Letter to the Editor: Purcell Road

To the editor:

Have you heard that Purcell Road (starting at the intersection of Purcell and 234) is to change from a two-lane country road to a monstrous four-lane divided highway with 16-foot wide median and walk path?

The current plan for the intersection involves cutting down all the trees between the existing road and the homes with not a single tree slated to be replanted. The new road is to be moved to the land immediately behind the homes in the Vista Brooke neighborhood. The price tag for this four-lane monster to proceed 0.6 miles, just east of the neighborhood’s entrance, and then stop abruptly just before large curve in the roadway is $5.5 million.

The engineers designed an expensive four-lane highway, merging it into a two lane road, around a curve. Crazy. Unsafe. Expensive. But true. The 10-year County plan calls for the entire length of Purcell to be turned into a highway. Additionally it will branch off at Cornwell and a new highway will be created through Peaks Mill Dr and the surrounding neighborhoods all the way to the PW Parkway. Hundreds of homeowners and families who live along Purcell and Peaks Mill will be affected by this proposed monster highway and I’m quite sure if they knew what was on the books would vehemently oppose their properties flanking a highway.

Word has reached many but not all. Over 100 homeowners have signed petitions urging county officials to take this new highway off the books and redesign the intersection at Route 234 and Purcell to something smaller, safer and more sensible. Mr. Nohe is hosting a Town Hall Meeting on Feb 6 at 7 p.m. Let’s pack the McCoart building and have the voices of those who live here be heard. Spending millions upon millions to make Purcell Rd and Peaks Mill Dr a four-lane highway is not something I want to spend my money on…do you? 

-Mary Meyer (24-year PWC resident)

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