AGENDA #2a
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TO: |
Roger Stancil, Town Manager |
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FROM: |
Bill Webster, Interim Director of Parks and Recreation |
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SUBJECT: |
Public Hearing: Concept Plan for the Bolin Creek Greenway (Phase III) |
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DATE: |
April 23, 2007 |
This Public Hearing presents the Council an opportunity to review the Concept Plan for the Bolin Creek Greenway (Phase III) and various recommendations from a number of citizens, governmental entities, agencies and boards. The attached resolution would refer the Council’s and citizens’ comments to the Greenways Commission and the Manager. The resolution would also schedule a continuation of the public hearing on May 21, 2007.
In 2001 Orange County voters approved a parks bond that included $1,000,000 for the Bolin Creek Trail. In 2003 Chapel Hill voters approved a $5,000,000 parks bond that the Council has designated for greenways purposes.
In 2005 work started on the Concept Plan for the Bolin Creek Greenway (Phase III).
In January 2006, the Council adopted an updated version of the Chapel Hill Greenways Comprehensive Master Plan which recommended development of a paved bicycle and pedestrian multiple-use Bolin Creek Trail from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to Millhouse Road in the northwest area of Chapel Hill. The Plan also recommended the upgrade of a portion of the Tanyard Branch Trail to the Northside neighborhood.
In 2006, the State of North Carolina completed enough of the work on the Bolin Creek floodway remapping project that we were able to complete initial bridge and culvert analysis to determine project feasibility.
On October 23, 2006, the Council accepted the Concept Plan for the Bolin Creek Greenway (Phase III) and referred it to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, Greenways Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Project Planning Committee, Transportation Board, OWASA, Town of Carrboro, Orange County and Town staff for comment and recommendations.
A public forum, which was attended by approximately 30 citizens, was held on December 12, 2006.
Project Description – Current Draft Plan: Phase III of the Bolin Creek Trail is proposed to be an extension of the existing 10 foot wide, multi-use Bolin Creek Trail from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard westward to Umstead Park. From there a spur of the trail would be routed south to the Northside neighborhood, while the main trail would continue northwest to Seawell School Road. The paved trail would be approximately 1.9 miles in length.
The plan recommends the following alignment for the main trail, beginning at the western terminus of the existing Bolin Creek Trail:
Below-grade crossing of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. using the existing arch culvert.
Bridge from the north bank to the south bank. The location of the bridge crossing would most likely require the acquisition and demolition of an existing house.
Below-grade crossing of Umstead Drive.
Trail continues along an existing OWASA sewer easement on the south bank of Bolin Creek to Pritchard Avenue Extension.
Below-grade crossing of Pritchard Avenue Extension.
Continue along the south bank of Bolin Creek to Umstead Park.
Bridge from the south bank of Bolin Creek to the north bank.
Continue the trail as a wide sidewalk along Umstead Drive.
At-grade crossing of Village Drive.
Continue along the north bank of Bolin Creek to Estes Drive Extension.
Below-grade crossing of Estes Drive Extension.
Double bridge crossing of Bolin Creek to avoid steep slopes.
Continue trail between the backs of lots of Ironwood Subdivision and the Norfolk Southern Railroad right-of-way to Seawell School Road
The spur trail to the Northside neighborhood would follow the route of the existing Tanyard Branch Trail to McMasters Street. From there the trail would continue south to a termination at Caldwell Street. Future extensions could link the trail with Carrboro.
Goals of the Concept Plan: The recommendations of the concept plan were developed utilizing the following goals for guidance:
Design a trail that avoids at-grade road crossings wherever feasible.
Design a trail that will result in no rise in regulatory flood flows in Bolin Creek and avoids the necessity of submitting a letter of map revision (LOMR) to the Federal Emergency Managements Agency (FEMA).
Maintain a 10 foot trail width with a maximum 5% slope to the greatest extent possible.
Avoid the need to acquire easements on private property to the greatest extent possible.
