The Chapel Hill greenways program has two major goals: to establish and maintain a system of open spaces that will help protect the environment of Chapel Hill, and where possible, to establish a system of trails, that will enable citizens to enjoy the benefits of greenways to the greatest extent possible.
Advising the Town Council to implement the goals of the greenways program is the responsibility of the Chapel Hill Greenways Commission. The greenways program is administered by a variety of Town departments under the guidance and coordination of the Parks and Recreation Department. The Parks and Recreation Department staff provides planning and technical support, coordination of design and engineering consultants and provides promotional and liaison services to the community.
The Chapel Hill Greenways Commission is a seven member body of citizens which is charged with the task of advising the Council in the creation of a town-wide system of greenways and greenway trails. The Town Council appoints members for three-year terms. Sitting members may apply for a second three year term. The Commission was created in 1985 to perform the following duties:
1. Develop and propose, for the Town Council consideration, a master greenways plan, including a proposed timetable for development and listing of potential greenways properties and extensions.
2. Identify potential property and easements to accomplish the greenway plan with the cooperation of property owners and neighborhood organizations in areas along greenway corridors.
3. Work with neighborhoods to develop specifications for appropriate design, use, maintenance, and security for greenways.
4. Promote awareness of the greenways program among Town residents. For example, publish maps and trail guides for use of greenways.
5. Advise the Town Council regarding the status of needs of the greenway system annually during the consideration of the Capital Improvement Program and annual operating budget. Recommend property to be acquired and trails to be constructed.
6. Work with community groups to encourage the development and maintenance of greenway trails.
7. Work with regional organizations and Greenway Commissions to coordinate regional greenway plans; encourage linkage of greenway systems when beneficial to Chapel Hill citizens.
8. Review proposals for subdivision or development of land in the identified greenway corridors, and make recommendations to the Planning Board or Town Council regarding provision or dedication of property or easements to accomplish the greenway plan.
9. Recommend and promote alternative funding sources for acquisition and maintenance of greenways.
10. Recommend naming trails or greenway corridors in honor of individuals to the Town Council Naming Committee.
The movement toward comprehensive greenway planning is demonstrated in the development and evolution of other Town documents and plans of neighboring communities and institutions. The Chapel Hill greenway program is supported by a wide range of Council-adopted plans and reports within the Town's Comprehensive Plan and important sections of the Town’s Development Ordinance. As the greenway program develops, it will continue to rely on the reinforcement and mutual support that these plans and policy statements provide.
The Town's
Comprehensive Plan contains several Plans and Reports which There are a number of current plans
and reports that support the efforts of the greenway program, including:
•
1985 Greenways
Task Force Final Report
• 1989 Natural Environment Report
•
1989 Community
Facilities Report
• 1989 Transportation Report
• 1991 New Hope Corridor Open Space
Master Plan
• 1993 Regional Bicycle Plan
• 1994 Pedestrian Plan
• 2000 Comprehensive Plan
• 2002 Parks and Recreation Master Plan
• 2004 Draft Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan
A brief review of each Report and its recommendations follows.
1985
Greenways Task Force Final Report
The 1985
Report has acted as the greenways program's master plan since its adoption.
Although the Report is out-of-date in many respects, it is still a valuable
resource for understanding the importance of linear open spaces for natural
resource protection as well as for transportation and recreation. The Report
describes the stream corridors of most major Chapel Hill perennial streams.
The Report also discusses the importance of trail construction as it relates to
community transportation and leisure.
1989
Community Facilities Report
The 1989
Community Facilities Report describes potential trail segments along Bolin
Creek, the railroad line that serves the University's power plant, Morgan Creek, Wilson Creek, Booker Creek, and Battle Branch. The Report recommends that the
Town try to meet the ambitious goal of completing all planned trail segments by
the year 2000.
1989 Natural Environment Report
The 1989 Natural Environment Report identifies critical and sensitive features of the Town’s natural environment which include steep slopes, floodplains, bottomland hardwood forests, open space and greenways. The Report recommends the preservation of these natural features and is supportive of open space and stream buffer preservation.
1989 Transportation Report
1989 Transportation Report identifies the goal of safe and efficient movement of people throughout Town. In addition to a safe road network, sidewalks, pedestrian paths and bicycle routes are noted as integral parts of the Town’s transportation system. The Report recognizes the need of the recreational community and supports combining recreational needs with commuter bicycle facilities.
