, M K S K A DOESN'T HAVE THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COUNTY, UH, GENERALLY, AND SPECIFICALLY THE ISLAND AND ITS RESIDENTS, UH, THEIR BEST INTEREST IN MIND.
SO I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO BE THREE FOR THREE, AS, AS CHAIRMAN PASSAVANT JUST MENTIONED.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY CAUGHT THAT, BUT, UM, AS, AS THE PROJECT TRANSITIONS TO WHERE WE ARE KIND OF IN THE PRELIMINARY STAGE TO A FULL DESIGN, UM, ONE OF, SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE IN THE MKS K IS THE RIVAL EXPERIENCE, THE AESTHETICS, ALL, ALL THOSE, THE LANDSCAPING, THOSE ARE ITEMS THAT WE HAVEN'T GOT TO YET.
HOWEVER, UH, AND THEY'RE NOT EVEN CONSULTANT SUB-CONSULTANTS UNDER KCI, BUT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AS WE NEGOTIATED CONTRACT WITH
[00:55:01]
DOD AND KCI TO GO WITH THE FULL DESIGN.WE'RE ONLY UNDER CONTRACT RIGHT NOW FOR THE PRELIMINARY DESIGN AND NEPA.
UM, BUT AS WE GO INTO THAT REQUEST THAT THEY ADD THOSE SUB-CONSULTANTS OR SERVICES TO THEIR CONTRACT.
SO WE COULD HAVE A LANDSCAPE PLAN AND DESIGN FOR THAT.
UH, WE MAY NOT HAVE THE FUNDING FOR IT AT THIS MOMENT AND WE CAN FIGURE THAT OUT, BUT WE CAN DESIGN IT, UH, AS WELL AS A POTENTIAL AESTHETIC, UM, ARCHITECT OR PLANNER, UM, SOMEBODY TO HELP SOFTEN THE BRIDGE, WHETHER YOU PUT RAILINGS OF A CERTAIN MANNER OR, OR, UM, IMPRINTS INTO, INTO THE WALL SECTIONS OR WHATEVER THAT MAY LOOK LIKE SOMEBODY TO HELP CHOREOGRAPH THAT AESTHETICALLY PLEASING.
WE COULD ADD THAT SUB CONSULTANT AND DO THOSE DESIGNS, UM, AND ADD THAT AS PART OF THE PROJECT DESIGN.
UM, THANK YOU FOR HOSTING THIS MEETING AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE COMMENTS I'M GOING TO PICK UP ON SOMETHING THAT HASN'T BEEN TOUCHED ON BEFORE I GO INTO WHAT I'VE HEARD.
UM, THE CIP GRANT INDICATED THAT THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD HAD AGREED TO, UM, OFFER INTO THE PROJECT, WHATEVER LAND ON THE TOWN OF PROPERTY WAS NECESSARY, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
I'VE ASKED THIS MANY QUESTIONS TIMES AND NO ONE HAS, UM, SAID DIFFERENTLY.
UM, AND I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT HILTON HEAD ISLAND AGREED TO THAT.
SO THE SUB GRANT THERE WAS, UM, THERE WAS A COST PROPOSAL AS PART OF THE SIPP GRANT, AS THE BUDGET INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET WAS A, UM, RIGHT AWAY DONATION FROM THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD OF 3.1, TWO, $5 MILLION.
AND THAT WAS CODIFIED NOT ONLY IN THE APPLICATION, BUT ALSO IN THE IGA.
UM, SO THAT COMMITMENT IS PART OF THE PROJECT COST, AS IT IS TODAY WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED IS, AND THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS ADDRESSED IN THE RESOLUTION THAT COUNCIL PASS AND PROVIDED TO COUNTY COUNCIL.
OUR TOWN COUNCIL IS THAT $3.1 MILLION MAY OR MAY NOT INCLUDE ALL THE ENHANCEMENTS WITH THE BULB OUT ON JENKINS ISLAND OR ADDITIONAL LANES ON STONEY ARE ADDITIONAL, UM, ENHANCEMENTS IN STONY AREA.
SO THAT WAS PART OF THE RESOLUTION.
IS THAT ANY COMMITMENTS ON TOWN ON PROPERTY THAT THAT WOULD BE INCLUDED AS WELL? SO THAT'S WHERE THAT, THAT CAME FROM BUT I'M STILL GOING TO SAY WHAT I STARTED OUT WITH THAT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE TOWN OF HILTON HEADS COUNCIL, BUT IN THAT SIP APPLICATION, THAT WAS A JOINT APPLICATION.
THEN THERE WAS ALSO A LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM DOWN TO HILTON HEAD ON THAT.
SO IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS PREPARED SINGLY BY THE COUNTY.
IT WAS, IT WAS A JOINT APPLICATION THAT WAS PREPARED AND CODIFIED BY, UM, ALL THAT PRESENTED.
AND I BELIEVE THAT WAS, UM, AT THE TIME IT WAS MS. JENKINS OR, UH, MS. JACOBS AND, UM, AND THE PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER THAT MADE THAT PRESENTATION TO THE SIM AND SO THEN I'LL, UM, FURTHER THAT CONVERSATION WITH OUR TOWN MANAGER AND COUNCIL AND MAYOR AND, UH, A LATER DATE.
BUT I THINK THAT OUR TOWN COUNCIL, UM, WAS NOT INVOLVED AND DID NOT, UM, PARTICIPATE IN A, IN, IN ANY WAY IN THAT AT LEAST I DIDN'T.
AND SO THAT'LL BE A QUESTION FOR ANOTHER DAY.
I THINK WHAT WE HEARD FROM, UM, MR. BROWN, MR. AMES, UM, FROM OUR MAYOR IS, UM, IS TRUE.
UM, WHAT'S GOOD FOR HILTON HEAD ISLAND IS GOOD FOR THE REST OF THE COUNTY AND FOR THE STATE, WHICH MEANS WHAT'S GOOD FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR VISITORS COMING ON TO HILTON HEAD.
WHAT'S GOOD FOR THEM IS GOOD FOR EVERYONE.
AND I THINK THAT'S BEING LOST IN THIS DISCUSSION.
WE'RE TALK ABOUT, UM, IN THAT ALL AN IMPROVED LEVEL OF SERVICE, AS I UNDERSTAND THE INFORMATION THIS EVENING, I'M VERY INTERESTED TO GET THE DOCUMENT THAT YOU PRESENTED NOT HAVING SEEN IT.
UM, THAT HAS BEEN A QUESTION OF MINE.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO EXPLORING THAT AND UNDERSTANDING THAT BETTER, THE TWO BRIDGES, ISN'T THE ONLY PLACE WE DISAGREE.
UM, THERE ARE 26 THINGS HERE THAT WHILE THERE'S A VERY POSITIVE, UM, STATEMENT ABOUT THE FUTURE, ABOUT HOW THESE THINGS CAN BE INCORPORATED.
[01:00:01]
UM, BEFORE I'M ON BOARD WITH ACCEPTING THAT AS A STATEMENT, THE PEOPLE COMING ON TO HILTON HEAD DESERVE BETTER.THE EXPERIENCE DOESN'T START WHEN YOU GET OFF THE BRIDGE, THE EXPERIENCE AS WE ALL DISCUSSED INITIALLY REALLY BEGINS AS YOU BEGIN TO ENTER ONTO THE BRIDGE FROM THE BLUFFTON SIDE AND THIS BRIDGE AS A MASSIVE PIECE OF CONCRETE COMING ACROSS, DOES NOTHING TO ENHANCE AND TO CONTINUE WHAT ALL OF US HAVE EXPERIENCED THROUGH THE GENERATIONS NOW OF COMING ON TO HILTON HEAD HELTON HAD A SPECIAL PLACE.
IT'S NOT ANY TOWN USA, AND WE'RE GOING TO LOSE IT THE WAY THE BRIDGE IS CURRENTLY BEING PRESENTED.
THE DESIGN WITH THE, THAT YOU SHOWED US TODAY.
CRAIG, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE ONLY DESIGN THAT WAS CONSIDERED, BUT, UM, THERE MUST BE SOME OTHERS THAT COULD BE THOUGHT THROUGH PRESENTED AND CONSIDERED.
AND I'D LIKE TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO FURTHER THAT DISCUSSION.
IT'S VERY UNFORTUNATE THAT NOW WE'RE UNDER AT THE 12TH HOUR UNDER PRESSURE, BUT THIS IS SO URGENT THAT WE MIGHT LOSE SOME MONEY, BUT WHEN IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT THE MONEY, IT'S ABOUT GETTING A RIDE.
THESE MEETINGS SHOULD HAVE BEEN HAPPENING ALL ALONG BECAUSE THE COUNTY IS PART OF TOWN OF HILTON HEAD.
AND THE RESPONSIBILITY IS TO THE RESIDENTS WHO LIVE ON HILTON HEAD AND THE TOURISTS AND THE VISITORS TO BECOME A RESIDENCE IN THE FUTURE AND THE WORKERS WHO WE ENJOY HAVING AND HELPING US ON THE ISLAND SO FAR.
I THINK THIS HAS NOT BEEN DONE IN A WAY THAT RESPECTS, THAT THAT RESPECTS OUR TOWN AND PUTS US IN A POSITION WHERE THE FUTURE CONTINUES TO BE AS BRIGHT AS OUR PAST AND OUR CURRENT SITUATION IS TODAY.
AND UNTIL THOSE THINGS, UNTIL THE VALUE ADDED FOR THE RESIDENTS OF HILTON HEAD IS MORE THAN THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS TO THE ISLAND THROUGH THIS PROJECT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW ANY OF US COULD AGREE TO IT.
AND SO, UM, I HAVE GOING TO LEAVE IT AT THAT FOR RIGHT NOW, BUT THERE'S BETTER.
THERE'S A BETTER JOB THAT CAN BE DONE.
AND ANOTHER DESIGN WITH MAYBE SOME OTHER IMPLICATIONS FOR TWO BRIDGES, UM, NEEDS TO EXPLORE, NOT JUST SOMETHING PRESENTED TO US TONIGHT, BUT THE ONLY THING I WILL SAY TO THAT IS NO MATTER WHAT SCENARIO YOU HAVE, TWO BRIDGES UNDER, YOU HAVE MORE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS THAN, THAN A SINGULAR BRIDGE.