Avoid disturbance to Bolin Creek, Tanyard Branch, and other tributaries to the greatest extent possible.
Avoid the loss of large trees to the greatest extent possible.
Avoid the need to relocate existing infrastructure improvements.
Minimize the impact of the trail on adjacent residents.
Design a trail that can be built in a cost effective manner.
We believe that because of the complexity of the project, many of the project’s goals ultimately conflict with each other. The recommended alignment is by necessity a compromise that attempts to balance the various project goals in a manner that maximizes safety and sustainability.
We believe that the recommended alignment does well in meeting the following goals:
Design a Trail that Avoids At-Grade Road Crossings wherever Feasible: The recommended plan has only one at-grade crossing at Village Drive.
Design a Trail that will Result in No Rise in Regulatory Flood Flows in Bolin Creek and Avoids the Necessity of Submitting a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR): Early indications are that we can achieve these goals.
Maintain a 10 Foot Trail Width with a Maximum 5% Slope to the Greatest Extent Possible: Early indications are that the recommended alignments meet these goals. As we develop plans further we may discover that some short sections of slope may exceed 5%, but will stay under 8%.
Avoid Disturbance to Bolin Creek, Tanyard Branch, and Other Tributaries to the Greatest Extent Possible: All of the options have some impact to the streams. The recommended alignment would have the least impact to stream banks. However the recommended alignment also has several sections that would have short but direct impacts to Bolin Creek at the proposed below-grade crossings.
Avoid the Loss of Large Trees to the Greatest Extent Possible: We believe that the alignment does as well as other options to save large trees. However it should be noted that all of the options have some tree loss.
Avoid the need to relocate existing improvements: This option would avoid the need to relocate sections of Umstead Drive, although some disruptions to Umstead Drive and Pritchard Avenue would be necessary to build below-grade trail crossings.
The proposed plan only partially meets the following goals:
Minimize the Impact of the Trail on Adjacent Residents: All of the options would have some impact on the privacy of nearby residents. However, the recommended alignment would require significant easement and property acquisition including one residence.
Design a Trail that can Built in a Cost Effective Manner: This option would likely be more expensive than some others. However, the cost would allow the Town to build a safer facility for the public with fewer impacts on the environment in general and on Bolin Creek specifically. The option would also minimize impacts to some residents that live on or use Umstead Drive.
Project Description – Recommended Changes to the Draft Plan: Based on comments received from a variety of sources during the public input process, we recommend that the Council support the majority of the proposed plan, but consider the following possible changes.
1. Provide an Option to Cross Umstead Drive At-Grade: We would have to purchase and demolish a house on Umstead Drive to make the below-grade option work. The owner of the house has indicated that he might be willing to sell if the appraised value was high enough.
We believe that a below-grade crossing would be the best solution in the long-run because it would allow the trail to avoid crossing this busy connector street. However, we believe that the plan should be flexible enough to allow us to pursue an at-grade crossing if we are not able to arrive at a price for the house and lot that is acceptable to both the Town and the owner. We recommend that the final plan specifically state that the first priority would be to accomplish a below-grade trail, but that an at-grade solution could be used.
2. Add a New Option for Serving Carolina North: Due to the uncertainty of the schedule for widening Estes Drive Extension, we believe that a means of reaching the future Carolina North campus that does not include a below-grade crossing of Estes Drive Extension at Bolin Creek should also be pursued. We believe that a route could be located on the south side of Estes Drive Extension that would reach the new campus site more quickly and at less cost than the route along Bolin Creek. If the Council agrees we would add this option in the final concept plan document.
We believe that the Bolin Creek option should also be pursued in order to provide a connection with the future trail systems planned by Carrboro and Orange County, a second access point to the Carolina North Campus, and to provide a more direct link to the public schools and neighborhoods along Bolin Creek and Seawell School Road.
