Proposed routes for Carolina Bays extension could cut through farm on SC/NC state line

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, N.C. (WMBF) - Sam Bellamy has lived and worked on Indigo Farms his whole life, but now he and his daughter, Sallie Lun, are worried.

Plans from the North Carolina Department of Transportation show some of the proposed routes for the Carolina Bays Parkway Extension could put them out of business.

“Most of the routes come directly over most or part of the farm,” Lun said.

The Federal Highway Administration is in the middle of preparing an environmental impact statement, and they’re accepting input on the project until Nov. 8.

Lun and Bellamy want the community to know two of the routes don’t impact their farm as much as some of the other proposals do, and they’re asking neighbors to voice their concerns.

“Where both of those connect to the old routes at the state line and as they leave South Carolina, is that they come over quite easily where we are standing now, they definitely take out the field behind us. Our farm market, our residences, it takes out the heart of the farm,” Lun added.

NCDOT Project Engineer Katie Hite says nothing is set in stone just yet, and they look at many aspects when finalizing a route for a new project.

“Theses seven alternatives are getting looked at more in-depth from an impact from a traffic analysis standpoint,” Hite said.

For Bellamy and Lun, not knowing what could happen hangs over them every day.

“What’s the difference between this farm and other farms? Well, we’ve tried to be a community farm,” Bellamy said.

NCDOT said there will be times in the spring to hear input from the community on their end.

To see proposed routes, click here.

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