1991 New Hope Corridor Open Space Master Plan
Chapel Hill, Orange County, Durham County, and the City of Durham shared the costs of preparing this Report which made recommendations for preserving the remaining wild land between Chapel Hill and the City of Durham. Most of the studied area lies within Durham County and outside of Chapel Hill's jurisdiction. However, the Dry Creek corridor and the area near Eastowne Drive are included in the study. The study recommends that Chapel Hill work to preserve Dry Creek, acquire land for trail development, and plan for a future trail connection to Durham along Dry Creek. Specific recommendations related to the Chapel Hill greenway system are included in Part 4 of this report.
1993 Regional Bicycle Plan
Chapel Hill, Orange County, Durham County, and the City of Durham shared the costs to develop a Regional Bicycle Plan to study current and future bicycle use patterns and the need for facilities. The Plan identified Phases I and II of the Bolin Creek trail and the planned Booker Creek Trail as components of the Regional Bicycle Plan.
1994 Pedestrian Plan
The 1994 Pedestrian Plan was intended to lay the groundwork for development of improved pedestrian facilities in order to promote pedestrian versus automobile transportation. Greenway trail segments are recognized as being important and complementary components of an overall pedestrian system composed mainly of sidewalks along Town streets.
2000 Comprehensive Plan
The stated transportation goal of the Comprehensive Plan (p 92) is to: “Develop a balanced, multi-modal transportation system that will enhance mobility for all citizens, reduce automobile dependence, and preserve/enhance the character of Chapel Hill.” The Plan states the following general objectives (p 93) for
Bikeways: Develop and maintain a system of safe and efficient bikeways (on-street bike lanes and off-street bike paths within greenways) designed to contribute to Town-wide mobility, connecting neighborhoods with activity centers, schools, parks, and other neighborhoods.
Pedestrian (facilities): Develop and maintain a pedestrian circulation system, including sidewalks and greenway trails that provide direct, continuous, and safe movement within and between districts of Town. Link neighborhoods to activity centers, transit stops, schools, parks, and other neighborhoods.
2002 Parks and Recreation Master Plan
This plan made a number of recommendations related to greenway development including:
2004 Draft Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan
This draft plan is intended to become an extension of the Comprehensive Plan. It identifies and includes existing and proposed greenways as integral parts of a bicycle and pedestrian network. A key plan objective is to identify locations for improved facilities or engineering improvements which:
· connect neighborhoods to adjacent existing schools, activity centers, recreational facilities and transit stops,
· close gaps between existing facilities,
· facilitate travel between residential neighborhoods and key employment, recreation, shopping centers, such as downtown and UNC and,
· connect Chapel Hill with neighboring communities
Specifically the draft plan includes the following recommended actions related to the Greenways Master Plan:
· The provision of a hard surfaced trail and advisory bicycle route on the Battle Branch Greenway Trail.
· A recommended greenway for use by bicyclists and pedestrians to connect Southern Village to the New High School off Smith Level Road.
· The provision of a bicycle and pedestrian bridge at Ashe Place.
· The provision of a trail spur from the Tanbark trail connecting to Broad Street, Carrboro.
The Chapel Hill greenway system is supported by the findings and recommendations established in planning documents adopted by neighboring communities and environmental groups.
Town of Carrboro Recreation and Parks
Comprehensive Master Plan
Adopted in 1994 by the Town of Carrboro Board of Aldermen, the Master Plan outlines recommendations for a Town-wide system of community parks, neighborhood parks, mini-parks and greenways. The Plan supports cooperative efforts with the Town of Chapel Hill to deliver recreational services to both communities. Specific recommendations for connections to several of Chapel Hill’s greenways are presented. This plan will likely be updated in 2005.
Inventory of the Natural Areas and Wildlife Habitats of Orange County, North Carolina
Sponsored by the Triangle Land Conservancy, and completed in 1988, the Inventory of Natural Areas and Wildlife Habitats of Orange County describes 64 sites representing unique and exemplary natural ecosystems, rare species habitats, special wildlife habitats and scenic areas.
The following reports and plans have been adopted by the University of North Carolina Board of Trustees as guides to the future planning and development of UNC properties in Chapel Hill:
Summary of the Campus Framework Plan, A Guide to Physical Development
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Johnson Johnson and Roy, Inc. March 1991.
North Carolina Botanical Garden Master Plan, A Guide for Development
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
Jones and Jones, and Hunter Reynolds Jewell, March 1992.
Central Campus Open Space Preservation Policy
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
Johnson Johnson and Roy, Inc., 1996.
Study of the University of North Carolina Outlying Properties
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Johnson Johnson and Roy, Inc., November 1996.
