The Smithfield Times will be taking a different approach to Smithfield Town Council candidate questionnaires this year. Rather than sending a list of questions and publishing all questions and responses in the same print edition and online, the Times will send the candidates a single question once per week.

There will be 12 questions in total, with up to 250 words to respond to each, through Oct. 23. For the 12th week, we asked, “What should be the town’s top transportation priority when applying for state Smart Scale funding? Why?”

• Eleventh week, Oct. 10: Should the Town Council commit to partially funding a planned roundabout on Turner Drive? Why or why not?
• Tenth week, Oct. 9: What do you like and dislike about the town’s current Comprehensive Plan?
• Ninth week, Oct. 2: Did the Town Council make the right decision in February by voting to set a real estate tax rate of 16 cents per $100 in assessed value, up from the 14-cent rate set eight months earlier? Why or why not?
• Eighth week, Sept. 25: Should the mayor be directly elected by the people? Why or why not?
• Seventh week, Sept. 18: Should the Town Council accept and match Joseph Luter III’s $6 million gift to the town and agree to meet its conditions? Why or why not?
• Sixth week, Sept. 11: How big of a priority should the town make completing its 1-mile share of the Park-to-Park bicycle and pedestrian trail proposed to extend from Nike Park to Windsor Castle Park?
• Fifth week, Sept. 4: What criteria will you use when deciding whether to approve future residential development?
• Fourth week, Aug. 28: What, if anything, can the Town Council do to be more transparent with citizens?
• Third week, Aug. 21: Should Smithfield move its farmers market to the Grange at 10Main? Why or why not?
• Second week, Aug. 14: What is one challenge or opportunity for the town that has not received enough attention? Why is it important?
• First week, Aug. 7: What will be your top priority if elected?

 

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Mary Ellen Bebermeyer

Several roads throughout Smithfield may qualify for Smart Scale funding. First, South Church Street, from the Cypress Creek bridge to Battery Park Road, could be considered for Smart Scale funds. As a main thoroughfare through Smithfield, pedestrian safety is a huge concern on this section of South Church Street. Smart Scale funding is often used for pedestrian improvements.
After talking to residents, there are numerous intersections that need traffic relief, hopefully Smart Scale funds could be utilized.

• Battery Park Road has seen a dramatic increase in traffic. From the intersection at South Church Street to the intersections at John Rolfe Drive, Kendall Haven/Villa Drive, the entrance to Wellington Estates, Greenbrier Lane, and Nike Park Road, residents, individual homeowners, businesses and churches along Battery Park Road are finding it increasingly difficult to navigate this road and need traffic relief. With the addition of the Mallory Pointe development, eventually all of Battery Park Road, to the town limits near Gatling Pointe, will need improvements.
• The intersection of Smithfield Boulevard and South Church Street, where residents find it more difficult to turn onto South Church Street needs to have another traffic study and some kind of remedy.
• The intersection at Main Street and the Route 10 Bypass needs upgrades and apparently, they are planned in the future.
• Finally, although at the edge of town limits, changes are needed at the intersection of Benns Church Boulevard and Turner Drive. Improvements should not be tied to a roundabout on Turner Drive.

 

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Jim Collins

A Town project that fits the requirements to apply for Smart Scale funding is the South Church Street widening and shared use path improvements project. The way the Smart Scale process works through the District Grant Program is by scoring and ranking all regionally submitted projects and then funding the projects from top down until all funds are expended. Our Town submissions through Smart Scale have traditionally not ranked high enough to receive funding.  However, we should continue to submit this project for the opportunity of getting a relatively higher score in any given year.

The Grace Street repaving project is a current transportation project but is already funded and underway by VDOT. There are other programs that are currently pursued by the town since Smart Scale does not typically produce results for our locality. The other programs are Safe Streets 4 All, which is funded by the Federal Highway Department and revenue sharing through VDOT. The point is, that all viable funding streams should be pursued to help with our local transportation projects and not focus on a single funding stream. 

