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Murphy – The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners approved one resolution, killed a proposed ordinance and didn’t have to bother with an additional resolution during the Feb. 6 meeting.
All three measures have generated considerable discussion in the county – street roundabouts, noise from crypto mines and whether the sheriff’s office should establish its own special weapons and tactics team, better known as SWAT.
The board approved a resolution opposing N.C. Department of Transportation plans to install two roundabouts, but the resolution is merely a statement and has no authority over state transportation decisions, county officials admit.
One roundabout would be downtown at the intersection of Hiwassee, Peachtree and Tennessee streets as well as Valley River Avenue. The Murphy Town Council has gone on record supporting it, but the county board is on record in opposition.
“The government of the Town of Murphy has advocated for a roundabout in the center of the seat of Cherokee County without consultation with the government of Cherokee County and without consideration of the impact to Cherokee County facilities and services located within the county seat,” according to the resolution, which passed unanimously.
The other roundabout would be on U.S. 64 West near the intersection of Marks Drive along with the county 911 communications center and maintenance facility. The board contends that roundabouts are “ill-conceived, unnecessary and would only serve to cause traffic congestion and confusion among the motoring public and provide unnecessary dangers to pedestrians.”
The DOT failed to receive input from the public and county government, the resolution contends. The board called for public hearings and forwarded its resolution to N.C. Rep. Karl Gillespie (R-Franklin).
DOT engineers have been favoring traffic circles and “traffic calming” street features that reduce the number of lanes on state-controlled city streets. They contend that these strategies improve safety and traffic flow, and officials have been applying them to highway and street projects throughout the state.
The board also killed a proposed noise ordinance aimed at crypto mining operations but which critics worry would have unintended effects on other common activities, such as use of powered yard equipment, nighttime church services and even shade-tree mechanics working on their cars at night. The board will continue seeking a solution to restrict future crypto mining operations, but admitted that nothing can be done about existing crypto mines.
In addition, the board was prepared to consider a resolution opposing Sheriff Dustin Smith’s plan to establish his own special weapons and tactics team following an incident in which the Cherokee Indian Police SWAT unit shot an unarmed man after stirring him from bed on Dec. 12. When the resolution came up for consideration, Smith said he was no longer interested “in coming and asking for money at this point.”