1999 Orange County Bicycle Transportation Plan
The Plan is the Bicycle Transportation Component of the Orange County Comprehensive Plan. This is a plan intended to develop transportation facilities and programs for bicyclists. The plan seeks to provide facilities between the urban areas within and adjacent to Orange County and to provide bicycle transportation access from rural areas to adjacent urban areas.
The Town's Development Land Use Management Ordinance (LUMO) has several
sections which are of vital importance to the enhancement of the greenways
program. The most important of these are the sections which mandate the dedication
of recreational land and created define the Resource Conservation
District (RCD).
The mandatory dedication of open space levied on private residential development within the Town is an important mechanism for greenway land acquisition. The Resource Conservation District aids the greenways system in a broader sense, by providing ordinance protection of land associated with stream bottomlands, the primary component of Chapel Hill’s greenway corridors.
Mandatory Dedication of Recreation Area
Most of Chapel
Hill's greenway land has been was acquired through the provisions
of the Development Ordinance (which predated the LUMO prior to 2003) that
mandates mandated dedication of recreation space with each new
major subdivision and some projects developed under Special Use Permits. This
process has been was used continually since mandatory recreation
area dedication was added to the Town's development ordinance in 1981.
The Development
Ordinance (sections 13.7.8 through 13.7.10 and section 17.9) new LUMO
continues to requires require the dedication of recreation
areas for almost all residential development projects. The intent of the
ordinance is to require a prescribed amount of land which could be used for
active recreation purposes. For sites that abut or include areas designated as
future greenway corridors, the ordinance allows the developer, with Council
approval, to dedicate land for greenway use in lieu of active recreation
space. This ordinance has been Chapel Hill's most effective greenways land
acquisition tool.
The LUMO Development
Ordinance also specifies (section 17.9) exemptions to required
recreation land dedication which include payments in lieu agreements and the
substitution of other land areas. These provisions have led to the preservation
of greenway corridors, land having steep slopes, environmentally sensitive
areas and open space associated with the Town’s entranceway corridors.
Resource Conservation District (RCD)
In 1984, the Town adopted its RCD Ordinance restricting development in and adjacent to the 100-year floodplain of the Town’s perennial streams. The RCD is an overlay zoning district which protects this critical area by limiting permitted uses, the amount of impervious surface created by a development, the amount of land that can be disturbed and development density.
The greenways program benefits from the RCD in two ways. First, the district protects large areas of fragile and important natural areas without the need to purchase property. Second, the ordinance lists greenway trail development as an allowable and acceptable use within the RCD.
The
Greenway System in 1998 2005
Chapel Hill's greenway system is best viewed as a network or web of open space and trails that provide many benefits, including an opportunity for people and wildlife to safely travel through the urban environment. In a community with ideally planned greenways, it would be possible to travel inside linear open space corridors to any major destination. Neighborhoods, schools, parks, shopping centers, commercial centers, and office areas would be interconnected so that user contact with automobile traffic would be minimized.
The greenway network proposed for Chapel Hill does not reflect the ideal. Although most greenway corridors are at least partially preserved, the transportation aspects of the Town’s greenways fall short of providing a complete or continuous system. Portions of the proposed system fit together rather poorly, while other segments have missing pieces. The imperfect plan presented here reflects the reality of trying to implement a greenway trail system in a community which has already been largely developed, contains difficult terrain and has large areas under a single owner, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Some lands owned by the University and additional portions of some greenway corridors have areas which are biologically sensitive, including federally-regulated wetlands.
Many acres within potential greenway corridors have already been developed as single family residential neighborhoods and for commercial uses. This existing development occurs predominantly in the central portion of Town and along Morgan Creek and Booker Creek. The corridors associated with small tributaries are often divided by many individual properties, a condition that could make acquisition of trail corridors a costly and difficult undertaking. Some trail development must wait until such time, perhaps far in the future, when land use patterns change enough to allow acquisition of public greenways.
Despite the problems inherent in implementing a greenways system in an urban environment, opportunities abound. Many of the Town's proposed greenways lie in areas not under immediate development pressure; some are located along corridors that the Town controls, while others lie within areas protected by Town ordinances that allow for the preservation of open space and greenways corridors.
The Chapel Hill greenway system provides a connective amenity for the community, supplying aesthetic value and ecological continuity at some of its most important natural areas. Its valued role as a functional and recreational part of the Town environment may be further understood by considering three types of greenway corridors: Stream Corridors, Man-Made Corridors and Connector Trails.