TWO BRIDGES ARE WIDER THAN ONE BRIDGE UNDER THIS.
THERE YOU HAVE MORE CONCRETE WITH TWO BRIDGES THAN YOU HAVE WITH THE SINGULAR BRIDGE.
WELL, PERHAPS WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE WIDTH OF THE LANES, THE AMOUNT OF CONCRETE THAT'S BEING USED ON ONE SECTION GOING OUT OR ONE SECTION COMING IN.
BUT THERE MUST BE SOME DESIGN ELEMENTS THAT CAN CHANGE TO OFFSET WHAT YOU'VE JUST SAID.
WE'VE LOOKED AT DIFFERENT OPTIONS UNDER THAT SCENARIO.
YOU KNOW, THE LANE WAS, ARE A NONSTARTER.
THAT'S A FEDERAL HIGHWAY CRITERIA FOR LANE WITH THE SHOULDER, WITH OUTSIDE SHOULDER, WITH SAME THING.
THAT'S A CONTROLLING CRITERIA FOR THEM, FOR FEDERAL HIGHWAYS FOR A US ROUTE.
NOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT TWO BRIDGES, THE REASON THAT YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL CONCRETE IS YOU HAVE TO HAVE TWO WALLS.
AND SO YOU HAVE A SECOND WALL THAT YOU ADD TO IT, WHICH HAS A FOOT AND A HALF TO THE BRIDGE UNDER THOSE SCENARIOS.
WHEN YOU SPREAD THOSE BRIDGES OUT, THE MINIMUM WIDTH THAT YOU CAN GET BETWEEN THEM, IT'S PROBABLY BETWEEN 20 AND 50 FEET, SOMEWHERE IN THERE, PROBABLY CLOSER TO 50 FEET BECAUSE OF THE SEISMIC CONSIDERATIONS OF IT.
SO YOU HAVE TO FACTOR IN THAT YOU DON'T WANT THOSE BRIDGES INTERACTING WITH EACH OTHER UNDER, UNDER A SCENARIO FOR AN EARTHQUAKE WHERE THEY HIT EACH OTHER, BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO MOVE NOW, YOU'VE GOT A SINGLE BRIDGE, IT'S ALL GOING TO MOVE TOGETHER.
TWO BRIDGES THAT COULD MOVE IN, SEPARATE WHERE THEY HIT EACH OTHER.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, WE HAVE THOSE THREE TYPE ONES.
THOSE TIE POINTS ARE GOING TO BE THERE.
SO YOU'RE ALWAYS GONNA HAVE THAT CURVATURE OF THE SECOND LANE BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE IT TOGETHER AT PINCKNEY.
AND AGAIN, AT THE TIME POINTS WHERE HE'D COME TOGETHER.
SO PAINT PITNEY IS YOUR TIE POINT FOR HIM.
NOW, IF YOU SPREAD IT, IF YOU PUSH THEM APART FURTHER ON THE ISLAND, ON BLUFFTON SIDE, YOU ENDED UP WITH MORE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS THAN IF YOU HAVE A TIGHT THERE AND THEN COMING OFF AND SPLITTING.
SO UNDER THOSE SCENARIOS, YOU'VE GOT THE LINES COMING TOGETHER AND YOU'D HAVE TO SPLIT THEM OUT.
SO YOU'VE GOT MORE FILL WETLANDS.
SO WHEN, WHEN WE LAY THIS, PHIL IS A GREATER IMPACT THAN A BRIDGE IS FOR WETLAND IMPACTS.
SO WE'VE ALREADY PULLED OUT AS MUCH FILL AS WE CAN.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS, LIKE WE'VE PULLED OUT, WE'RE PULLING ALL THE FILL OUT, ACROSS BEING, AND THAT'S THERE.
WE'RE PULLING, FILL OUT AND DJING IS ON THE BRIDGE IS PHOENIX.
[01:05:01]
I THINK 800 FEET ONTO JIM IS ON THE FURTHER THAN THE EXISTING PRINTERS TO HELP WITH THAT, TO OPEN UP THAT, THAT FLOW BETWEEN HOG ISLAND AND JENKINS ISLAND TO OPEN ALL THAT BACK UP FROM A, FROM A HYDRAULIC STANDPOINT, FOR ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT, ET CETERA.BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BRIDGES OVER THE WATER, IF YOU GO TO TWO BRIDGES VERSUS SINGLE BRIDGE, YOU'RE GOING TO ADD WITH UNDER EVERY SCENARIO.
AND THEN YOU HAVE WHERE YOUR IMPACTS ARE.
SO WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU BUILD THE REEF, SO WE HAVE TO CONSIDER TEMPORARY IMPACTS.
WHEN WE CONSTRUCT THE BRIDGES UNDER TEMPORARY IMPACTS, YOUR IMPACTS ARE LONGER FOR TWO BRIDGES BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BUILD YOUR WORK TRUST AND MULTIPLE TIMES UNDER A SINGLE BRIDGE OR BUM ONE WORK TRESTLE TO BUILD IT.
SO UNDER THAT, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT, YOU CAN BUILD THAT SINGLE BRANDS SIGNIFICANTLY FASTER THAN, THAN TO BRIDGE.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT FIVE YEARS, CONSTRUCTION WINDOW, A SINGLE BRIDGE IS THREE YEARS AND YOU DON'T IMPACT THE TRAVELING PUBLIC THE ENTIRE TIME IT'S BEING BUILT.
SO THAT THAT'S A BENEFIT FOR THE RESIDENTS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TRAVELING PUBLIC COMING ONTO THE ISLAND FOR THE FUTURE, THERE ISN'T A SINGLE BRIDGE THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT AESTHETICALLY FOR TWO BRIDGES, YOU SPLIT THEM APART.
ALL YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IS THE OTHER BRIDGE.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE THE WATERWAY.
LIKE WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, YOU'RE ACTUALLY HAVE BETTER VIEWS UNDER A SINGLE BRIDGE SCENARIO.
SO WHEN THAT BRIDGE COMES OUT, IT GOES INTO SUPER ELEVATION.
SO YOU'RE TURNING IT AS YOU TURN IT, YOUR ROADWAY IS TIPPING.
SO YOU'RE SAYING, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT TO TRY FIND THE WATER, YOU'RE EITHER SEEING THE BRIDGE OR YOU'RE SEEING THE SKY.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, HAVE YOU LAID THE EXISTING BRIDGE? NOW THE RAILINGS ARE GOING TO GO 10 INCHES HIGHER THAN WHAT'S ON THE EXISTING BRIDGE NOW TO MEET CURRENT STANDARDS, THERE'S 44.
SO UNDER THOSE SCENARIOS, LIKE YOUR VIEWS AND NOT THOSE TYPES OF THINGS ARE CHANGING.
SO WHERE YOU CAN DO AN AESTHETIC IMPROVEMENTS.
AND WE'VE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH BOTH TOWN TOWN, AND THE COUNTY IS THERE IS A STATIC FIRMS THAT HELP WITH THE BRIDGE RAILINGS, THE BREADS, UM, BARRIER WALLS, WHERE THEY COME IN AND THAT THAT'S ALL THEY DO.
THEY DO, THEY, YOUR PEERS, THEY CAN DO ANYTHING.
AND THEY GET FORM WATERS TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT FITS IN WITH THE CHARACTER OF THE ISLAND.
WE STARTED HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH TOWN STAFF MEMBERS TWO YEARS AGO ABOUT AESTHETICS ON THE BRIDGE.
SO THOSE CONVERSATIONS WERE INITIALLY BECAUSE THE FIRM REACHED OUT TO US.
AND THEN WE TOOK IT TO THE TOWN COUNCIL BETWEEN THE TOWN STAFF.
SO EVERYBODY KNEW, I THINK THEY MADE A PRESENTATION TO BOTH COUNTY COUNCIL AND TOWN COUNCIL ON THE BENEFITS OF AESTHETICS.
SO THAT'S WHAT JOHN WAS TALKING ABOUT IS LIKE, YOU CAN DO THINGS TO IMPROVE THE AESTHETICS OF THE BRIDGE, SEPARATING INTO TWO BRIDGES.
ISN'T GOING TO PROVE THE AESTHETICS OF THE BRIDGE FROM THE, FROM A VIEWPOINT.
AND IT'S GOING TO CREATE ADDITIONAL CONCRETE.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, YOU HAVE TWO SETS OF TWO SETS OF BRIDGES, TWO SETS OF FOUNDATIONS, TWO SETS OF BEAMS. SO YOU'RE DOUBLING EVERYTHING UP, WHICH INCREASES THE COST AND INCREASES THE IMPACTS OF THANK YOU.
SO I'M JUST GOING TO GO TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT ISN'T AS TECHNICAL, AND I'M GOING TO TELL YOU, IN TERMS OF HELTON, HEAD ISLANDS RESIDENTS, AND OUR VISITORS, THEIR IMPRESSIONS, AND THEIR DESIRE TO SEE MORE EFFORT PUT INTO ADDITIONAL STUDIES, BETTER UNDERSTANDING, BETTER DESIGN, BETTER MITIGATIONS.
AS YOU MAY KNOW, THERE ARE OVER 8,000 PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED A PETITION WHO WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT TIME.
AND THAT OPPORTUNITY TO AS HAS BEEN SAID PREVIOUSLY, TO DO BETTER, WE ALL OWE IT TO THEM.
THEY'RE YOUR, YOUR REP, THEIR REPRESENTATIVES AS WELL.
AND I THINK IT MAKES SENSE THAT EACH OF YOU TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY OF A TOWN OF 37,000 PEOPLE, 8,000 PEOPLE IS A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT NUMBER.
WE DO NOT ON HILTON HEAD NEED TO BE URBANIZED ANYMORE THAN WE ARE.
WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE OUR BELT LOOSENED SO THAT MORE PEOPLE CAN FLOOD ON TO OUR ISLAND.
I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF FACTORS THAT AREN'T BEING TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION THAT WILL HAVE THE DETRIMENTAL IMPACTS THAT WILL STILL, EVEN WITH YOUR EXPLANATION, OUTWEIGH ANY VALUE ADDED FOR THE TOWN OF HILTON, HEAD RESIDENTS, VISITORS, AND OUR WORKERS.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION.
