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Highway 557 Widening Project
and
Saving the Pond at Woodend Farm.
Hey Everyone!
The ongoing campaign to "Save the Pond" at Woodend Farm is being derailed by a few in LW who reached out to Representative Pope and insisted we move ahead with the Hwy 557 widening project immediately with no consideration for the large pond we purchased with the 87 acre greenspace along Hwy 557.
The widening project that was approved in 2003 is already 20 years old and it only recently seems to have become a priority when I asked for a redesign of the alignment to save the pond. This pond is a community asset and YC should vet the process of redesign and shift so the best of both worlds can be achieved for D2 residents. To simply go forward with the quickest widening may not be the best plan long term. Due diligence is critical to this decision. The current alignment is not what residents preferred in a public meeting when Pennies For Progress held a public meeting to show 3 design alternatives.
SCDOT is willing to put $500,000 toward redesign as they consider the pond a "community asset".
The pond is a great size, up to 10 feet deep and it IS full of fish ~ in spite of what you may read on social media. Small happy fish and often geese and ducks call this pond home.
It is quite the ecosystem and I believe if there is a chance we can preserve it as is we should make every effort to do so. There are some hurdles but if we don't make and attempt to overcome them we will never know what could have been accomplished.
Please email Representative Tommy Pope and let him know your thoughts. My goal is to save the pond so future generations can enjoy it for years to come. This property is in a conservation easement with NFLT and worthy of our defending its usefulness and value to the Clover and Lake Wylie areas.
Please do NOT copy me individually on the emails to
Rep. Pope.
Email: tommypope@schouse.gov
Please also copy: Karen.brogdon@yorkcountygov.com because county council also needs to know your thoughts.
**Please note this widening is a Pennies for Progress Project from 2003 and it was voted on by the people so it will not be stopped. This relates to the portion of 557 from LW to Kingsburry Rd. The end product will be raised 10-12 feet to the pond level and will be similar in appearance to Hwy 274 (Handmill Hwy)
A separate Pennies Project for which rights of way are not complete, will widen 557 to 3 lanes from Kingsburry to
Hwy 55 at a future date.
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