2 - The Morrisville and Preston Progress, Thursday, August 29,1996
Residents grill board on new post
PLANNING FOR A NEW LOOK-Frances Min-
nich and Ben Towson, owners of Ben’s Bargain
Bam, say they’ll change the entrance to their
antique store once the newly realigned
Morrisville-Carpenter Road is completed. The
road section will pass behind what is now the
back (rf their store.
Shop owners rearranging front
Continued from page 1
Towson, ownCT of Ben’s Bargain
Bam, says the new route wUl
necessitate a lot of changes, but
should also increase his business.
"The roadway we now face will
be closed, and barricaded, and the
new aligiunent will cross in back of
the store,” he said, "adding that he
plans to convert the back of bis
building into the front and use the
area cmtside what is now the front
for paricing.
"I have no idea what it will cost,
maybe $10,000 or so," be said, "but
we’ll probably have to put in a new
entryway, and vinyl side the build
ing. The state is going to provide
curbs and access for a driveway
that will lead to paiking in the front
as well as extra paiidng in the rear.
All in all, though, the new road wUl
bring more traffic since it will be a
straight run from the airport with
no more turns to cope with. The in
crease in traffic should mean an in
crease in customers."
Towson has been operating the
bam for the past three years, and
said the building was an empty
bicycle shop when he came to
town. "This was known as
downtown Morrisville earlier in the
century when the building held a
Red and White food store. It at
tracted shoppers fri>m Raleigh and
Cary and was known throughout
the area," he said.
While the roadway may benefit
Towson, it will probably mean the
end of business and closing of
Gerald and Barbara Perry’s Morris-
viUe Beverage, a country shwe on
the northeast comer of N.C. 54 and
Aviation Parkway, a place that’s
been there since at least the turn of
the century, they say.
"The state is going to raise N.C.
-54 about four feet at the intersec
tion to level it with the railroad
tracts and crossing, then gradually
level it out to meet the existing
roadway in both directions," says
Mrs. Perry. Her grandfather cpera-
ted the pl^ about 1900. "He had it
as a boarding house with a little
store in the comer," she explains.
Her father took over in 1967.
"N.C. 54 will be at least two feet
higher in front of the store, and our
house. That quick dropoff to our
parking area will put us out of busi
ness. The state is going to allow for
a 15-foot-wide driveway entry, but
it will be just too difficult for
customers to maneuver.
"And the driveway to our bouse
will have that same two-foot dif
ference. Can you imagine that Cor
vette (pointing to her car) making
that bump?”
"And with the 45-mile-per-hour
speed, can you imagine a car or one
of those big trucks trying to beat
the light slipping off a road that’s
raised two or four feet above the
rest of the ground?," her husband
cut in. "It’ll land on the front
porch."
Perry says he’s planning to
spruce up the place with a new roof
and paint, but "that doesn’t pay
now," be adds. "I’ve talked with the
state, mid tb^ the way the job was
being done would put me out of
business, but..." He stops and
shakes bis bead.
"People have been coming here
for years, they cmne to sit around
and just bat the breeze. Some
places you ju^ grow up in. This is
one of them," be said.
Bet^ and Billy Hartness didn’t
grow up in the white colonial home
with the ffcmt pordi on the other
comer across Aviaticm Parkway
from Perry, but they have lived
there fw 18 years. The 1 1/2-aae
IMOpeity has a second building in
the rear which Hartness uses as a
body shop since be retired. Their
bouse d^es to about 1850 and was
once a stagecoach stop with a
stable bouse, and later a post office.
While digging in the yard, Hartness
once uncovered an old iiflc well
used in the post office.
He says be keeps in mud) with
the engineer on the realignment
project and has been urging the
state to install a guard tail across a
portion of the front of bis property
as protection due to the raised road
way planned. He has not been able
to get ^)|mval. "It’s going to be
dangerous, we feel, since the raised
portion will cover at least 300 feet
and will be four feet above the
present roadbed level in ffmit of
our place," he said. "It’s only 30
feet frmn the house to the roadway
and the si^ plans to make the
roadway four lanes on Aviation
Paricway and three on N.C. 54. A
car slipping ttff that height could
end q) 00. inside the bouse."
His wife said she fell in love with
the bouse when she saw it, but may
have had second thoughts if she
knew what she is now going to
face. She uses a driveway that
opens to Aviation Parkway where it
will be four lanes and a raised
level. "I dread bow it will be," she
says. Her husband uses a second
drive from the body shop that en
ters N.C. 54 but also faces a height
change in the roadway."
The realigned portion of
Morrisville-Caipenter comes even
closa* to Gene and Sandy Czech’s
house. It will leave only a few feet
from the road to the house itself
which is located just west of fire
headquarters cm what is now Oak
Street
"We’re going to put tq) a fence to
make sure our 4-year-old grand
daughter Ashley who lives with us
doesn’t wander into the street" said
Mrs. Czeck. "We’ll be getting
heavy traffic, especially during the
morning and ev^ng rush hours."