I KNOW IT'LL GET CONTINUED, BUT I DO ASK THAT WE, UM, SLOW THIS DOWN, HAVE THESE MEETINGS SO THAT EVERYONE HEARS WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO THOSE OF US WHO LIVE ON HILTON HEAD, RIGHT? BECAUSE WHAT'S GOOD FOR HILTON HEAD IS GOOD FOR THE COUNTY AND IT'S GOOD FOR THE STATE.
[01:10:01]
THANK YOU.IT'S THANK YOU, GLEN STANFORD, UH, TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK OUR FRIENDS FROM DDOT AND THE ENGINEERING STAFF FOR BEING HERE.
UM, I APPRECIATE JARED'S PRESENTATION AND YOURS, JOE, AND I THINK IT IS VERY HEALTHY, UH, THAT WE GET THESE TWO GROUPS OF REPRESENTATIVES TOGETHER ON THIS ISSUE AND MANY OTHER ISSUES, UH, THAT WILL COME BEFORE US FROM TIME TO TIME.
I HOPE WE'RE STARTING A TREND HERE.
I'M NO ENGINEER ABOUT ANYTHING, BUT I'M SORRY.
I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THE EMERGENCY ACCESS ISSUE IS SOLVED BY A SINGLE BRIDGE EMERGENCY ACCESS TO ME MEANS A MAJOR COLLISION WITH A BRIDGE.
UH, AND IF THAT BRIDGE HAS TAKEN OUT, WE REALLY GOT AN ENORMOUS PROBLEM.
SO I JUST CANNOT UNDERSTAND FROM A GENERAL CITIZENS POINT OF VIEW, HOW ONE BRIDGE IS SAFER OR IS AS SAFE AS TO I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID, CRAIG ABOUT IT'S GOING TO BE DESIGNED TO ACCEPT IMPACTS, BUT WE SEE STRUCTURES FAIL ALL THE TIME.
AND SO I'M NOT CONVINCED OF THAT IN THE SLIGHTEST, WE HAVE ABOUT 40,000 FULL-TIME RESIDENTS ON THIS ISLAND.
THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER TWO AND A HALF MILLION PEOPLE THAT COME IN AND VISIT US MORE.
NOW I THINK AS MUCH AS 3 MILLION EVERY YEAR, IF ONE OF, IF THE BRIDGE IS TAKEN OUT, WE HAVE A MAJOR CATASTROPHE FOR THIS COUNTRY AND CERTAINLY FOR THIS COUNTY AND THIS TOWN.
AND SO I AM JUST SIMPLY NOT CONVINCED OF THAT.
IT DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME THAT IT IS STATED THAT WAY.
AND THEN I HAVE ONE LITTLE COMMENT AND THAT IS, I DON'T KNOW, WE'VE GOTTEN A RESPONSE BACK ON ONE BREAKDOWN LANE VERSUS TWO BREAKDOWN LANES.
IT'S ONE OF THE 26 POINTS AND MAYBE I'VE HEARD, MAYBE I'VE MISSED IT, BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD A RESPONSE ON THAT.
IT'S NOT A, NOT A DEAL BREAKER ISSUE, BUT IT IS A WAY FOR US TO TRY TO DEAL WITH THE IMPACT OF THIS BRIDGE AS THE ENTRY POINT INTO HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
AND SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS EMERGENCY ASPECT, THIS SAFETY ASPECT AS HAVING AT LEAST EQUAL, IF NOT GREATER POWER AND MEANING THAN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND SOME OF THESE OTHER FACTORS THAT HAVE BEEN MENTIONED.
SO I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A FEW WORDS HERE.
I'VE STAYED IN HOW I FEEL ABOUT THIS.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US CONSIDER RECONSIDER THIS AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE IMPACTS ARE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, MR. CUNNINGHAM? UH, THANK YOU GUYS ALL FOR COMING TODAY, MR. CHAIRMAN MAYOR FOR GETTING THIS TOGETHER, UM, AND THE PRESENTATION, UM, ACTUALLY DIDN'T PLAN ON EVEN SAYING ANYTHING JUST MORE SOAKING UP KNOWLEDGE.
UM, BUT I'VE COME TO NOTICE THAT SO FAR, THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT HAVE SPOKEN IS PEOPLE FROM THE TOWN.
UM, THE THING THAT I FIND INTERESTING ABOUT IT IS IT DOESN'T QUITE SEEM LIKE YOU GUYS AGREE EITHER.
UM, YOU HAVE ONE INDIVIDUAL SAYING HE WANTS TO PRESERVE THE HERITAGE OF HILTON HEAD AND IS WORRIED ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF IT.
AND THEN WE HAVE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE SAYING, LET'S TALK ABOUT A SECOND BRIDGE, WHICH IS GOING TO CREATE MORE IMPACTS TO THOSE SPECIFIC AREAS HE'S EVEN TALKING ABOUT OVER HERE.
UM, JARED, I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION.
HOW LONG DOES A PROJECT LIKE THIS USUALLY TAKE TO JUST, JUST FOR DISCUSSIONS TO COME UP WITH SOME TYPE OF IDEA OF WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GO.
SO NORMALLY, UM, WE SAY ABOUT TWO YEARS, UM, SO A LITTLE BIT LONGER, WE'VE BEEN A LITTLE BIT LONGER IN THE PROCESS THEN HOW LONG HAVE WE BEEN AT IT ON THIS ONE? SINCE 2017.
SO WE'RE FIVE YEARS IN WORKING ON OUR FIFTH YEAR.
UM, I USE THIS PHRASE I'M IN COUNTY MEETINGS ALL THE TIME.
UM, I DON'T PLAN ON DOING THIS JOB FOREVER.
I DON'T THINK I SHOULD DO THIS JOB FOREVER.
I THINK DIFFERENT PEOPLE SHOULD TAKE OUR SEATS AT SOME POINT, BUT THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN KICKED.
CAN THE CANS BEEN KICKED DOWN THE ROAD LONG ENOUGH? UM, I DON'T AGREE WITH TWO BRIDGES.
UH, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU GUYS.
LIKE DON'T I GREW UP HERE IN HILTON HEAD.
UM, I'VE BEEN IN THE TRAFFIC, I'VE BEEN ON THE WRECKS.
UM, I ACTUALLY WORKED ON HILTON HEAD.
WHY I, WHEN, WHEN I DROVE TO BLUFFED INTO TEACH FOR THREE YEARS AND UNLESS THERE WAS A WRECK, HONESTLY, I LIVED IN THE BLUFFTON PARKWAY.
NEVER TOOK ME EVEN LONGER THAN 30 MINUTES TO GET THERE FROM THE BLUFFTON PARKWAY UP THROUGH THE BRIDGE
[01:15:01]
TO GET TO SCHOOL IN THE MORNING TO WORK.UM, IF THERE'S A WRECK, YES, IT DOES TAKE A WHILE TO GET OFF.
DOES OUR BRIDGE NEED WORK AND NEED REPLACED? ABSOLUTELY.
NOBODY'S DISAGREEING WITH THAT.
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, WHEN WE COME INTO THE IDEA, I'VE HEARD MULTIPLE PEOPLE SAY, IF MONEY'S NO OBJECT, IF MONEY'S NO OBJECT, BUT THAT'S NOT A REALITY, MONEY IS A REALITY.
MONEY IS AN OBJECT AND IT IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO TAKE IN CONSIDERATION.
IF WE WOULD HAVE STARTED THIS PROJECT TWO YEARS AGO, WHEN WE WERE ON THE TIMESCALE, MAYBE THE MONEY'S THERE TO DO MORE THAN WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.
UM, MAYBE WE DO HAVE THOSE MORE RESOURCES, BUT AT A MILLION DOLLARS A WEEK, TAKE OUT THE INFLATION WILL LAST TWO YEARS.
THIS PROJECT HAS SKYROCKETED AND NOBODY IN THE STATE OR AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO TELL US WHEN THAT'S GOING TO STOP.
BUT WE DO KNOW THE LONGER WE WAIT, THE WORST SITUATION WE'RE IN.
THAT'S NOT UP TO CODE, WANTING TO TALK ABOUT DISASTERS THAT COULD HAPPEN.
IT'S NOT SAFE FOR AN EARTHQUAKE, CORRECT ME WRONG.
I THINK IT'S SAFE FOR A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE, RIGHT CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT A CATEGORY THREE AND THE NEXT ONE SUPPOSED TO BE FOUR OR FIVE.
SO RIGHT NOW, CATEGORY THREE, YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT HILTON HEAD.
YOU ONLY HAVE A WAY TO GET TO HILTON HEAD BECAUSE WE'RE DRAGGING OUR FEET.
WE COULD HAVE ALREADY HAD THIS BRIDGE IF WE WERE ON TIMELINE, GETTING READY TO START.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I KNOW THAT'S OUR BIGGEST DISAGREEMENT.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS ON THE ISLAND THAT YOU GUYS KNOW BETTER THAN I DO.
AND TRUST ME, I HAVE THE SAME ARGUMENT WITH PEOPLE ON COUNCIL AND BLUFFTON.
IF I HEAR ONE MORE THING ABOUT FIVE B, I'M GONNA LOSE MY MIND.
IT'S A ROAD THAT STILL GOES TO NOWHERE.
I HEAR IT ALL THE TIME, BUT WE'RE STILL FUNNELING EVERYTHING BACK TO THE SAME PLACE.
AND THAT'S RIGHT ON 46 OR RIGHT ON A 2 78, NONE OF THOSE ISSUES HAVE BEEN SOLVED.
SO TWO BRIDGES, ONE BRIDGE IS YOU'RE STILL GOING TO THE SAME AREA.
I DO WANT TO PROTECT HILTON HEAD.
UM, THERE'S A REASON I TOOK THIS JOB AND YOU KNOW, WENT DOWN THIS ROUTE AND THAT'S TO PRESERVE THAT.
SO FUTURE GENERATIONS CAN ENJOY IT.
UM, I WOULD RATHER SPEND THE EXTRA MONEY LORD WILLING IF THERE IS SOME LEFT AFTER THE INFLATION STOPS ON PUTTING THAT DESIGN ASPECT IN ON THE BRIDGES, MAKE IT THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BRIDGE YOU HAVE EVER SEEN IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
AND YOU WANT TO, WITH OTHER COUNTIES THEN DO THAT.
