The city of Shelby is looking ahead to the future and how it can prepare for potential new development with the completion of the U.S. 74 Bypass project.
City Council approved the selection of an engineering company to complete a feasibility study to look at infrastructure needs near the bypass interchanges.
City Manager Rick Howell said as the bypass gets closer to completion, it’s important for city staff to look at city utilities and how it relates to future development.
Cameron Howell, utility projects coordinator with the city of Shelby, gave some background information on the bypass project, which was started in July of 2013 east of Mooresboro and will finish west of Stony Point Road at U.S. 74 Business. The whole bypass is expected to be completed by 2029.
Currently, the section of the road east of Mooresboro to Polkville Road is open and plans are to have the section going to N.C. 180 and N.C. 150 open by the end of the year.
“The U.S. 74 promotes and supports economic development around the city,” Cameron Howell said. “That includes Walmart Distribution, Clearwater Paper and Greenheck Fan Corporation, to name just a few. As the bypass comes through, it will help promote more businesses to come through. Along with that, there’s the possibility for more subdivisions to come through and be built, and we’ll need the infrastructure to be able to support those as well.”
Cameron Howell said currently, the city lacks that ability.
He said staff decided they needed to have an engineer come in and complete a feasibility study to help them understand what needed to be done and how it could be done.
He said the study, which will include the system layouts and project recommendations for water, sewer, electric and natural gas, will look at Washburn Switch, Polkville and Fallston roads and N.C. 150 and 180 and could be extended if needed.
“The final report will show utility planning, show line extensions and new upgrades to facilities we have in the area, review the existing proposed flows, review general operating conditions of current infrastructure and conduct tests to determine capacities,” Cameron Howell said.
The city sent out requests for qualifications for the project in May, and staff unanimously recommended HDR Engineering of the Carolinas.
Council unanimously approved the resolution.
Rick Howell spoke about the importance of the study. He said the areas around the interchanges on Washburn Switch, 226, Fallston Road and N.C. 150 and 180 are likely to change dramatically once the bypass is open.
“Property will change hands. There will be development that will show interest in a lot of those areas,” he said. “One of the main purposes of the study is to make sure we’re ready for that development because the last thing we want to have happen is a major economic developer to come in and develop a shopping center or major residential development or something of that nature, and the city not be prepared to serve it. That’s tax base, that’s jobs, that’s utility revenues, those are a lot of things. When a new road opens, it may take years for that happen, but we certainly want to be prepared for it and have a good solid engineering plan for that.”
Reporter Rebecca Sitzes can be reached at rsitzes@gannett.com.