Indian Trail outlines $97M in capital projects over 10 years; stormwater, roadway and park projects top list

Town staff walked the council through a multi-year capital improvement program that groups previously funded projects and a longer list of unfunded priorities. The manager framed the CIP as a 10-year planning tool and urged council to prioritize projects and funding mechanisms before final FY26 appropriation decisions.

Overview and funding picture: Staff said roughly $34.6 million in projects are already funded, with another $63 million on an unfunded list. The list includes transportation, parks, stormwater, public-works facility planning and other items. "You have 34,000,000 that's previously funded, 63 that's unfunded," the town manager said.

Major projects highlighted: - Chestnut Parkway Phase 2: construction expected to complete in September 2025 (staff noted ongoing work and schedule). - Indian Trail Road Phase 1 and Complete Streets: staff said design and right-of-way steps are pending and that some CRTPO and state discretionary funding may cover large shares of construction costs. - Pioneer/Bowbrook stormwater improvements: engineering staff described a proposed upgrade to large storm pipes (72-inch) and said that an estimated $2 million project would likely be bid in the near term; staff indicated the stormwater fund could absorb the work. - Old Monroe Road water-line: staff estimated the town's share at about $650,000 and said the county has agreed to pay half and handle design in-house, which reduces town cost.

Stormwater CIP and operations: Engineering staff explained a watershed-management study that identified eight high-priority drainage corridors where existing pipe capacity would fail under current hydraulic assumptions. The town intends to plan for those projects over roughly a 10-year horizon and to begin setting aside stormwater-fund balances to cover future construction. Staff also reported productivity gains from bringing right-of-way/channel maintenance in-house.

Debt, bonds and timing: Finance staff summarized debt-service timing and pointed to instruments that will roll off the schedule in coming years, creating fiscal capacity for new projects. Staff cautioned that project timing matters for funding choices and that many federally or regionally funded transportation grants require local matching and follow-through.

Why it matters: The CIP drives long-term infrastructure investment and informs near-term budget trade-offs. Staff recommended council guidance on priorities and asked the council to identify projects to advance as the town finalizes FY26 appropriations.