DON'T WORRY ABOUT BUILDING THE BIGGEST ONE, BUILD THE BEST ONE, THE BEST LOOKING ONE, THE PEOPLE WANT TO COME SEE THE PEOPLE THAT THEY SAY, NO, LET'S SKIP CHARLESTON.
AND LET'S GO DOWN TO BUFORD COUNTY AND HILTON HEAD AND THEN GO OVER TO BUFORD.
I JUST THINK THAT'S THE ROUTE WE NEED TO GO.
UM, I KNOW WE HAVE A DEADLINE ACTUALLY COMING ON MONDAY FOR A VOTE TO EXTEND THIS PROCESS.
UM, I WAS ACTUALLY THE ONE THAT MOVED IT TO BUY TWO MORE WEEKS.
I MADE THE MOTION TO EVEN HAVE THE CONVERSATION.
I, I THINK IT'S HEALTHY, BUT IF THE ONLY THING THAT'S HOLDING US UP IS A SECOND BRIDGE.
I CAN TELL YOU, I WON'T BE ON BOARD WITH IT.
WE, WE HAVE TAKEN LONG ENOUGH ON THIS PROJECT.
I WON'T EVEN BE HERE WHEN THIS PROJECT IS DONE MORE THAN LIKELY.
UM, AND A LOT OF US WON'T BE, BUT AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO GET THE BALL ROLLING AND HAVE TO GET THIS JOB GOING.
CAUSE THE MOMENT THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, WE'RE GOING TO LEAVE THE SEAT.
AND SOMEBODY IS GOING TO BE IN THIS ROOM, HAVING THE SAME DANG DISCUSSIONS WE'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW AND DOING THE SAME PROCESS OVER AGAIN BECAUSE SOMEBODY ELSE LEFT.
WE ARE AGAIN, OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR TOWN.
WE ARE AGAIN, MR. ORLANDO'S NEW.
WE HAD QUESTIONS FOR HIM HERE.
AGAIN, AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO SAY NO SITUATION IS GOING TO MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPEN.
HAPPY IT IS PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE.
SOMEBODY WILL ALWAYS BE UNHAPPY, BUT WE HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE AND MAKE THE BEST PROJECT WE POSSIBLY CAN WITH THE OPTIONS AND AVAILABILITY THAT WE HAVE.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN COMMENTS, YOU START WITH THE COSTS.
YOU'RE ALL AWARE THAT I PLACED MARY LET'S DO RODMAN COUNTY COUNCIL.
UH, LET ME START WITH THE COST.
UH, WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF INFLATION.
THEY ALSO, I KNOW THAT WHEN CONSTRUCTION COSTS TEND TO RISE FASTER THAN CONSUMER PRICE INDEX, UM, BACK OF THE ENVELOPE, UM, I LOOKED AT THE TIME PERIOD AND JUST MADE A COUPLE ASSUMPTIONS OF WHAT KIND OF INTEREST WE MIGHT BE SEEING AND PENCILED IT OUT.
AND PEOPLE COULD LOOK AT IT DIFFERENTLY.
I, THOSE NUMBERS, IF THEY CONTINUE WITH PENCIL OUT TO ABOUT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, IF YOU PENCIL IT OUT FOR ANOTHER COUPLE MONTHS AND DIVIDE BY THE NUMBER OF MONTHS, YOU GET BACK TO THE 4 MILLION A MONTH OR $10 A WEEK, I THINK FRANKLY, THAT'S WHERE, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE.
UM, AND IF YOU LOOK AT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GET THE MONEY, THE REFERENDUMS OVER, THAT'S A FIXED AMOUNT OF MONEY.
WE GOT THE CIP MONEY IS FIXED.
SO I DON'T SEE A LOT OF PLACES WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GET THE MONEY.
THERE'S PLACES TO GO GET IT, BUT IT'S, IT'S AN UPHILL TASK FOR US.
SO THE LONGER WE DELAY, THE MORE COSTLY IT'S GOING TO BE OF THE 26 ITEMS. I THINK, UM, MY SENSE OF
[01:20:01]
COUNCIL IS OUR COUNCIL IS THAT THERE'S NO DISAGREEMENT WITH ANY OF THEM.UM, OTHER THAN THE, THE ONE FOR THE BRIDGE.
NOW THAT HAVING SAID THAT, I THINK THERE'S A POINT TO BE MADE, WHICH IS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE SO-CALLED NEPA PROCESS.
WHAT THAT DOES IS DESCRIBE THE BOX THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT OR THINK ABOUT IT AS A FOOTPRINT, WHICH REALLY SAYS WE'RE GETTING AN ENVIRONMENTAL APPROVAL, BUT WITHIN THAT FOOTPRINT, THERE'S A FAIR AMOUNT OF FLEXIBILITY TO DO SOME MODIFICATIONS AS WE GO FORWARD.
SO I'M CONVINCED THAT WE CAN DO A LOT TO MAKE THE WHOLE THING LOOK BETTER.
AND ONE OF THE POINTS THAT TAMMY MADE WHEN WE HAD THE OTHER MEETING WAS THAT WHAT WE REALLY WANT IS TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE NATURAL SEASCAPE THAT WE HAVE.
UM, SO, UH, THE, THE OTHER IS THAT AT THE END OF THE, AS WE START INTO THE DESIGN, THERE'S ACTUALLY A MANDATED CALLED VALUE ENGINEERING THAT HAS TO TAKE PLACE.
SO THERE, THERE MAY BE THINGS THAT CAN BE REVISITED THAT MIGHT HELP WITH COST.
SO OTHER THAN, AND I THINK WE CAN DO BOTH OF THOSE.
I THINK WE CAN AGREE THAT THERE'S A WAY TO DO THE ARRIVAL EXPERIENCE.
I THINK WE CAN AGREE THAT THERE'S A, THERE'LL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO STILL MAKE SOME VALUE ENGINEERING IMPROVEMENTS TO THE THING.
AND SO WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE BRIDGE, I THINK OUR COUNCIL IS TOTALLY ON BOARD WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, SUGGESTED.
UM, WE ACTUALLY DEBATED THE BRIDGE A COUPLE MONTHS AGO AND REJECTED IT AND THE SECOND BRIDGE.
UM, SO I'M A LITTLE SURPRISED THAT IT'S STILL ON THE TABLE, BUT I THINK THE MORE WE LOOK AT IT PERSONALLY, I DON'T THINK THAT IT ADDS ANYTHING TO THE VIEW.
I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY PIECE.
UM, UH, I'M NOT RISK ADVERSE AND, UH, UM, AND AS THE LONGER WE WAIT, THE HIGHER THE COST IS GOING TO BE, SO IT SEEMS TO ME WHERE WE ARE IS THAT WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD, WHETHER WE DO A RESOLUTION AND YOU DO A RESOLUTION, OR WE DO A JOINT RESOLUTION, SEEMS TO ME WE'RE BETTER OFF TO GET ON WITH THAT AS QUICK AS WE CAN TO DELAY SOMETHING FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS, I THINK WE REALLY PUT THE ENTIRE PROJECT AT RISK TO THE POINT THAT THERE'S 45 OTHER COUNTIES OUT THERE BEGGING FOR MONEY FROM THE, THE SIB.
AND AT SOME POINT IN TIME THEY WOULD LOSE INTEREST IN US.
SO I THINK IT'S A VERY HIGH RISK TO NOT MOVE FORWARD AS TO ISSUES ON THE TABLE THAT I SAW IN OUR RESOLUTION.
UH, ONE WAS, IS THE TOWN GOING TO PROVIDE THE LAND THAT'S NEEDED FOR IT? I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT YOU WOULDN'T, BUT IF I W I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD, IF WE NEED SOME KIND OF A DOCUMENT FROM YOU, WE WOULD GET THAT AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE.
SO WE'RE NOT ARGUING OVER IT, BUT IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA PROVIDE THE LAND, THEN YOU OUGHT TO TELL US AND TELL THE PROJECT BEFORE WE SPEND ANY, ANY MORE DOLLARS ON DESIGN.
AND, UM, THE OTHER IS THE, THE CONSENT.
AND I THINK AS YOU POINTED OUT, THE, UM, CHAIRMAN POINTED OUT, UH, YOU KNOW, A BRIDGE ACROSS A FEDERAL HIGHWAY ACROSS THE INTERCOASTAL WATERWAY FEDS ARE GOING TO DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITHIN REASON.
THEY'RE GOING TO LISTEN TO US.
UM, AND THEN, SO THAT REALLY COMES DOWN TO, UM, THE MUNICIPAL CONSENT THROUGH STONEY.
BUT IF WE CAN AGREE ON A PATH FORWARD ON LOOKING AT THE AESTHETICS AND KNOW THAT THERE'S A PATH FORWARD ON TWEAKING THINGS THROUGH THE VALUE ENGINEERING, I DON'T SEE ANY REASON WHY WE CAN'T AGREE NOW NOT TO HAVE IT IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE WHERE YOU'VE GOT TO TAKE A VOTE, BUT LET'S GET ALL THOSE THINGS BEHIND US.
AND LET'S NOT GIVE OTHER PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING DOWN THERE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I COME OUT ON IT.
MR. CHAIRMAN, COUNCILMAN HOWARD, IN MY PAST LIFE, I WORKED ON FOR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS.
I THINK JARED'S BEING VERY, VERY, UM, GENEROUS BY SAYING 12 TO 18 MONTHS.
ALL OF THOSE TOOK A MINIMUM OF TWO YEARS.
IF WE ADD, IF WE GO TO THE TWO BRIDGES AND WE, AND WE DON'T GET THE FONZIE, WE'RE GONNA BE DOING AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT, AND WE'RE GOING TO ADD TWO YEARS TO THIS PROJECT.
UM, MR. HARVEY, SEAN, THIS HAS BEEN, UM, AN ENLIGHTENING CONVERSATION FOR ME PERSONALLY.
UH, I'VE HEARD A LOT THAT I AGREE WITH.
I'VE HEARD A LOT THAT I DON'T AGREE WITH.
I AGREE THAT WHAT'S GOOD FOR HILTON.
THAT IS GOOD FOR THE COUNTY, FOR SURE.
