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By Carey King
Chen Development Co. has a few more hurdles to jump before it
can build a new Eckerd drug store at Sylva's busiest intersection.
Though Sylva town leaders granted the developers a floodplain
variance Dec. 4 for property at the intersection of U.S. 23 Business
and N.C. 107, more "details have to get ironed out"
with the N.C. Department of Transportation and the town of Sylva
before Chen can purchase the property and begin construction,
said Jim Aust, town zoning administrator.
"DOT's worried about that one single through-lane at the
intersection (heading east on West Main Street). Basically, they
want another storage lane there at the light," Aust said.
In addition, the town requires other modifications, including
curb cuts, before it will issue a development permit.
"(Chen) has to do all the improvements at that intersection,
since they're creating an impact," Aust said.
The Atlanta-based development company builds, then leases, stores
to the Eckerd chain. Should the costs of required site modifications
be greater than Eckerd is willing to pay, "that'll kill the
deal," Aust said.
Cost analysis results for DOT-required intersection changes should
be in by the end of this week and then Chen can decide whether
to purchase the property.
Currently, the old Ford dealership property is owned by Wayne
Smith. Christine Howard has the former Sylva Tire Co. land, while
Geneva Lineberry owns the property surrounding the office currently
occupied by attorney David Bryson, said Aust.
Lineberry's land is not for sale, but should Chen decide to purchase
the other two properties, construction could begin by the start
of the year.
Chen might have axed its plans had town leaders not granted a
floodplain variance for the site, which is bounded by West Main
Street, Sunrise Park, Race Lane and Cope Creek.
Since the area is low in elevation - the bridge at Race Lane is
6.7 feet below the 100-year flood level - it's costly to
fill the lot, Aust said.
"Everything at Main Street and Rhodes Cove (Sunrise Park)
is lower than town requirements, but those buildings are grandfathered
in. Since I'm changing the use, I've got to build that site up,"
Drew Johnson of Chen Development Co. told town board members.
Johnson requested that he be allowed to build at federal floodplain
standards rather than the town's requirements, which are two feet
higher.
If the lot is raised to town standards, it would make the driveway
exit to Race Lane too steep, he said.
"It would be an 8.7 percent grade from the corner of the
building to Race Lane. To give you an idea of how steep that is,
the hill from the hospital is a 7 percent grade," Aust said.
With the variance, the grade will be 5.7 percent, Aust said.
An analysis of environmental effects of raising the site showed
the fill "will not cause any change in the flow of Cope Creek.
It would not create flood waters up or downstream," Aust
said.
Though the planned discussion at town leaders' Dec. 4 meeting
was to center on floodplain issues, officials seemed most concerned
over the increased traffic an Eckerd store would create.
"You're going to have a big problem there at Rhodes Cove,"
said board member Eldridge Painter, who warned that many drivers
use Cherry and Caldwell streets to bypass traffic on N.C. 107,
returning to the highway at the intersection of Sunrise Park and
West Main Street.
If Eckerd is built, vehicles would enter and exit on Sunrise Park
and Race Lane.
"I have no objections to what you're doing. I just want to
make you aware of the problem," Painter said.
Johnson said he hoped to work with the town to get the drug store
built.
"We want to be here in Sylva. This is a $3 million project.
That's Main Street and for (Eckerd) to spend that kind of money,
they want to be there," Johnson said.
Eckerd has operated a store at Sylva Plaza since 1978.
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