3. Eliminate the Option Adjacent to Ironwoods Subdivision: We received a significant number of comments related to this option from residents of the Ironwoods subdivision. The residents were unanimous in their opposition to this alternative due to the proximity of the proposed trail to some homes in the subdivision and the disturbance that would be created by trail construction. We agree that several homes would be very close to the trail and that construction would be difficult in the narrow corridor.
Because the Town of Carrboro has now endorsed the concept of routing the trail within their jurisdiction, we believe that the trail option adjacent to the Ironwoods neighborhood is no longer needed. If the Council agrees to add an option along Estes Drive Extension then the potential need for a trail between the tracks and the neighborhood would be further reduced. If the Council agrees we would eliminate this option from further consideration in the final concept plan document.
We provided copies of the Concept Plan for the Bolin Creek Greenway (Phase III) to Orange County, Town of Carrboro, and OWASA. We also made presentations to the Town of Carrboro Board of Aldermen and the Board of Orange County Commissioners.
Town of Carrboro: The Board of Aldermen adopted a resolution on February 20, 2007 that forwarded the following recommendations to the Town of Chapel Hill:
1. Build an extension of a spur of the trail along Tanyard Branch to Baldwin Park in Carrboro.
Staff Comment: We agree with this recommendation and believe that any such connection would significantly increase the number of citizens of both Towns who could directly access the Bolin Creek Trail. The concept plan currently shows a spur of the Bolin Creek Trail from Umstead Park to Caldwell Street. In addition, the plan shows a connection to Baldwin Park.
2. Bridge Bolin Creek downstream of Estes Drive Extension in order to avoid the double-bridge crossing currently shown upstream of Estes Drive Extension.
Staff Comment: We believe the current plan is a better solution to address the difficult terrain in this area then the one suggested by Carrboro. The area suggested by Carrboro would place the trail in a location that has difficult topography, a high probability of bedrock, and a small tributary of Bolin Creek. However, this is an issue that we can revisit once we enter into detailed design of this area.
3. Carrboro supports a connection to Carolina North with an expectation that Carrboro, Chapel Hill and the University will cooperate to create a useful trail.
Staff Comment: We appreciate Carrboro’s support and agree that cooperation among all three entities would be required if the Town’s greenways goals are to be met.
Board of Orange County Commissioners: The Board provided a letter of support for the project that included three specific comments:
1. The Board agreed that the trail should be extended upstream from Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Staff Comment: We agree with this recommendation. We believe that the usefulness of the trail would be enhanced by an extension of the existing trail rather than the construction of an isolated segment.
2. Connectivity of the Bolin Creek Trail to other trails and open spaces is a priority.
Staff Comment: The Town’s Greenways Master Plan emphasizes connectivity among all Town trails and with the trail systems of neighboring jurisdictions. We believe that the process to develop the concept plan has afforded us a good opportunity to work with the Town of Carrboro to develop the best plan for connecting to Carrboro’s (and by extension Orange County’s) future Bolin Creek Trail and associated open spaces.
3. Specific information concerning trails within Carolina North would be useful.
Staff Comment: We agree that an understanding of UNC’s plans for Carolina North would be important for designing the trail. We believe that full understanding of UNC’s plan is not critical now for the purposes of development of the concept plan. However, planning meetings with the University should be held as soon as possible. This information would be important, as the project progresses, in order to make good decisions related to land acquisition, trail routing, and improvements to Estes Drive Extension.
Copies of the Concept Plan for the Bolin Creek Greenway (Phase III) were provided to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, Greenways Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, and Transportation Board. Presentations were made to all of the boards.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board: The Commission voted (6-3) to recommend that the Council adopt the concept plan with the following changes.
1. Keep options open for sections 5 -7 (Umstead Park to Seawell School Road and the spur trail to Caldwell)
Staff Comment: We are now suggesting that the portion of the plan that includes sections 5-6 be changed to avoid the backs of the lots of the Ironwood subdivision. We agree that any planning for the area upstream of Umstead Park should remain flexible, especially as it relates to coordination with the Town of Carrboro and the University. Although we believe that most of Section 7 is shown in the most workable area, we support the concept that flexibility be retained through detailed design.
