Cumberland County commissioners approve shared-ride facility at Briter Road despite concerns over parcel use

Cumberland County commissioners voted to approve site improvements, exterior design and landscaping parameters for a planned shared-ride facility at the Briter Road site during their public meeting. The board authorized county staff to provide required written approvals for plans, paint colors and signage.

The project team — represented by Rich Far of the regional transportation authority and Jeffrey Gerald, vice president of architecture at Prime AE — walked the board through a site plan that includes three structures: an administration building, a bus storage building and a bus wash. Gerald said the design includes a generator, screened landscaping, sidewalks to Rittner Highway and space for driver parking and customer drop-off.

"This will become the backup location," Rich Far said, describing the site’s role in regional continuity of dispatch operations if off-site dispatch centers fail. "Everything we operate is in the cloud and our radio system is such that you can just simply turn the dial and become home base." Far also said permits are in and construction is beginning after earlier design changes delayed the timeline.

Designers told the board the facility is sized for 33 shared-ride vehicles with typical day-to-day operations in the low 20s and room to grow. The bus wash will recycle water; designers said there is no underground fuel storage and that the generator will run on diesel while propane will be used for heating.

Commissioners and county staff pressed the design team on vehicle circulation and public access. Kelly Meter questioned how buses would enter and exit the site and raised concerns about bus movements near the Bureau of Elections parcel, especially during election-related traffic; the project team said the site has two entrances off Industrial Drive and described operational patterns intended to reduce conflict with county parking and pedestrian access.

Discussion of the lease surfaced during the presentation. Board members referenced a long-term lease that, according to speakers, dates from recent years and was described by one participant as a roughly 40-year arrangement for a nominal $1 with ownership reverting to the county at lease end. A commissioner opposed siting the facility on the Briter Road parcel, arguing the 10-acre site is valuable for future county expansion and industrial development.

"I just don't like it on this parcel," one commissioner said, while noting the design itself is acceptable. Other board members said relocating the project now would be impractical because of the time and cost already invested in design work.

The board moved to approve the plan for the site improvements and later approved the exterior building design and paint colors. Commissioners then authorized Brent Durham to provide the required written approvals for the plans, exterior finishes and for landscaping, planting and sign locations. A commissioner asked that the landscaping plan prioritize native plants.

Votes on the motions were taken during the meeting and the motions carried; multiple members voted in favor and one commissioner stated they would remain opposed. The actions approved at the meeting did not adopt any new budget amounts during the session; presenters said utilities for the facility (electric, water, sewer) will be separately metered and are not covered by the nominal lease payment.

Next steps outlined in the meeting record include county staff providing written approval of the final plans and designers proceeding with implementation. The board closed the discussion and adjourned the meeting.