UM, OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYBODY DISAGREE, THAT
[01:25:01]
THE STONEY IS IMPORTANT.AND I THINK THAT WE ALL AGREE ON THE DIRECTION OF THAT, FOR SURE.
SO IT SEEMS THAT WE'RE DOWN TO THE ONE BRIDGE VERSUS THE TWO BRIDGE.
AND BASED ON WHAT I SAW HERE, IT DOESN'T SEEM TO MAKE ANY SENSE TO GO WITH TWO BRIDGES.
I UNDERSTAND THE SAFETY ASPECT OF IT.
AND OBVIOUSLY SAFETY IS NUMBER ONE WITH ANYTHING THAT WE DO, BUT I'M STRUGGLING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WOULD HAVE TO HAPPEN UNDER A TWO BRIDGE SCENARIO FOR, FOR ONE BRIDGE TO GO DOWN.
OR EVEN IF WE JUST HAD A SINGLE BRIDGE FOR ONE BRIDGE TO GO DOWN.
IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE DESIGNING IT FOR A CAT FIVE HURRICANE, IF WE'RE DESIGNING IT FOR A BARGE FOR DESIGNING IT FOR AN EARTHQUAKE, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE SCENARIOS WHERE ONE BRIDGE WOULD GO DOWN, THEY PROBABLY BOTH GO DOWN AND WE'D HAVE BIGGER PROBLEMS. THAT'S JUST WHERE I'M SITTING, UM, TO MR. ROBIN'S POINT ABOUT THE COST.
THAT THAT'S A CONCERN FOR ME AS WELL.
IT'S BEEN A CONCERN FOR FOREVER SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL.
UM, IT'S GETTING WILDLY EXPENSIVE, UH, BY THE DAY.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO THINK LONG AND HARD ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING FINANCE IT, IF WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD.
SO, UM, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.
UM, AND AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THE TIME AND I APPRECIATE THIS MEETING, MR. GLOVER.
UM, LET ME FIRST SAY THAT, UM, WHEN, WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, BEEF FOR COUNTY, UM, THE MAIN LAND, UH, IS THERE, UH, THE REST OF US LIVE ON AN ISLAND AND WE ONLY HAVE ONE WAY ON ONE WAY OFF.
UM, SO WHEN THERE'S A DISASTER OR EMERGENCY, UM, IT EXISTS ALL OVER BEER FRIDGE, AND THAT'S A CONCERN OF MINE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO RESOLVE THAT, UM, FORCING HELL ON HER BY PUTTING ANOTHER BRIDGE.
I DOUBT THAT WILL EVER HAPPEN.
BUT, UM, THIS, WE I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN SORT OF RECTIFY, UH, SOME EMERGENCY, UH, THROUGHOUT BUFORD COUNTY, UH, WITHOUT BUILDING A SECOND BRIDGE OR A NEED FOR ANOTHER BRIDGE.
UM, SO TRYING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF A SECOND BRIDGE FOR EMERGENCY, I CAN, I CAN ADVOCATE THAT FOR ANY PLACE ON ST.
HELENA BECAUSE WE A COUNTY OF ISLANDS, UM, SAYING THAT, UM, UM, UM, UM, PROBABLY, UM, MS. CHAIRMAN READY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, UM, THE 2 78 PROJECT WITH THE BRIDGES.
UM, I SUPPORT THE ONE BRIDGE BECAUSE IT HAS LESS IMPACT ON COMMUNITY, UM, PARTICULARLY THE STONEY COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT I DO WOULD ASK, UM, THIS BODY HERE, UH, OF, OF COUNCILS TO, UM, TO CONSIDER STONY COMMUNITY, HISTORICALLY BRIDGES, ROADS, INFRASTRUCTURE, HAVE IMPACT, UH, AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES, UH, ALL OVER UNITED STATES.
SO THAT'S HISTORY, UM, AND NOTHING HAS REALLY BEEN DONE TO HELP THOSE COMMUNITIES.
SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO FROM THE STATE LEVEL, FEDERAL LEVEL COUNTY LEVEL MUNICIPALITY, UH, LET'S DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THE STONY COMMUNITY, UM, BY HELPING THEM ECONOMICALLY, THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE FOR ME? HOW DO YOU ADVANCE YOURSELF ECONOMICALLY? AND IF WE CAN SHOW IT AN EXAMPLE OF THAT, UM, I THINK THAT'S THE BEST THING WE CAN DO FOR THE STONEY COMMUNITY AT THIS TIME.
AND I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN MAKE THAT COMMITMENT TO DO WHAT WE CAN FOR THAT COMMUNITY, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE, UM, IMPACT DRASTICALLY.
SO, YEAH, THAT'S MY ONLY COMMENT I WILL MAKE SUR WELL, MR. DAWSON,
UM, I'M SAD THAT WE ARE AT AN IMPASSE AND THIS HOUR AND THE PROCESS, AND, UM, I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE YOU AS HALL, UM, FROM BOTH COUNTIES.
I MEAN THE MUNICIPALITY AND THE COUNTY TO, UM, RESOLVE THIS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
AND LET'S GET ON WITH THE PROCESS BEFORE THE CARPET IS COLLAPSED AND MR. MCKELLEN, THANKS, CHAIRMAN.
UM, I THOUGHT WE WERE A MUCH FURTHER ALONG IN AGREEING HOW WE WERE GOING TO PROCEED.
I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT WE CAME FOR PITCHER STALEMATE.
I HAVE NOTHING FURTHER TO ADD.
UM, BEFORE I GO TO OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND OUR TOWN MANAGER FOR HILTON HEAD, LET ME SEE
[01:30:01]
IF I CAN ALLAY SOME OF THE FEAR THAT SOME OF YOU HAVE SAID, GLEN, I'M GOING TO START WITH YOU.BRIDGES ARE FAILING ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES.
WE HAVE KNOWN THAT FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
WE KNOW WE'VE LEARNED OVER THE COURSE OF TIME, WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T WORK WITH BRIDGES.
ONE BRIDGE TO BRIDGE DOESN'T MATTER.
IT'S HOW IT IS BUILT TO WITHSTAND WHERE IT IS.
I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT IN FACT, THE BRIDGE IS GOING TO BE DESIGNED IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT WILL BE ABLE TO HANDLE ANY NATURAL, NOT DISASTER, BUT PHENOMENON, WHETHER IT'S A HURRICANE, ANYTHING LIKE THAT, IT WILL BE STANDING THERE.
OUR CURRENT BRIDGES HAVE FAILED.
SO THE SOONER WE GET IT REPLACED, THE BETTER OFF WE ARE, TAMMY, OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST TWO YEARS, YOU HAVE SEEN, WE HAVE HAD MULTIPLE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHERE WE CAN PUT THE BRIDGES, BUT THEY ALL GO ACROSS JENKINS ISLAND.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THEY KEPT NARROWING IT DOWN.
WHAT WAS THE LEAST IMPACT GETTING ACROSS THAT ONTO THE ISLAND.
IF AS YOU SAW WITH THE TWO BRIDGES THERE, IT WILL HAVE A DRAMATIC IMPACT BECAUSE YOU HAVE PINCH POINTS, THREE OF THEM, BLUFFTON, WHERE YOU START HILTON HEAD, WHERE YOU END AND JENKINS ISLAND IN THE MIDDLE PAINTING A PICKNEY ISLAND IN THE MIDDLE.
AND SO NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES WE LOOK AT IT OF A BRIDGE SITUATION, IT'S GOING TO HAVE A DRAMATIC IMPACT THAT NEITHER WE CAN AFFORD IN THE MONEY OR THE TIME.
AND FINALLY, WE WANT THE EXPERIENCE OF PEOPLE COMING TO HILTON HEAD.
IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, IT DOESN'T START AT THE BRIDGE.
IT STARTS, IF YOU'RE COMING FROM THE SOUTH EIGHT, A AND YOU START DOWN TO 78, WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE GOING ALL THE WAY TO HELP THAT ISLAND, IF YOU'RE COMING FROM THE NORTH, IT AUTOMATICALLY SAYS, DON'T GO DOWN TO EIGHT DAY, GET OFF AT FOUR 60 TO GO ONTO ONE 70 AND THEN GO ON TO 2 78, WHICH ARE MAJOR ROADS THAT ARE ABSOLUTELY FAILED.
SO IT'S MORE THAN JUST REPLACING THE BRIDGE.
IT IS THE LONG TERM NEEDS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE FOR THE EXPERIENCE THAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED DOWN THE ROAD.
MR. ORLANDO, YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELL OUTSIDE OF THE TOWN COUNCIL RECOMMENDATIONS, YOU KNOW, AS THE TOWN MANAGER, OH, FIRST OF ALL, MARC ORLANDO COUNTY HILTON, HEAD ISLAND, TOWN MANAGER.
AND I, AND I TOO WANT TO SAY, THANK YOU TO CRAIG, SIT ACROSS FROM HIM AND WATCHING YOUR FACE AND READING HOW MUCH YOU'RE ABSORBING THIS AND THE ROOM.
I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW FROM US TO YOU, WE APPRECIATE YOU.
I HEARD A COUPLE OF THINGS AND OUTSIDE OF THE PROJECT RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH I THINK ARE IMPORTANT, I DON'T HAVE MUCH TO ADD, BUT I WILL ADD A COUPLE OF OBSERVATIONS AND MAYBE FOLLOW UP WITH SOME QUESTIONS WITH ERIC OFFLINE AND TOMORROW MORNING.
BUT WE TALKED TONIGHT THAT THE PROJECT GOALS S C D O T EARLY PROJECT GOALS WERE TWO THINGS REPLACED THE BRIDGE, REDUCE CONGESTION, RIGHT? I THINK WE AGREE THAT WE SAID THAT, BUT ALL THE THINGS TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT, AREN'T PART OF THOSE PROJECT GOALS.
AND SO MAYBE FROM THE FRONT END AND SOME LESSONS LEARNED, AND MAYBE JUST SOME OBSERVATIONS THAT THIS PROJECT SHOULD BE, AND I THINK NEEDS TO BE MORE THAN REPLACE A BRIDGE, REDUCE CONGESTION, BECAUSE THAT'S JUST THE BASIC SOLUTION.
UM, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IMPACTS.
I THINK THAT'S MORE FROM MY END.