2. More options should be shown for traffic calming at the proposed greenway crossing of Umstead Drive.
Staff Comment: We believe that the concept plan and any detailed design of the area should included significant traffic calming measures if the Council decides to pursue an at-grade crossing of Umstead Drive. We believe that fewer traffic calming measures would be required if a below-grade solution is selected.
3. One member specifically voted against the proposal because the preferred option would result in the acquisition of a private home against the desires of the owner.
Staff Comment: The owner has now indicated that he might be willing to sell the property. We are now recommending that the Council support the below-grade crossing only if the owner and the Town can come to agreement concerning a fair price for the lot and home. We recommend that if such an agreement cannot be reached that the Council consider the option of an at-grade crossing of Umstead Drive. We further recommend that any design of an at-grade crossing allow the possibility of a future conversion to a below-grade crossing.
Greenways Commission: The Commission voted unanimously (4-0) to recommend that the Council adopt the recommended concept plan with the following changes:
1. That both options west of Estes Drive Extension be retained until such time as both Chapel Hill and the Town of Carrboro have had time to fully consider the issue and provide specific recommendations.
Staff Comment: We agree that the plan should retain maximum flexibility in the upstream portions of the study area, especially since those are likely to be the last portions built. However, we believe that we can now eliminate the option that shows the trail between the lots of Ironwoods subdivision and the Norfolk Southern Railroad. We recommend this change because we have now heard from the Town of Carrboro that they are supportive of hosting the last segment in their jurisdiction. In addition, if the Council agrees to expand the plan to include a segment along Estes Drive Extension we would have two viable options that would avoid close proximity to private homes.
2. That the Town explore an additional option that would extend a trail segment along Estes Drive Extension to Carolina North. This trail could provide a more direct route to Carolina North and could possibly serve as a more efficient transportation link in the trail system.
Staff Comment: We agree with the Commission and recommend that an additional option be shown in the final version of the plan.
3. The Commission considered the two options available for the crossing of Umstead Drive near Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and recognized that both options have benefits and costs. The Commission recommends that initially the trail should be designed to accommodate an at-grade crossing of Umstead Drive with sufficient traffic calming measures to ensure pedestrian safety. However, the Commission also recommends that the bridge and trail be designed so that the option to later build a below-grade crossing would be preserved.
Staff Comment: The owner of the house and lot may now be willing to sell to the Town. We agree with the Commission and recommend that the Council pursue an at-grade crossing if the owner decides that he does not want to sell the property. We agree that any at-grade crossing should be designed to allow a future below-grade crossing. We also agree that if the at-grade crossing is selected, that significant levels of traffic calming be employed to allow as safe a crossing of Umstead Drive as possible.
Parks & Recreation Commission: The Commission voted unanimously (9-0) to recommend that the Council adopt the recommended concept plan with the following changes:
1. The Commission recommends pursuing an at-grade crossing of Umstead Drive with traffic calming measures if a below-grade crossing would require an involuntary acquisition of a house on Umstead Drive.
Staff Comment: We now recommend that the Council pursue an at-grade crossing, designed to allow a future below-grade crossing if the owner decides not to sell to the Town.
2. The Commission recommends that the concept study be expanded to explore the potential of extending a portion of the trail along Estes Drive Extension to gain access to Carolina North in addition to the study area already undertaken.
Staff Comment: We agree with the Commission and recommend that the additional option be shown as part of the concept plan.
Transportation Board Comments and Recommendations: The Commission voted unanimously (7-0) to recommend that the Council adopt the concept plan with one comment. The Board recommended that the Town work with Carrboro to ensure that the plan is implemented
Staff Comment: We agree with the Board’s comment. We have been working with Carrboro on the Bolin Creek Trail project and intend to continue that close relationship throughout the life of the project.
