‘Cottages of Boone' plan grows – WSOC TV

BOONE, N.C. — Plans for Boone's largest student housing development may be getting even larger.

The Watauga County Planning Board unanimously approved in February plans for an 859-bed housing community called The Cottages of Boone, geared toward students and located off Poplar Grove Road South.

The developer, Capstone Collegiate Communities, indicated that it plans to request next week the approval of new plans that add 35 more bedrooms in three more buildings, said Joe Furman, Watauga County Planning and Inspections director.

But whether it's 859 beds or 894, the N.C. Department of Transportation does not believe the data shows a need for a new traffic light at the intersection of N.C. 105 and Poplar Grove Road South — a conclusion that does not have universal agreement.

"As a layman who tries to turn out of there a lot, it's a nightmare," Furman said. "Some kind of relief is needed now."

The Cottages of Boone plans to offer three-, four- and five-bedroom cottages, as well as one-, three- and four-bedroom lodge apartments geared toward students.

The entrance to the community will be located near the Tomato Shack on Poplar Grove Road South in Boone.

As part of the planning process, the developers hired J.M Teague Engineering and Consulting of Waynesville to conduct a traffic analysis.

In a lengthy report that includes traffic counts, computer models and other analysis, the firm determined that a traffic light was warranted at the intersection.

"Because the existing conditions are already deteriorated, it is recommended that a traffic signal be installed at this location," the report reads.

But the N.C. Department of Transportation disagrees with that conclusion.

Dean Ledbetter, traffic engineer for NCDOT Division 11, said there are several reasons why a light is not recommended: the number of people making right turns compared to left turns off Poplar Grove, the proximity to a signal at the N.C. 105 Bypass and the assumption that most students will rely on mass transit for their daily commutes.

"A lot of people think if we put a traffic signal in, it will solve all our traffic problems," he said.

The Teague analysis included a count of all vehicles between 7 a.m. and 6:45 p.m. on Oct. 25, 2011.

That day, 683 vehicles turned right off Poplar Grove Road south onto N.C. 105, 201 turned left and nine went straight to Ambling Way, the report stated. Those figures and others were then plugged in to a software program that evaluated whether specific "warrants" were met.

Ledbetter said the total traffic volume should have been reduced because of the way drivers are turning.

"You need to look at the volume of right-turn traffic and kind of discount those numbers," he said.

The delay to through traffic on N.C. 105 also has to be considered, Ledbetter said. Even a delay of 30 seconds gets compounded and leads to long chains of stopped cars, he said.

"We're looking at over 2,200 vehicles a day on 105 who would be stopping to let those 700 people make those right turns and those 200 people make left turns," he said.

The proximity to another signal at the N.C. 105 Bypass also detracts from a possible signal's usefulness, Ledbetter added.

"The problem is, we can't put signals at all of these places. They're just too close together," he said, adding that coordination of traffic light patterns is not as easy as it seems. 

The developer also has indicated that it plans to offer bus transportation, either through AppalCART or another way, so Ledbetter said he presumes most of the residents will be riding a bus instead of driving personal vehicles to school.

There are other considerations such as the cost of a signal, maintenance and power bills, he said.

"But the big things is you typically see some accidents if you install a new traffic signal. You're going to start seeing some accidents that weren't happening before," he said.

The DOT does have long-range plans for N.C. 105 that could include a superstreet concept, which uses a median to prohibit left turns but includes specific U-turn sites.

Another option for alleviating traffic in the vicinity would be to realign Poplar Grove Road South to connect to N.C. 105 at the N.C. 105 Bypass, he said.

But those high-dollar, long-range plans could be decades away, Ledbetter said.

Furman said the Cottages of Boone project is happening quickly, and the community can't afford to wait for long-term road changes.

He plans to introduce a resolution to the planning board at its April 16 meeting asking for a signal at the N.C. 105/Poplar Grove Road South intersection.

"This project is going to open for business in August of 2013," Furman said. "I would like to see at least a temporary light there."

WSOC