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Resident urges fixes to collapsed culverts, storm drainage and bridge priorities in Pompa and Maxwell areas
Summary
A Whiteville resident presented a petition and asked the council to address collapsed drainage pipes, unsafe holes near a train line and uneven maintenance on Maxwell Street and other neighborhood roads. Council members said limited grant funds led engineers from NC State to prioritize one bridge rather than multiple replacements.
A Whiteville resident told the council that neighbors are concerned about flooding, collapsed drainage structures and public-safety hazards in several neighborhoods, and presented a petition with more than 40 signatures opposing the current plan as proposed.
During the public-comment segment the resident said problems affect Pompa Drive, Maultsville Drive, Birken Street and the Pompa subdivision, describing collapsed culverts or drain structures under those roads and a drainage channel running along the area that has failed. The resident also raised safety concerns where a train runs through a field off Maxwell Street, saying holes in the field are large enough for a child to crawl into.
"These are shared concerns, not concerns of 1 person electing themselves to act on behalf of others," the resident said, urging council attention to maintenance and alternative solutions to the flooding work under consideration.
Council members and staff responded that the town had limited grant resources and that consultants from North Carolina State University recommended focusing available funds on one bridge rather than building two bridges on the affected streets. A councilmember said the grant amount available for the project was about $5,000,000 and that the funding was not sufficient to replace both additional bridges.
The resident asked whether responsibility for maintenance along the train corridor rested with the housing authority or the city; the transcript records that the resident had contacted city staff previously about maintenance but remains concerned that city maintenance has not matched work elsewhere. The resident also said more local monitoring and different solutions should be considered.
The council did not adopt a new plan during the meeting; staff and council members discussed the funding limits and next steps to address neighborhood drainage and safety concerns.