We have taken a number of steps to notify citizens of the scope and nature of the proposed project. Since October 2006, two mass mailings were sent to residents living adjacent to the project. We have maintained an email distribution list and have provided monthly updates to those citizens on the list. We also held a well-attended public forum, notified citizens of opportunities to speak at advisory meetings, and have met with citizens at their homes and in the field. Following are the comments we have received from various people:
1. The resident of the house at the southeast corner of Umstead Drive and Bolin Creek has followed the process and indicated at most of the public meetings that he is not interested in selling his property for the purpose of allowing a below-grade crossing of Umstead Drive. He has recently contacted us and indicated that he may be willing to sell the property if the appraised value is adequate for his purposes.
Staff Comment: We are now recommending that the Council adopt a plan that shows the below-grade crossing of Umstead Drive as the primary choice and the at-grade crossing as an alternate option in the event that the land purchase does not occur. We further recommend that any design of an at-grade crossing allow the possibility of a future conversion to a below-grade crossing.
2. A number of residents of the Ironwoods Subdivision have recommended that the proposed trail would be too close to the rear of some homes in the Ironwoods subdivision.
Staff Comment: We are now suggesting that the portion of the plan that includes the area between the Ironwood Subdivision and the railroad tracks be deleted from the plan.
3. Some residents asked that precautions be taken to reduce the risk of trespass from the trail onto private property.
Staff Comment: We usually address such issues on a case-by-case basis once we enter into the detailed design phase. We typically meet with individual landowners and discuss their specific needs. We recommend strengthening language in the concept plan that indicates the Council’s goal of preserving private property.
4. A resident expressed concern about the safety of an underpass at Estes Drive Extension.
Staff Comment: We agree that safety issues are always a concern with culvert type underpasses. The best solution would be to replace the culvert with a highway bridge for Estes Drive Extension. However, bridges are usually prohibitively expensive. Consideration of security issues during detailed design of the culvert would be essential in preventing problems.
Budget: We recommend that the Council establish a preliminary budget, utilizing both Town and Orange County bonds for the Bolin Creek Trail. We recommend using the following source of funds:
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Town Parks Bond (already allocated) |
650,000 |
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Town Parks Bond (2008 bond sale) |
1,400,000 |
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Orange County Parks Bond (already allocated) 1 |
75,000 |
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Total Proposed Preliminary Budget |
2,125,000 |
1 The Town has requested that the County make the remaining $925,000, earmarked by the County for the Bolin Creek Trail, available for the Southern Community Park project. We have requested that the Bolin Creek Trail funds be replaced by the County if the County passes a future Parks bond.
Phasing Plan: We believe that the Bolin Creek Trail would likely be built in at least 2 and possibly more phases, due to the unusually high construction costs we anticipate in this area. We recommend that once a concept plan is adopted, the initial detailed design be limited to the portion of the project from Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd to Umstead Park.
Proposed Schedule: We propose the following schedule be followed:
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Continue Public Hearing/Possible Adoption of Plan |
May 21, 2007 |
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Detailed Design & Permitting |
July 2007 – December 2008 |
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Land and Easement Acquisition |
July 2007 – December 2008 |
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Start Construction of Phase I |
March 2009 |
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Complete Project |
March 2010 |
The later part of this schedule is speculative and is contingent upon early success in securing easements and properties, as well as dealing with flood and stream regulatory agencies.
With previous projects, land and easement acquisition issues have on occasion, contributed to significant delays. In order to minimize any potential delays we would begin the land acquisition process as quickly as possible.
In addition, the above schedule is contingent upon successful flood modeling that proves that the project can be achieved without a rise in calculated floods. If problems arise related to permits related to the floodway or stream encroachments, the process might take considerably longer.
That the Council adopt the attached resolution which would refer the Council’s and citizens’ comments to the Greenways Commission and the Manager. The resolution would also authorize the Manager to reschedule a continuation of the public hearing on May 21, 2007.