I THINK THAT'S MY QUESTIONS WITH ERIC OFFLINE AND MAYBE TOMORROW, BUT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THINGS ARE IMPORTANT AND WE RECEIVED A COLLECTIVE RESPONSE FROM BUFORD COUNTY FROM, FROM ERIC AND FROM DLT, BUT IT SAID, YES, THESE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT TO US, BUT YOU GO AHEAD AND PAY FOR THEM, RIGHT.
IF IT'S A PATHWAY OFF THE HEAD OR CURB.
MITIGATION, LINEAR PARK, GULLAH, GEECHEE, MITIGATION, PRESERVATION,
[01:35:01]
STORYTELLING, OTHER THAN A PAVILION.YOU PAY FOR IT, BUT I'M HEARING DIFFERENT TONIGHT.
SO I THINK I JUST NEED TO PACKAGE BACK UP THE RESPONSE LETTER AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE UNDERSTANDING THE RESPONSE LETTER TO THE DEGREE THAT SIR, YOU'RE SPEAKING, AND MAYBE COME BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.
I CAN'T SOLVE ONE BRIDGE TO BRIDGE, BUT I KNOW THAT THE PROJECT GOALS ARE ABOVE AND BEYOND REPLACING A BRIDGE AND REDUCING CONGESTION.
AND I'M JUST VERY PLEASED TO HEAR THOSE THINGS DISCUSSED TONIGHT.
UM, MY PURPOSE BEING HERE RIGHT, IS, UM, GOOD PARTNER WITH ERIC.
UM, I THINK THAT WHILE WE HAVE THE 26 RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE TABLE, THAT'S WHAT I'M ADVOCATING FOR.
UH, AND BEFORE I, I KIND OF ANSWER THAT.
AND THEN I THINK WE CAN BRING IT TO A CONCLUSION AT THIS POINT IN TIME, ERIC.
OH, I'M SORRY, LOGAN, YOU ADD ANOTHER YEAH.
UH, ONE THING I LEFT OFF, UM, EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM SO FAR I'VE HEARD HAS AGREED THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT HILTON HEAD IS TAKEN CARE OF AND HILTON HAD THRIVES OFF HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM, AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF OUR WATERWAYS AND THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE CAN OFFER IN OUR CULTURE, FOOD, UM, DOLPHIN TOURS, KAYAK TOURS, AND ONE OF THE BIG THINGS, UM, OR LEAVING OUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TWO BRIDGES IS THE IMPACTS THAT CAN HAVE ON TO FOSKEY.
AND HEAR ME OUT BEFORE YOU LOOK AT ME, LIKE, I'M CRAZY.
HEY, IF WE'RE GOING TO GO TO BRIDGES, THAT'S GOING TO TAKE UP MORE ROOM ON PICKING THE ISLAND, BUT PAINT ME ON AND GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY IN THE FUTURE TO POSSIBLY GET EARLY ACCESS TO, TO BUSKEY, WHICH GETS TRAFFIC OFF HILTON HEAD THAT YOU GUYS DON'T WANT THERE.
FIRST OFF, I KNOW Y'ALL KNOW ONE THAT GROWN ANYMORE.
AND TWO, IT ALSO GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT TO MAYBE DO THE DISCOVERY ZONE DOWN THERE THAT OUR TOURISTS CAN COME DOWN TO THERE AND DO OUR SCHOOLS IN BEAVER COUNTY CAN GO DOWN THERE AND ENJOY AT THE SAME TIME AS BEING THE HUB FOR THE SHUTTLE, FOR THE FOSKEY, BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY SO MANY DAYS YOU CAN GO TO THE BEACH.
THERE'S ONLY SO MANY DAYS YOU CAN GO ZIP LINING.
THERE'S ONLY SO MANY DAYS YOU WANT TO GO TO THE BOWLING ALLEY, MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO DO THINGS IN BUFORD COUNTY WILL BRING MORE TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY DOWN HERE IN THOSE MONTHS THAT WE'RE PREPARED FOR IT.
UM, AND I THINK THAT IF WE DO GO TO BRIDGES, YOU'RE IN DANGER OF RUINING THAT OPPORTUNITY RIGHT THERE ON PINCKNEY ISLAND TO GET DIRECT ACCESS TO, TO FOSKEY ISLAND.
MAY I ASK A QUESTION BEFORE, SORRY, ERIC, THE ONE THING AND I, AND I JUMPED OVER, WE TALKED ABOUT END TO END, AND WE TALKED ABOUT SENATOR DAVIS COMING TO COUNCIL, AND YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT END TO END ANALYSIS.
AND AGAIN, I'M, I'M WITH GLENN.
I'M NOT A TRAFFIC ENGINEER AND I DON'T KNOW, DON'T NOT TRYING TO BE, BUT A LOT OF THE DISCUSSION IS ABOUT THAT.
AND A LOT OF QUESTIONS TO US AND THE EMAILS TO THAT, OR, HEY, DID YOU LOOK AT THIS BEYOND THE CORRIDOR AND I HAVE TO TRUST YOU THAT, THAT YOU DID, RIGHT? SO I THINK IT'S PROBABLY IMPORTANT THAT WE AT LEAST CRAIG MAYBE SLOW DOWN AND REITERATE, IS THERE AN END TO END ANALYSIS? AND WHEN WE DISCUSS END TO END, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU? BECAUSE I THINK END-TO-END OTHERS MEANS THE CORRIDOR OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, NOT JUST THROUGH SPANISH WELLS INTERSECTION.
RIGHT? SO DOES THE END TO END ANALYSIS? YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A WHAT'S THE SCOPE OF THAT, BUT B DOES IT INCLUDE ANY SMART SIGNAL TECHNOLOGY BEYOND ONE OR TWO SIGNALS THROUGH STONEY IN OUR CIP BUDGET? AND I'LL JUST SHARE TONIGHT.
I MIGHT PROPOSAL THE COUNCIL IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, WE'LL HAVE, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, THE SMART SIGNALS, THE TECHNOLOGY-BASED SIGNALS SIMILAR TO JOHNNY DODDS AND MOUNT PLEASANT IN OUR CAPITAL PROGRAM.
WE HAVE FUNDED IT, SOME FUNDS OF OURS, UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE MIGHT BE A GRANT OUT THERE, SO KNOW THAT'S COMING, BUT SO DID THAT END TO END ANALYSIS INCLUDE THAT AND THEN, AND DID IT INCLUDE THE REMOVAL OF THE CROSS ISLAND TOLL? BECAUSE WHAT, WHAT I'M TRYING TO ANSWER IS NOT JUST IMPACTS THERE, BUT EVERYBODY'S CONCERNED.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD BE ABOUT IMPACTS TO THE ENTIRE ISLAND AS WE HURRY PEOPLE THROUGH A CORRIDOR.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THERE'S A RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWERS.
JUST, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S CLARITY ON WHAT YOU'RE DEFINING THAT AS, AS DOD REP.
I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE CLEAR.
I'VE ASKED JENNY HERE TO STEP IT UP A LITTLE BIT.
I'LL TAKE A SHOT AT IT AND JUST CORRECT ANYTHING THAT NEED TO FROM THIS SHE'S THAT SHE'S, OUR TRIBE GIVES HER AN EXPERT OF OUR TRAVEL MODEL, EXPERT WORD LAW, LONG TIME WITH LAST DEVELOPING THEIR MODEL.
SO WE START WITH THE LATCH REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION MODEL, WHICH IS A COUNTY-WIDE AND INCLUDES JASPER COUNTY, HAMPTON COUNTY.
HAMPTON YOU FORWARD AND CALL TO COUNTY.
SO IT'S A FOUR COUNTY WIDE MODEL AND IT'S DEVELOPED FOR THE ENTIRE AREA.
SO I WAS LOOKING AT TRAFFIC PROJECTIONS BASED ON WHERE TRAFFIC IS BEING GENERATED FROM.
SO IT'S LOOKING AT RECEIVERS, GENERATORS, RECEIVERS.
SO IT'S TAKING, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT.
[01:40:01]
THING WE DO IS WE GO THROUGH AND WE LOOK AT THE MODEL AS, AS A WHOLE, I MEAN, LOOK AT WELL, RE DMT HAS COUNTERS THROUGHOUT.WHAT IS THE PROJECTED WHAT'S EXISTING TRAFFIC LEVEL VERSUS WHAT THE PROJECTED TRAFFIC LEVEL IS? ARE WE EXCEEDING NEED TO ADJUST THE MODEL? HAS THERE BEEN PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED THAT WEREN'T INCLUDED IN THE MODEL OR DEVELOPMENT THAT SHOWED UP DESIGN INCLUDED IN THE MODEL? SO THEN WE, WE DRILL THAT DOWN AND THAT GETS TO THE GROWTH RATE FOR THE CORRIDOR AND LOOKING AT THAT, SO THAT GROWTH RATE AND WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT FOR 2 78 INCLUDED THE REMOVAL OF THE CROSS ON PARKWAY, BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT TOLL WAS COMING OFF BEFORE THIS PROJECT WAS GOING TO BE COMPLETED FOR CONSTRUCTION.
SO THAT TOOL HAS NEVER ALL OF OUR TRAFFIC ANALYSIS, THAT TOOL HAS BEEN OFF THERE.
SO, AND THEN WE GO DOWN AND WE GO TO, WE COUNT, COUNT THE SIGNALS WE'RE LOOKING AT.
WE HAVE BASICALLY EVERY HOUR THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, WE LOOK AT THAT, WE FIND THAT A HUNDRED.
SO BETWEEN 7,000 IS AGAIN FINDING THAT PEAK HOURS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR ONE HOUR IN THAT RANGE THAT NEEDS HER HIGH CHAIR.
THAT'S NOT A REGION, NOT A SPECIAL EVENT, NOT A HOLIDAY, SOMEWHERE IN THAT RANGE.
THAT NEEDS TO BE, WE LOOK AT TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAYS, TYPICALLY I THINK IT WAS A TUESDAY IN APRIL IS ROUGHLY WHEN WE PICKED FOR THAT.
SO THEN THAT GETS ADJUSTED FOR THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS.
WE LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENS AT EACH OF THE INTERSECTS.
SO WE COUNT EACH OF THE INTERSECT.
SO WE'D GO OUT THERE TO TRAFFIC COUNSELING, TO THE INTERSECTIONS.
