ATTACHMENT 1
|
TO: |
Mayor and Town Council |
|
FROM: |
Greenways Commission |
|
|
Glenn Parks, Chair |
|
SUBJECT: |
Bolin Creek Trail (Phase 3) Concept Plan |
|
DATE: |
April 25, 2007 |
The Commission continues to strongly and enthusiastically support the majority of the findings in the draft concept plan report. We believe that proper development of this difficult segment of the Town’s trail system will, in the long-run, result in an integrated transportation and recreation facility that will serve the entire Town, the Town of Carrboro, Orange County, and the University’s Carolina North campus.
We understand that the first phase of development will be limited due to lack of funds. However, we believe that any extension of the trail from its current terminus at Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. to the west will have many short-term benefits including increasing the numbers of people that would have direct access to the trail, allowing safe access under Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. for both trail users and pedestrians in general, increasing the length of the existing trail for recreational purposes, and increasing the numbers of destinations for transportation purposes.
We recommend that the Council plan and build the trail to our highest design standards, even if the expenditure of more funds today results in a shorter phase one construction project. We think that relaxing our standards in order to gain additional feet of trail today would make the trail less useful, especially for the young, the elderly, and mobility challenged. In addition, the cost of future upgrades would be disruptive and costly in the narrow Bolin Creek valley.
The Commission thanks the Council for referring comments from the April 23, 2007 Bolin Creek Trail Concept Plan Public Hearing to the Commission. The Commission reviewed the comments and voted unanimously (5-0) to make the following recommendations:
Below Grade Crossing of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd: The Commission believes that the single most important element of the Bolin Creek Concept Plan (Phase III) is the proposed below-grade crossing of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The Commission strongly recommends that the trail be located within the existing culvert to avoid either at-grade crossings of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. or the addition of a smaller, more confined, and more expensive culvert to the north.
The existing culvert is large with more than adequate natural lighting. The alternative options would likely be more costly. Any at-grade street crossing of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. would create a potentially dangerous situation that would actively discourage trail use. Even if the first phase of trail development is shorter than we would like, the extension of the existing trail beneath Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. to Umstead Drive would have enormous safety and accessibility benefits.
Crossing of Umstead Drive: We support the idea of proceeding with the design for an at-grade crossing of Umstead Drive with the provision for a future below-grade crossing. Although we think that the best approach would be to build the below-grade option in the first phase, we support this idea because of the high cost of the below-grade option and our limited budget. However, we also believe that in the long-run the trail should be located beneath Umstead Drive to enhance safety and usability of the trail.
Purchase of Property: The Commission strongly advocates that the Town now attempt to purchase the property at the southeast corner of Umstead Drive and Bolin Creek, if the owner is willing to sell. The Commission recommends that this approach not wait, but instead suggests that purchase methods, such as an “option-to-purchase,” be explored if funds are not currently available for an outright purchase this year.
Ironwoods Routing Option: We agree with the comment that we keep the Ironwoods subdivision option in the plan until such time as Carrboro implements its plan to extend the trail along Bolin Creek. However, the Commission believes that the option adjacent to Ironwood subdivision should not be the recommended option and should be used only if all other options are ultimately deemed impractical.
Parking Lot: The Commission agrees that a parking area along Seawell School Road would be beneficial once a final alignment is determined, and if the University is willing to provide the necessary land.
Extend Trail along Estes Drive Extension: We support the idea of extending the proposed greenway option that would be adjacent to Estes Drive Extension, both to the east to Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and west to Carrboro. The Commission also agrees with a Council member’s recommendation that greenway funds not pay for such a facility.
Stream Bank Restoration: The Commission supports the concept of stream bank restoration; although how that is to be brought into this project should be left to the detailed design of phase one.
Below-Grade Crossing of Pritchard Avenue Extension: The Commission believes that the Plan should retain the below-grade crossing of Pritchard Avenue Extension as currently described in the plan, due to slope considerations.
Commission members voting were: Glenn Parks (Chair), Bill Bracey (Vice Chair), Jim Earnhardt, Gary Galloway, and Reed Huegerich Absent: Mary Blake and Mary Ann Freedman A quorum was present.