 

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Darren Cutler

Smart Scale applications require thorough justification to make town priorities state priorities.  The current council received an extremely low priority rating on recent submissions, so the future council must better utilize available resources to write applications that will receive high priority. It requires focused planning, and when appropriate, coordination with county planners with demonstrated Smart Scale success.  

In talking to citizens while campaigning, traffic congestion along with its impact to access by emergency services is a top priority. Eighty-percent of residents commute out of the town, therefore, improving major thoroughfares and access to them by connected neighborhoods while improving emergency services access is a top priority for use of Smart Scale funds.  Additionally, areas of upcoming excessively dense growth approved by past councils necessitate proactive transportation solutions to manage the future congestion they will bring.

I also look to the input from citizens in the comprehensive plan to bring local small business growth in retail and dining to South Church Street. Smart Scale funds for street improvements in this region will benefit citizens by better access from more neighborhoods of Smithfield and promote local small business growth. Improvements in both vehicular safety and walking/biking access via the park-to-park trail will greatly serve Smithfield neighborhoods outside the historic district and improve the entrance corridor.  

Council must improve transportation for citizens of all neighborhoods and use Smart Scale to lighten the local tax burden. I will advocate for transportation solutions for all of Smithfield.

 

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Raynard Gibbs

What should be the town’s top transportation priority for state Smart Scale funding? The Smart Scale process scores and ranks regionally submitted projects, funding them from the top down until the budget is exhausted. While some may argue that repaving Grace Street should take precedence, this project is already funded and scheduled for completion by VDOT.  Instead, we should prioritize the South Church Street Widening project, which includes a multiuse pathway. This aligns with the Commonwealth of Virginia’s emphasis on bicycle and pedestrian safety and could help improve our historically low Smart Scale Funding scores.

 

 

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William Harris

The question this week deals with transportation issues in Smithfield and how we can best prioritize using SmartScale grant money to help offset the cost of transportation projects. SmartScale is a taxpayer-funded program that helps Virginia fund its most crucial transportation projects. Localities throughout the commonwealth submit applications for grant money to help pay for transportation projects in their area. A VDOT evaluation team scores each application based on how the project addresses six specific factors: safety, congestion, accessibility, land-use, economic development and environment. Applications are prioritized by score and sent to the Commonwealth Transportation Board for funding consideration. Smithfield town staff has been active in applying for SmartScale grants and there currently are some SmartScale projects in Smithfield.

A SmartScale project at the intersection of Route 10 Bypass/258 Main Street is being managed by Isle of Wight County Public Works in collaboration with the town of Smithfield and VDOT. This project will include adding a left turn lane to the intersection, improving the park-and-ride lot, and constructing ADA pedestrian ramps. This important project will help alleviate traffic congestion at that intersection, make it easier to use the park-and-ride lot and make it safer for pedestrians crossing there. A second SmartScale project involves widening South Church Street and constructing the shared-use path improvements that finally will complete our pedestrian bike path. Both of these projects are important, but when asked to prioritize use of SmartScale monies, I would say the first project is the top priority at this time.

 

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Michael G. Smith

It is impossible to single out one transportation project as a priority. We have so many new housing projects that have been approved and are not yet built, and our roads and traffic seem to be at capacity. Smart Scale is a state process that helps municipalities evaluate potential transportation projects based on how they will improve traffic flow and reduce congestion among other things.

The intersection at Turner Drive is a critical intersection; the town and county have been in discussion for two years, and the deadline for a decision is close. We have to consider that once large development has been approved and several are in the pipeline. Our staff and town officials must be more proactive in reviewing future development. We need to be more proactive and less reactive. The Turner Drive intersection must be addressed and my opinion is that should be our priority when applying for Smart Scale funds.

To single out one transportation project as a priority in the midst of so many developments that have been approved and the effect on the town roadways is a difficult one at best. Smart Scale funding is limited tax dollars that have strict guidelines and are score-based and transparent to the public and holds the decision makers accountable to the taxpayers. So when deciding on the many projects that we could consider it is important that we select the most important project that is facing our needs now and the future needs.