Stream Corridors
Stream Corridors are the primary component of the greenways system. The pattern of the Town’s major streams - Bolin Creek, Booker Creek, Morgan Creek, Little Creek and Dry Creek and the open spaces along these streams and their tributaries create the basic structure for the Town’s open space and greenway system.
Stream Corridors are composed of land directly adjacent to the Town’s perennial streams, including both flood plain land and high ground. These linear open spaces may provide trail linkages to generators of pedestrian or recreational activity, such as parks, schools, shopping areas and residential communities. Some Stream Corridors, however, do not include trails and function simply as wildlife corridors and buffers.
The majority of the land within the Town’s jurisdiction falls roughly equally within the drainage basins, or watersheds, of three primary streams: Bolin Creek, Booker Creek, and Morgan Creek. Dry Creek, in the northeast corner of Chapel Hill, has a fairly small drainage area within the Town limits, and is part of the New Hope Creek watershed. A fifth perennial stream, Little Creek, located in the eastern portion of Town, is created by the confluence of Bolin and Booker Creeks.
Stream Corridors in Chapel Hill vary in width according to the topography of the area, the amount of existing development adjacent to the corridor, the existence of significant biological areas, and patterns of property ownership. Stream Corridors generally straddle the centerline of a stream, although greenway lands are sometimes acquired to include larger parcels of general recreational land and undeveloped land. Some portions of Stream Corridors have already been developed. A large amount of development preceded the enactment of the Town’s Resource Conservation District. The planning of these corridors for greenway purposes must take this encroachment into account.
Protection of greenways within the Town’s stream watersheds is enhanced by a variety of natural factors. The inherent characteristics of the land immediately surrounding streams such as weak and poorly-drained soils, high water table and steep slopes are often limiting to development. Because of these characteristics Stream Corridors, to a large degree, have been left in their natural condition. Within the width of a corridor itself, there is often a variety of land conditions, including dry terraces which sometimes allows for the construction of recreational trails. A diverse combination of alluvial flats, drier floodplains, gradual slopes, steep channels, typical common vegetation, regionally rare plant communities, and fine remnant stands of bottomland forest, enrich these corridors, providing habitat for wildlife and a diverse visual amenity for the community.
Man-Made Corridors are greenways which follow man-made features and are identified primarily to provide trails. These corridors typically follow linear elements of the roadway or utility infrastructure or they may follow corridors created by patterns of land development.
Man-Made Corridors can make important connections throughout the system by taking advantage of abandoned rail corridors and highway rights-of way. In addition to linear trails, Man-Made Corridors are sometimes created in conjunction with land development projects, often becoming part of the community open space network.
The Man-Made Corridors, currently possible in Chapel Hill, such as the Rail Trail and the North Trail may become the most significant recreational trails in the Town greenway system in terms of their length. Occurring at the periphery of the Town limits, these corridors also present excellent opportunities to link the Chapel Hill greenway system with neighboring open space programs and regional trails.
Connector Trails
Connector Trails are short segments of greenways which
provide important connections among the Stream and Man-Made Corridors of Chapel
Hill’s greenway system. They increase the general accessibility of the Town’s
greenway system and provide other valuable community linkages. Connector
Trails offer unique opportunities to link greenway corridors with recreational
areas and other destination points, such as schools or shopping areas. They
may also serve to connect one greenway corridor with another, linking separate
greenway segments to help form an integrated system. Good examples of
Connector Trails are the existing Cedar Falls Trail and the proposed Old Field
Trail, both located in the northeast portion of Chapel Hill. (See Figure 3).
In many situations, Connector Trails may lie on private property within neighborhoods and residential subdivisions. In these cases, the Connectors may be developed by homeowner associations or may simply become trails by frequent use. Occasionally, Connector Trails may be built and maintained by the Town. Examples of these include the trail connecting Pritchard Park and the Chapel Hill Library with Franklin Street and the trail at Farrell Street connecting Ephesus Park with the Colony Woods subdivision.
Connector Trails located along minor tributaries may provide useful natural and recreational links within the community. Connector Trails may also function as complementary systems to the primary greenway corridors by joining the planned open space network with the Town’s sidewalk and bicycle path system. By incorporating neighborhood-to-park connectors and neighborhood-to-school connectors utilizing all the Town’s possible pedestrian transportation options, the greenway system can be expanded to serve a greater number of Town citizens.
The
intent of greenway trail construction is to preserve, yet make accessible, make open space available
without damaging the qualities of the natural environment that are most
valued and appreciated. Trail surfacing should be selected to support
projected intensities of use and to enable multiple uses. Surfacing should
also take into account site topography, surface drainage, frequency of
flooding, construction cost and maintenance concerns.
