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is now preserved as a historical site by the <br />State of North Carolina. While the historical <br />area encompasses most of what was <br />originally the Reed Farm, this piece is only <br />about a tenth of the entire property owned <br />by the state. Along with the mine site and <br />museum, there are also six to eight miles of <br />trails including an educational trail, picnic <br />areas, and a gold panning area. They are also <br />currently developing a blacksmith <br />demonstration area. In total, this historic <br />site property consists of 822.75 acres of <br />land. <br /> <br />There has been some discussion about <br />additional passive recreational uses on the <br />remaining acreage (e.g. trails, camping, <br />nature center). The property is heavily <br />wooded and access is limited. Due to its <br />designation as a State Historic Site, any use <br />of the property must protect the historical <br />and environmental resources of the site. The <br />200th anniversary of the first gold discovery <br />will occur in 1999, and they are planning to <br />make some improvements and increase their <br />promotional activity to celebrate this <br />anniversary. <br /> <br />There is no related private development that <br />can be attributed to the mine attraction. It is <br />possible that as the Reed Mine is promoted <br />and the site is continually improved that <br />some commercial activity related to the site <br />may develop. It is important if this does <br />occur, that that development be located <br />away from the site itself to prevent any <br />degradation of the area. <br /> <br /> TRANSPORTATION -- ROADS <br /> <br />One of the most important features of this <br />plan area is the crossing of two of Cabarms <br /> <br />County's main roads. The importance of the <br />two roads which cross here, NC 24/27 and <br />US 601, is increasing with the upgrade of <br />24/27 to a four and five lane road as part of <br />the state's planned intrastate system. These <br />roads provide north-south and east-west <br />accessibility. Despite Midland's isolated <br />position in the County, the area enjoys <br />excellent access to the larger region. <br /> <br />Map 4 shows the average daily traffic <br />(ADT) counts on area roads. These counts <br />clearly indicate that NC 24/27 is the most <br />heavily traveled road in the plan area with <br />about one and a half times the traffic of US <br />601, the second most heavily traveled road. <br />The counts also indicate the important role <br />of NC 200 as a route from Concord to the <br />southeast, and of Flowes Store Road as <br />connector from the rural areas to both US <br />601 and NC 24/27. <br /> <br />Traffic has increased substantially on US <br />601 in recent years. From 1990 to 1995, the <br />ADT on this road, south of NC 200, <br />increased by 50 to 55% in most spots. <br />Traffic is expected to increase on NC 24/27 <br />once the widening is complete and again <br />when the eastern portion of the Charlotte <br />outerbelt (I-485) opens in late 2000. <br /> <br />Improvements to NC 24/27 are planned to <br />occur in two phases. The first phase, from <br />the crossroads east to the Locust City limits, <br />is complete. Construction for the second <br />phase, west from the crossroads to NC 51 in <br />Mecklenburg County, is scheduled to be <br />complete by summer 1998. The portion <br />closest to the crossroads area should be <br />complete by the end of 1997. The two <br />projects total 9.8 miles, the majority of <br />which is in this plan area. <br /> <br />11 <br /> <br /> <br />