By ANN TOINEETA
One Feather Intern
CHEROKEE, N.C. – The Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians (EBCI) Planning Board met at 1 p.m. on Monday, July 20 in the Tribal Council House.
T.W. Saunooke, interim director for construction management at Qualla Housing, was first in the meeting to give project updates. The AIA contract for the Whitetree Court project in Aniwodihi (Painttown) has been approved and entered into Munis for approval. The project is on the agenda for this month’s Business Committee meeting scheduled for July 28. General contractors will be ready to move forward once a contract is put in place. They are looking to do grate and elevation stakes the first week of August and ground breaking the first week of September.
For the units on Macedonia Road in Wayohi (Wolftown), permanent power is complete and water and sewer is being connected. 95 percent of the sidewalks are complete and all HVACs are scheduled to be installed the week of July 28. The estimated time of completion is 3 to 4 weeks. Their goal is to have the units leased by Oct. 1.
General contractors are ready for Business Committee approval for Hyatt Cemetery in Whittier, N.C. The environmental assessment was completed and the HUD RROF release of funds was submitted on July 20.
The environmental assessment for Cooper’s Creek, which is near Bryson City, N.C., will be submitted to the BIA on Aug. 4. They’ve also completed the hydraulic analysis. This work is being incorporated into the overall design of the project.
The Whittier school project is currently doing site planning and budgetary review and the geotech analysis.
Emma Taylor Road in Tsisgwohi (Birdtown) has a preliminary estimate of 23 individual house sites. The environmental assessment has been submitted to review by internal agencies and will be returned in approximately two weeks. Once it is returned, they will submit it to the BIA.
The land swap for the Kolanvyi (Big Cove) Loop project is ready to be presented to the Housing Board for approval. After it’s approved, it will be brought to Lands Acquisition and then to Tribal Council. Edwin Taylor, secretary of housing, addressed concerns about accessing the graveyard near the land swap and said that the project will allow families to have better access to it.
Tyler Blankenship, director of operations and public facilities, provided project updates and answered questions about the construction on Acquoni Road in Elawodi (Yellow Hill). He stated that because of the depth of their construction, it is too hazardous to work at night. He also said that their anticipated start date for this construction was in February, but because of a hold up with the state, it was delayed until now. Dirt has been removed from the John Crowe Fields to the Acquoni Road project. Kolanvyi Tribal Council Representative Lavita Hill requested more signage around the detour route.
A Sennebogen will be moved to Whitewater Landing in Elawodi to address the amount of dead trees. They will also be looking into safely removing a dead tree limb hanging on a phone line over Whitewater Drive.
Zack Hicks, director of operation support services, provided updates on the Ginger Lynn roof in Elawodi. They are currently trying to allocate funds for a roof replacement. Hicks explained that the cost of building a completely new building would be exponentially more than replacing the roof. He also announced that there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony for Fire Substation 3 in Kolanvyi on July 23.
Rebecca Bowe, manager of EBCI project management, provided updates for multiple projects:
Construction on the cultural grounds in Elawodi is 15 percent complete. They are continuing fill activities and waterline installation. Foundations for the restroom facilities will be starting this week.
The design for the fairgrounds in Elawodi is complete and the archaeological contract has been approved. They are currently waiting on permits and coordination with THPO.
At the old elementary school site in Elawodi, they are waiting to hear back about the grant application that was submitted in March. They will soon begin preliminary planning for parking, restrooms, and food trucks.
At the Snowbird Cultural Language site, they are doing site feasibility studies and conceptual floor plans.
The Nvdayeli Trail in Elawodi is complete and the work on signage should start this week, which will be about a 30-day process. Once it is complete, they will schedule a ribbon cutting ceremony.
They have applied to Jackson County for permits to start land disturbance for the meat processing facility.
A grant has been submitted for the multipurpose building and they are waiting to hear back before moving forward.
The design for the archives collection facility is 30 percent complete. They’ve gone through a RFQ and contractor selection to find a construction manager at risk.
The design for the veterans’ cemetery in Wayohi is complete and they’ve submitted and reviewed it with the grant agency. The project is out to bid and will be accepting bids August 11.
They are currently planning and designing the veterans’ facility. They are 30 percent done with programming.
The Raven Fork Dam Restoration in Kolanvyi is under construction. It is around 30 percent complete.