SO THE FIRST THING WE LOOKED AT FROM A MODELING STANDPOINT WAS FOUR VERSUS SIX LANES.
SO HOW IT CAPACITY TYPICALLY IS ROUGHLY 1500 VEHICLES PER LINE PER HOUR, AND THE PEAK HOURS, WHICH WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR INCAPACITY HELM HEADS, EXCEEDING THAT ARE VERY CLOSE TO EXCEEDING TWO LANES.
NOW IT'S, IT'S BARELY, YOU KNOW, BY 20 24, 20 25, SOMEWHERE IN THAT RANGE AND ANY SORT OF GROWTH, YOU'RE EXCEEDING THE FOUR LANES.
THAT'S WHERE THE SIX LANES CAME FROM LIKE AUGUST KNOW WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FUTURE PROJECTIONS OF TRAFFIC AND THE PEAK HOUR, THAT'S WHERE IT GETS TO.
SO WE'D GO THROUGH AND YOU GO THROUGH SYNCHRO.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE SEGMENTS, LOOKING AT THE INTERSECTIONS, AS FAR AS THINKER, YOU HAVE SOME TRAFFIC WHO'S LISTENED TO THE ENTIRE QUARTER.
SO WE'RE TAKING THOSE COUNTS AND THE GROWING THOSE COUNTS BASED ON THE GROWTH RATE TO KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE IS, THEN WE PUT ANY OTHER IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE PART OF WATTS IN THERE.
AND THAT KIND OF GIVES US THE FLOW OF IT.
SO THEN WHEN WE STARTED MODELING IT, WE MODELED BASICALLY FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF SPANISH WALLS AND THE OTHER SIDE OF MOSS CREEK.
SO ON THE ENDS THAT IS FREE FLOW TRAFFIC IN.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S UNMITIGATED TRAFFIC THROUGH THE CORRIDOR AS IF THE SIGNAL WAS NOT AT, UM, GUMTREE.
SO IT'S BASICALLY SAYING THAT THAT'S UNMITIGATED ALL THAT TRAFFIC THAT'S COMING THROUGH THERE AND THE PEAK HOUR IS COMING THROUGH.
IT'S NOT THAT TRAFFIC SIGNAL AT GUMTREE IS NOT HOLDING ME THAT TRAFFIC UP BECAUSE THAT GIVES US OUR WORST CASE SCENARIO THROUGH OUR CORRIDOR IS WE HAVE FREE FLOW OF TRAFFIC ON EACH END COMING INTO IT.
SO THE CROSSLINE ON ALL THAT TRAFFIC COMING FROM THAT IS FLOWING INTO THE MODEL AND THAT MODEL IS THROUGH THE CORE.
SO IT'S, IT'S BASICALLY FROM BETWEEN, I WOULD SAY IT'S BETWEEN THE CROSS LEVEL AND MERGE IT.
SPANISH WALLS IS WHERE IT STARTS AT THAT.
HE GOES TO MOSS CREEK ON THE OTHER SIDE, IT'S ALL THAT TRAFFIC AND IT'S, IT'S THE EDGES OF A MODEL.
WE DIDN'T COUNT ACROSS ALL IT, BUT WE DID DO GUT CHECKS ON THOSE TO MAKE SURE THAT WHERE THEY WERE GOING TO, WE'VE DONE CATCH THAT'S ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THE TALENT'S GONE OUT THERE AND COUNTED AS WE'VE LOOKED AT THE COUNT SINCE THE TOLLS WOULD TAKE THEM OFF.
AND IT MATCHES UP WITH WHAT WE ARE PROJECTING FOR GROWTH ON THE CROSS.
AND I DON'T THINK IT'S EVER, IT HASN'T GROWN WHERE I REALLY THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO GROW TO IT ONLY AM 10% GIRLS OR SOMETHING.
I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT THE SPLIT IS, BUT IT WASN'T WHETHER IT WAS GETTING UP TO 60%, 60, 40, WHERE FINE, THAT WAS CULTURE OF 50, 50, OR MORE ON THE BUSINESS.
SO IN THAT IT BASICALLY MATCHED UP WITH THE PROJECTIONS WATER UNDER THAT.
SO UNDER THAT MODEL, YOU GO BACK TO THAT IS YOU'RE LOOKING AT EACH CARS LOOKING TO FIND, YOU KNOW, A PATHWAY THROUGH THERE.
SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT, SO IF YOU, IF YOU IMPROVE THE INTERSECTION MORE CARS, YOU'RE GONNA TAKE THAT INTERSECTION.
WE APPROVE IT, WIDEN THE ROADWAY, THE CARS ARE GOING TO GO THERE, CAUSE AN EASIER PATH FOR THEM TO GET THROUGH.
IF YOU ADD THOSE SIGNALS TO IT, IF YOU ADD THE SIGNAL SIDE, I'VE MENTIONED, FORGIVE ME, WHAT'S THE, WHAT IS THE PROPER TERM OF THAT SIGNAL? SINISTER, ADAPTIVE, YEAH, ADAPTIVE SIGNAL.
IS THAT GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR MODEL? I THINK YOU WOULD MAKE IT, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CARRY THEM ON WITH FURTHER.
IT WOULD CARRY THEM ALL FURTHER OUT TO THOSE, BUT WE HAVE TO GO COUNT THOSE AND GROW IN THE SAME WAY AND ADJUST THEM FOR THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT SIGNAL TIMING, SO WE'VE OPTIMIZED THE SIGNAL TIMING JUST BASED ON THE TRAFFIC THAT'S THERE.
IT DOESN'T INCLUDE ADAPTIVE SIGNALS IN THE MODEL AT THIS TIME, BUT MARTA TO OSS ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
SO AS FAR AS THE END POINT, THEY'RE NOT TAKING IT ALL THE WAY TO SEE POND CIRCLE.
UM, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE DONE IN ANOTHER PROJECT AND
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COULD COORDINATE THAT.UM, THERE HAS, AND AS SENATOR DAVIS MENTIONED, THERE HAS BEEN SOME SIGNAL IMPROVEMENTS ALREADY ON 2 78.
SO IN 20 18, 20 19, UH, ALL THE MAINLAND SIGNALS, 14 SIGNALS FROM, FROM ONE 70 ALL THE WAY TO MOSS CREEK WERE UPDATED WITH ADAPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES AND INTERCONNECTED.
AND THEN, UM, IN, UM, 20, 20, 20 19, THERE WAS SOME IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE FIRST SEVEN SIGNALS ON MAINLAND OUR OWN HILTON HEAD, PROPER, UH, NOT ADAPTIVE, BUT SOME TIMING AND RECONSTRUCT.
AND SO THERE'S BEEN SOME SIGNAL IMPROVEMENTS ALONG THE CORRIDOR OVER THE PREVIOUS YEARS.
SO THE DATA TECHNOLOGY WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE THREE SIGNALS THAT ARE PART OF THE PROJECT.
SO THE SQUIRE POPE OR THE WINDMILL HARBOR SQUIRE AND SPANISH WILLS, UM, BUT THE CONTINUATION BEYOND THAT WOULD, WOULD COMPLIMENT WHAT YOU HAVE CONCEIVED AND PLANNED IN THE BUDGET THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED.
DID YOU SAY THERE'S ADAPTIVE TECHNOLOGY OFF ISLAND RIGHT NOW? YES.
SAME ONE THAT WE KEEP REFERRING TO OFF JOHNNY DODDS AND SIMILAR, OR I'M NOT SURE WE HAVE TO CHECK ON THE ACTUAL, UM, MODEL.
AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TOO.
I DON'T HAVE MUCH TO ADD OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT US TO LEAVE HERE TONIGHT, UH, THINKING THAT THINGS ARE BLEAK AND THAT WE'RE NOT MAKING PROGRESS, UH, WOULD TELL THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND REPRESENTATIVES THAT YOU ALL HAVE AN EXTRAORDINARILY TALENTED TEAM.
UM, I HAVE A HIGH ESTEEM AND RESPECT FOR YOUR CITY MANAGER.
I HAVE A HIGH ESTEEM AND RESPECT FOR SEAN HAVE WORKED WITH HIM ON, UH, THIS PROJECT AND THE ST.
SO YOU ALL ARE BLESSED TO HAVE THE TALENT THAT YOU HAVE THERE, UH, TO THE COUNTY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES.
I WOULD SAY THAT WE, UH, HAVE TALENT, UH, IN JARED FREIGHT LICKS AND THE TEAM THAT HAS BEEN ON SITE ASSEMBLED TO, UH, DEAL WITH THIS CORRIDOR PROJECT IN CRAIG AND FEEL.
AND ERIC, AND I DON'T KNOW THE OTHER OF FOLKS' NAMES.
SO I APOLOGIZE TO YOU, BUT THAT, BUT I KNOW IF YOU'RE WORKING WITH THOSE GUYS, YOU'RE AS EQUALLY TALENTED AS THEY ARE.
SO AS WE LEAVE HERE TONIGHT, I JUST WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT WE'RE STILL GOING TO CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS AND IMPROVE THE CORRIDOR.
EVEN AFTER WE GET THROUGH THE NEPA PROCESS, THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF THAT, WHERE AT 30% DESIGN, UH, RIGHT NOW, OR WE'RE GOING TO HAVE 30% DESIGN.
UH, SO IT'S, UH, SOMEBODY SAID EARLIER, IT'S LIKE BAKING A CAKE.
WE'RE JUST MIXING THE BATTER RIGHT NOW.
WE CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT THE CAKE IS GOING TO ULTIMATELY LOOK LIKE AT THIS POINT.
WELL, WE DON'T REALLY NEED TO DO SO IN MY 28 YEAR CAREER IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT, UM, HAVE OFTEN SAID THAT MOST OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE DEAL WITH AREN'T REALLY PROBLEMS AT ALL.
WE'LL CALL SOMEONE PERCEIVES THAT IT'S GOING TO BE A PROBLEM OR THAT IT IS A PROBLEM.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW IS PERCEPTION ISSUES.
SO I WOULD JUST ASK EVERYONE TO KEEP THAT IN MIND, KNOW THAT, UH, MR. ORLANDO AND I ARE WORKING TOGETHER, EVEN THOUGH THE MAYOR HAS TO SEND LETTERS ON HIS BEHALF, BECAUSE I DIDN'T RESPOND TO AN IMPACT FEE, EMAIL AND ON TIMELY MANNER.