The Czeck’s household also in
cludes their son and daughter, Pat
and Kathy, but Mrs. Czeck says it’s
something they’ll live with. They
bought the house and moved here
Clam dip, Gingrich served at event
Continued from page 1 20 minutes and spent anotber 20
tUs together," Pegram said. "We
first thought be would arrive right
in die middle of our pairings party,
so we held off until we were certain
he would be here early OKMigb to
avoid that ctmflicL"
Gingrich’s plane landed at
Raleigb-Durfaam International Air
port around 5:45 pjn., an hour later
than scheduled because of weather
coDditions. He arrived at the home
of Terry and Joanne Pegram shortly
befwe 6, m^ with media for about
from Northern Virginia about three
years ago and have no plans to
move again.
"The state is going to provide a
driveway entrance, but I have a
hcmie business. Besides, there’s not
much that can done lA this time,"
she said.
The right of way for the realigned
road curves within 20 feet of the
fiont of tile tire station where the
fire trucks now exit and enter the
bays. A remodeling project that
will relocate the bays to' open
toward Morris Street will also in
clude interior work, break up of the
old and installation of a new con
crete pad, and adding a small car
port to the rear of the building. The
town will pay $86,517 to do the
work as part of its share of the cost
of the overall project which
amounts to $151,517.
Fire beadquar^ will also have a
traffic pre-empt button installed
which will allow officials to control
the intersection if no train is c(Hn-
ing and give them a green light
when respcmding to a fire call.
During construction, safeguards
will be taken to protect small
streams and wetlands from con
tamination by soil or construction
materials. Grass will be planted to
cover bare ground caused by con
struction.
From the town’s perspective, of
ficials are looking forward to com
pletion. Town Manager David
Hodgkins said the project has been
needed fix' a long time. It will be an
asset to the town and anycme travel
ing through the town because it will
be so much safer. We’re anxious
for it to be completed," be said.
ContlniMd from pago 1
missioners Sauls (Billy) and
Newnam (Fliyllis) both wanted it to
be on the agenda?" Broadwell
questioned. Commissioner Leavy
Barbee leaned forward and said be
bad also made a similar request.
"So did I," added Commissioner
C.T. Moore.
"Are you telling me now you are
in favor of this position?" Broad-
well asked Hodgkins. This was not
the same stix'y you told me in my
office earlier this week. You said
you very much objected to it."
Hodgkins said be had not been
ivessured.
Turning to the public. Mayor
Broadwell said: "I feel we do have
the makings of a good town man
ager and that he is under great pres
sure."
In answer to a questicxi by Com
missioner Moore about being
threatened, Hodgkins said no cxie
has ever threatened his job.
Barbee said be feels the town has
grown to a point where such a posi
tion is needed. "And you will see,
nowhere have we ever mentioned
the name of anyone who is favored.
This position requires applications
and a ix'ocess to select the best per
son for the job." He asked the
mayor m read the 10 points on the
job list and Broadwell did, citing
the names of those now employed
by the town who are currently
doing those duties with the excep
tion of two or three points.
Hodgkins, Community Develop
ment Director Mike Allway, and
the zoning staff were mentioned.
When Hodgkins was asked about
the proposed salary, he cited the
town salary guide which showed it
to be between $39,600 and
$58,507.
"I deem this a misuse of public
funds," she said, calling it tire most
critical issue the town has ever
faced.
Silver-Smith said it was a job
being created for former mayor
Lumley. "I was not aware of Ais
job and didn’t want to go along,"
be said.
Lumley, who stepped down as
mayor in May of 1995 after moving
to Nash County, is a purchasing
agent for the state De|»rtment of
Transportation. His wtfe, Evelyn,
who has been town clerk since June
of 1977, sat quietly as she recorded
notes for the minutes. She said later
she had no comments about what
todc place, and would have none at
any time.
One of the residents who con-
mented was Phillip Adams of Mar-
corn Drive, pastor of the Mount
Herman B^tist Church on Lees-
ville Road. "I’m very disappointed
and I’m very ashamed," be said in
addressing the board members.
"This is the first meeting I’ve at
tended and you are not an exaiiq)le
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of what is expected, not by your ac
tions hoe tonight."
Ralitii Watkins of Airpc^t Boule
vard, a member of the Town’s
banning and Zoning Board, went
even further. He called it the
town’s biggest corruptitm. "It’s
wrong. ScHnething has to be done.
It’s bad leadership, and a sad day
for Mtwrisville."
Dolcxes Scmt of Church Street
told the board she was ashamed of
their actions and the manner in
which they bandied the situation.
TTie back and forth questions
among the commissicmers brought
Conunissioner Newnam to tell
Mayor Broadwell she had no
auibmity te act as she bad, and later
asked fOT an early adjournment All
items on the agenda were ad
dressed, however.
The audience milled about in the
boardnxxn for about 15 minutes
after adjournment "A year from
now they’ll say to Hodgkins that
he’s fired and Lumley will be tire
town manager," said R.B.
Buchanan. "That $5,000 raise they
just gave Hodgkins will be ho'e for
Lumley when be moves in. Then
when Sauls fails in bis bid for re-
election, he’ll assist Lumley." He
said be ^lauded Broadwell and
Silver-Smitii, saying they are the
only two people m the board doing
their job.
Anotber resident, Jim Watkins,
said be was enraged by the actions,
feeling the job was created for one
poson, and called it corruiM. But
when be cursed in referring to the
ccnunissioners, the police officer
on duty asked him to leave the
romn. "He could say anything be
wants," offico' Ira Jones said, "but I
bad to ask him to leave when he be
gan using curse words."
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