By Erin C. Perkins
The Mount Airy News
eperkins@mtairynews.com

DOBSON -- Dobson commissioners will consider tonight whether to move forward on a $2,500 study to determine interest and possible locations for a local YMCA, according to an agenda released by the town earlier this week.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in the town hall meeting room, and include updates on water meetings held earlier this month to determine interest in public water connection for residents along Old Highway 601 and the sidewalk project on South Main Street for Surry Community College.

In May, Town Manger Lynn Burcham suggested that the board consider using part of its miscellaneous recreation budget of $9,000 to conduct a $2,500 study to determine whether to build a local YMCA that could be placed in an existing vacant building or in a new building.

She said that the estimated cost of using an existing building is between $1.5 million and $2.5 million. Building a new structure with a pool could run $4 million to $6 million, she added.

The complete study would include surveying residents for interest, researching a suitable area and looking at total costs of maintenance and construction.

The board will also provide updates on recent water meetings held both for the Mount Airy Interconnect Project serving residents along The Allison Tree and Piney Grove Road, and for the county's sewer and water connections in the Forest Oaks and Surry acres communities.

Burcham, town and county representatives met with potential residential customers to survey their interest in participating in the $1.4 million Mount Airy Interconnect project. That connection would extend Dobson's water lines to link up with those of Mount Airy.

The town received a North Carolina Rural Center grant of $500,000 in June to help fund the project, along with a loan of $911,000 from the United States Department of Agriculture.

Representatives from the North Carolina Department of Transportation will be at the meeting to discuss proposed traffic lane changes for East Atkins Street. A representative from the Dobson Pool and Dolphins Swim team will also be there to request recreations funds. The board will also consider a request for recreation funds from the Dobson Little League Cheerleaders as well as consider bids for the costs of resurfacing area streets. The board also will discuss updates on the sidewalk installation along South Main Street from Building A of Surry Community College to Windsor Park development. The project, which is grant funded, includes burying utility lines from the power poles underground, and then building a sidewalk.

Meetings are open to the public.