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Council votes to begin process to close part of S. Bethel Road for new high school after architects present revised traffic plan
Summary
SfL+a Architects presented a revised site plan (Option 2) for the new Raeford high school that adds a second queuing lane and separates bus traffic; neighbors raised parking and safety concerns and the police chief reported a speeding problem. Council voted unanimously to proceed with the process to close a portion of S. Bethel Road and begin public hearings.
SfL+a Architects presented a revised site plan for the proposed new Raeford high school at the Oct. 3 City Council meeting that the firm says would reduce neighborhood traffic conflicts by adding a second queuing lane, separating buses from parent drop-off traffic, and routing event buses away from the residential approach.
Project manager Michael (Hoborn/Holborn) described Site Plan Option 2 as increasing parent queuing capacity from roughly 900 feet to about 1,800 feet, adding a 500-foot canopy in the drop-off loop and creating a separate bus/event access and parking area that would be entered from S. Bethel Road. The plan would use the closed High School Street as the primary entrance and encourage one-way traffic flow through a parent drop-off loop.
Nearby residents expressed concerns. Janelle Thompkins asked whether the plan would eliminate current parent parking on S. Wright Street, saying many parents park there and wait for their children; designers responded the additional queueing should reduce the need to park and wait but initial staff intervention may be required. Steven Johnson said his home's frontage faces the proposed main parking-lot entrance and said speeding headlights and traffic would be a nuisance. Will Johnson suggested using an entrance from Wooley Street and argued that $1 million would be a "drop in the hat" for the project's roughly $78 million cost and that the Hoke County Board of Education should shoulder more of the burden.
Chief of Police Marc Godwin summarized a speed study using the department's speed sign, with data collected Sept. 14–28, and concluded there is a speeding problem in the area. Councilman Charles Allen moved to proceed with the process to close a portion of S. Bethel Road as part of the project, including holding public hearings; Councilman John Jordan seconded, and the motion carried unanimously. City Manager Dennis Baxley said the public hearing process would take about two months.