BUT, UH, ANYWAY, UH, SO, UH, UH, I DO APPRECIATE THE RELATIONSHIP THAT I HAVE WITH MARK AND, UH, AND THE, OUR ABILITY TO JOKE WITH EACH OTHER AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL MY COMMENTS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS DISCUSSED BY SENATOR DAVIS WAS AN INDEPENDENT STUDY, WHICH HAS BEEN REVIEWED AS TO HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE.
HE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO TAKE 60 DAYS AND MAYBE COSTS $250,000, UH, AFTER HE MET WITH, UH, S C D O T AND SECRETARY HALL AND DISCUSS THE PARAMETERS OF WHAT HE WAS LOOKING FOR, THEY, THEY THEN TURNED OVER TO THE EXPERTS TO FIND OUT THAT WE COULD DO IT.
WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR.
WE'VE ALREADY STARTED ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WERE THERE.
IF WE BROUGHT IN AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR, IT'S ALMOST LIKE STARTING OVER IT, WOULDN'T BE 250,000.
IT'S MORE ALONG THE LINES OF A MILLION OR A MILLION HALF, AND IT WOULD TAKE NINE MONTHS.
UM, AND, AND AS FAR AS YOU SAID, UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT EVERY AVENUE WE CAN TO GET THIS PAID FOR, BY SOMEBODY OTHER THAN THE TAXPAYERS OF BUFORD COUNTY.
WE ARE LOOKING AT EVERY GRANT OPPORTUNITY.
WE KNOW THAT THE, WHAT IS NOW AFFECTIONATELY CALLED THE BILL, THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LEGISLATION,
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THERE IS MONEY TO BE HAD FOR A VARIETY OF PROJECTS.ONE OF WHICH IS ROADS AND BRIDGES.
SO WE'RE GOING TO TAP INTO THAT KNOWING FULL WELL THAT AS WE SAID, AND, AND, UH, I DON'T SAY THAT LIGHTLY.
I SAID IN THE LAST MEETING, I WAS ELECTED BY A DISTRICT TO REPRESENT BUFORD COUNTY, BUT MY TITLE IS BUFORD COUNTY COUNCILMAN.
SO I REPRESENT ALL 187,000 PEOPLE.
SO YOUR PROBLEMS ARE MY PROBLEMS, AND WE NEED TO SIT DOWN AND SOLVE THEM TOGETHER.
I THINK IT'S IN OUR BEST INTEREST FOR YOU TO AGREE THAT WE SHOULD MOVE ON SO THAT WE CAN GET THE DESIGN THAT WE NEED TO SATISFY ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU DESIRE OF THAT EXPERIENCE GETTING TO AN ISLAND.
SO IF THERE IS NO FURTHER COMMENTS, I WANT TO THANK YOU.
AGAIN, THIS IS JUST ANOTHER STEP.
UM, I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GO BACK WITH YOUR COUNSEL, DISCUSS THIS AND MAKE A DECISION AS SOON AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN, FOR THE BEST INTEREST OF EVERYBODY.
SO EVERYONE THANK YOU FOR COMING.
THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED THE COUNTY CHANNEL IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON VIDEO, ON DEMAND, GO TO BUFORD COUNTY, SC.GOV, SCROLL DOWN TO PUBLIC MEETINGS, CLICK WATCH NOW, AND THEN CLICK THE VIDEO ON DEMAND BUTTON AND SELECT YOUR PROGRAM FROM MELISSA CALL TO ORDER IF YOU'D LIKE A DVD OF THIS PROGRAM, CLICK ON THE LINK ON THE RIGHT AND FILL OUT THE ORDER FORM.
AND THANK YOU FOR WATCHING THE COUNTY CHANNEL.
THE COUNTY IS ONE OF THE OLDEST FORMS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE UNITED STATES EARLY SETTLERS FROM ENGLAND BROUGHT THE TRADITION OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO AMERICA.
TODAY MORE THAN 3000 COUNTY GOVERNMENTS PROVIDE SERVICES THAT AFFECT ALMOST EVERY CITIZENS LIFE.
SOUTH CAROLINA'S 46 COUNTIES ARE VERY REPRESENTATIVE OF HOW COUNTY GOVERNMENT HAS EVOLVED.
THE COUNTY UNIT IN SOUTH CAROLINA WAS REGARDED AS THE LOCAL EXTENSION OF STATE GOVERNMENT, BUT A STATE CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM MOVEMENT IN THE EARLY 1970S LED TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY PASSING THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LAW, ALSO KNOWN AS THE HOME RULE ACT IN 1975, THE HOME RELAXED, GREATLY EXPANDED COUNTY AUTHORITY AND CHANGED THE NATURE OF COUNTY ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION TO WHAT WE KNOW TODAY BEFORE COUNTY WENT FROM HAVING A BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO A COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THE 1975 COUNCIL INCLUDED CHAIRMAN ARTHUR HORN, VICE CHAIRMAN, GRADY THEMES, LEROY BROWN, GARY FORDHAM, WILLIAM GRANT, HARRIET KAISER LING, DAVID JONES, BILL MCBRIDE, AND BOOKER WASHINGTON.
AS THE NEW COUNCIL SOUGHT TO DISTINGUISH ITSELF.
COUNCIL MEMBERS DESIRED AN OFFICIAL SYMBOL THAT WOULD REPRESENT THE JURISDICTIONS IDENTITY AND UNIQUE CHARACTER COUNCIL APPOINTED AN AD HOC COMMITTEE TO UNDERTAKE THE TASK AND CARRY OUT A CONTEST FOR THE BEST COUNTY SEAL DESIGN.
HARRY HAD KIND SLIM WAS A MEMBER OF KIND OF COUNSEL.
AND IT WAS HER IDEA BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING THAT COULD SIGNIFICANTLY IDENTIFY OUR BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL COUNTY.
WE MET THEN UP AT A, I THINK IT WAS A CAROLINA BANK AT SOME YEARS AGO, BACK
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THERE ON WEST STREET.AND THEN WE PUT THEM IN PILES, YOU KNOW, LIKE GOOD, BAD, MAYBE UNTIL WE FINALLY GOT IT DOWN TO THE ONE THAT WE NOW USE COUNTY COUNCIL APPROVED THE SEAL COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION, WHICH REFLECTED THE COUNTY'S HISTORY, TRADITIONS AND NATURAL BEAUTY.
THE SALES COLORS OF BLUE AND GREEN REPRESENT THE COLORS OF THE COUNTY'S OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT WITH ITS MANY WATERWAYS MARSHLANDS AND MARITIME FOREST.
THE FIVE IMAGES WITHIN THE SEAL DEPICT SOME OF THE COUNTIES, DISTINGUISHING FEATURES, ANCIENT LIVE OAK TREES, THE SEAFOOD INDUSTRY, RICH NATURAL RESOURCES, AND A RARE MARINE ECOLOGY, LOW COUNTRY ARCHITECTURE AND MILES OF RIVERS, CREEKS, AND INLANDS.
I THOUGHT IT ENCOMPASSED WHAT THE, WHAT WE, AS A BODY, WE'RE LOOKING FOR A SEAL.
IT WOULD WHEN YOU LOOKED AT IT AND JUST THOUGHT ABOUT A LITTLE BIT, IT REALLY COVERS THE ASPECTS OF BUFORD COUNTY.
SO HE DID A GOOD JOB OF BRINGING TOGETHER THE THINGS THAT WE HOLD SO THERE.
AND WHAT WE REALLY LIKE ABOUT BUFORD COUNTY, COUNCILMAN BILL MCBRIDE WAS AN OFFICE WHEN THE CONTEST WAS HELD AND WAS PRESENT.
WHEN THE COMMITTEE REVEALED THE WINNING DESIGN, I THINK COUNCIL WAS STATIC ABOUT IT.
IF WE THOUGHT THAT THE, THE STEM WAS ON THE SEAL REPRESENTED, UM, ASPECTS OF LIFE IN BUFORD COUNTY, THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANGE IN THE ORIGINAL ON DRAFT WAS ZANY TO US WHERE YOU HAVE THE SHRIMP BOAT TODAY.
INITIALLY, THAT WAS A PLEASURE CRAFT, A SAILBOAT YACHT TIGHTENED BOAT.
AND, UH, IT WAS CHANGED BY COUNTY COUNCIL BECAUSE WE FELT THAT THE SHRIMP BOAT WAS A BETTER REPRESENTATION, UM, OF A MORE COMPREHENSIVE, UH, ASPECTS OF YOUTH ACCOUNT OF LIFE, BECAUSE YOU HAD OTHER THINGS ON THE SEAL THAT REPRESENT THE PLAYERS AND RECREATION THE FISHING AND THE BEACH.
SO THEY THOUGHT THE SHRIMP BOAT, WHICH WAS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF BEEF COUNTY CULTURE STRIPPING, ESPECIALLY THAT TIME WOULD BE REFLECTED ON THE SEAL.
THE WINNER OF THE CONTEST WAS AN ARTIST FROM HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
THE LATE LEE PAIN, HIS DESIGN WAS SELECTED FROM MORE THAN 126 CENTURIES SUBMITTED FROM AS FAR AWAY AS INDIANA AND TENNESSEE, HE WAS AWARDED $250 FOR HIS DESIGN, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, HE CAPTURED THE LEGACY OF OUTDOOR BEAUTY CULTURE AND HISTORY THAT HELPED TO DEFINE IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF LIFE IN BUFORD COUNTY.
TO SEE MORE B FOR COUNTY MOMENTS, GO TO THE BUFORD COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB, BEING PREPARED AS A PART OF WHO YOU ARE, BUT IT'S ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT IN THE CASE OF A DISASTER, BE INFORMED ABOUT POSSIBLE EMERGENCIES IN YOUR AREA, MAKE A PLAN THAT COVERS WHERE YOU GO IN AN EMERGENCY, BUILD A KIT FOR THE THINGS YOU NEED TO SURVIVE.
THERE'S NO ONE MORE CAPABLE OF PLANNING FOR YOUR SITUATION.
THEN YOU START YOUR PLAN TODAY, GO TO READY.GOV/MY PLAN.