City pursues grant that could pay for Zoo Parkway upgrades

ASHEBORO — The City of Asheboro has a chance to fund a major project with a federal grant. It came down to the city council to choose which project at their Jan. 8 meeting.

Grant Writer Nate Marsh laid out the stipulations for requesting a BUILD grant. If their application is accepted, they could get as much as $25 million for a single project.

They agreed to focus on a roundabout and connector road between Zoo Parkway and Browers Chapel Road close to the Zoo City Sportsplex and the future Fire Station 3. Marsh said it would cost about $20 million.

He said the city added a walking trail to the proposal to make it more attractive to the BUILD Grant, which is meant for projects that emphasize safety, quality of life, mobility and connectivity, economic competitiveness, environmental sustainability and innovation, among other merits.

Mayor Joseph Trogdon, Jr. said housing developments made it an appropriate choice. “We have approved quite a few residential proposals in that area,” he said. 

The council’s second option was for enhancements around Asheboro Regional Airport, including an emergency access to Highway 49, road improvements around Pilots View and Tot Hill Farm Road, and improved access to the historic Colonel Andrew Balfour gravesite. Its projected cost is also $20 million. 

Marsh said the likelihood of getting the grant on the first try is low, but it helps to show consistent interest.

City Manager Donald Duncan said the number of visitors to the Sportsplex outpaced expectations. He also said the state expects the city to move forward with the roundabout soon. “At some point they’re going to say, ‘That project you want us to approve? We’re not going to do this until construction,’ “ he said.

The city council agreed to work with Julie Metz of Metz Solutions to handle the application details.

Property and water, sewer business

■ The council approved public hearings for two annexation requests for their Feb. 5 meeting. Ricky Eugene Spencer and Clarissa Spencer will ask the city to annex two acres on Zoo Parkway between Old Cox Road and Parkway South Street. Schwarz Properties would like a satellite annexation for 62 acres at 4402 US Highway 220 Business South.

■ Council approved permanently closing Mark Avenue east of Pepperidge Road. Realtor Donald Lanier requested this last year. He said all the landowners are in agreement that they don’t need that road to access their property.

■ Council permanently approved on-street parking restrictions for Peachtree Street between West Salisbury and Chestnut Streets. Assistant City Manager Trevor Nuttall said it prohibits parking on the east side and limits parking on the west side. He said drivers have complained that parking on both sides makes two-lane travel difficult.

■ Council set aside money for on-call services for future water and sewer needs. Water Resources Director Michael Rhoney said they chose five firms: Freese and Nichols, Hazen, HDR, Ardurra, and WithersRavenel. 

Rhoney said this help the city speed up work if a project comes up. Council members approved $18,000 to cover the retainer through the end of the fiscal year.

New fire standards

At the meeting, the council also approved fire safety updates. Chief Fire Inspector Tony Pruitt said these will speed up response time and lower the risk of property damage.

The first stipulation is to require a 5-inch Storz connection on new or modified fire protection systems, allowing a one-click operation for fire hoses. The second is for buildings with fire protection systems to have a fire department key box. Pruitt said firefighters can use this to get inside when the alarm or sprinkler goes off without having to break down a door.

Pruitt said the adoption is not retroactive, but the former Acme-McCrary building will be brought up to these standards during its renovations.