The greenway system can provide a variety of trail types from essentially unimproved to very tightly specified and engineered multiple-use trails. Trails can range from primitive woodland paths designed for low intensity pedestrian travel to paved bike paths designed for bicycle and wheelchair use.
In the following section, “Strategic Planning,” specific recommendations for the planning and design of greenway corridors are presented. Each greenway segment discussed in the Strategic Planning section is referenced to a specific trail classification. The hierarchy of proposed greenway improvements and trail classifications are found in Part 7, “Design Standards & Guidelines”, page -------.
Existing Greenway Trails
Existing
Land Suitable for Trails and Trails
Early in the
greenway program’s history, the Town had few practical options in its trail
development schedule due to the lack of land. The Town's first trail
project, the Cedar Falls Trail, was built as part of the construction of Cedar Falls Park. In the mid-to-late 1980’s, Battle Branch and Tanyard Branch, were
selected because most of the required land was already under Town control and
the projects were relatively inexpensive. Subsequent projects such as the Phase
I of the Bolin Creek and Booker Creek greenways have had
the advantage of more strategic planning, a longer land acquisition history,
and eligibility for significant funding by State programs.
The Town is
currently in the planning and design stages for several major greenway segments. Conceptual Plans for the Dry Creek
corridor received approval by the Council in June 1997, and in September 1997,
the Council adopted the Conceptual Plan for the Upper Booker Creek greenway.
Conceptual Plans for Phase II of the Lower Booker Creek greenway is scheduled
to begin in September 1998.
The Town is
also currently working with the private development community in negotiating
the construction of two significant trails. These are the Fan Branch greenway,
a portion of which is already constructed as part of the development of the
Southern Village community and the Meadowmont Trail, in preliminary planning
stages, which would be constructed by the developers of the Meadowmont project.
Through a
variety of means, the Town has acquired significant land holdings and easements
along many identified greenway corridors. The Existing Land and Trails Map,
Figure --------, represents an inventory of all major parcels of Town-owned
land associated with Chapel Hill’s greenway corridors. Also depicted are most
of the Town’s parks.
The parcels of
land which currently make up the greenway system, are somewhat scattered although
land acquisition efforts have resulted in significant gains in open space since
2000. The bulk of the land already acquired lies in the Bolin Creek and
Booker Creek watersheds.
Bolin Creek
Much of the property needed to create a continuous, unbroken stream corridor along Bolin Creek from Umstead Park to the Community Center Park has been acquired. Two of the major tributaries available for greenway development, Tanyard Branch and Battle Branch, have been improved with natural surface trails.
Booker Creek
The Town
controls about 75% all of the land proposed for trails along the Booker
Creek corridor, including all the property required to develop the Upper
Booker Creek greenway segment and roughly half of the Lower Booker Creek
corridor. Acquisition of land and easements is needed along the middle
segments of the Booker Creek corridor to help assure its preservation as an
open space greenway.
Morgan Creek
The Town controls about one-half most of the
land along the Morgan Creek corridor from the Merritt Pasture to the Chapel
Hill-Carrboro boundary. Insignificant amounts of Some land have
has been acquired along the tributaries of Morgan Creek. The lower
segments of Morgan Creek are subject to restrictions on property development
within the 5-mile radius of Jordan Lake by the Division of Water Quality.
Also, Town RCD restrictions apply to lands that must comply with overlay zoning
restrictions. Additional protection for the lower segments of Morgan Creek is provided by the NC Botanical Garden, 100-year flood (FEMA) regulations, and
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers property and easement regulations.
Existing Greenway Trails
Currently, the system Town has seven existing greenway trails, totaling approximately 5.4
7 miles.
•
Dedicated Completed in1989.
• Located on UNC campus next to Forest Theater within the Bolin Creek corridor. One of the longest protected natural areas in Chapel Hill, the University has maintained this site as an undeveloped park since the late-1800’s. It is an isolated upland forest of approximately 60 acres, recognized in the 1988, “Inventory of the Natural Areas and Wildlife Habitats of Orange County, North Carolina”.
• Battle Branch is a combination of half University-owned land and half Town-owned land. Included are the Town-owned Emily Braswell Perry Park and Greendale Park.
• Trail development is a combination of University controlled footpaths and Town-maintained trails, 1.5 miles long. The Battle Branch Trail is an unpaved Class 3 greenway with some boardwalk sections and a paved sidewalk connection.
• Connects the Community Center Park, the future Phase II of the Bolin Creek Trail, and the UNC campus.
Bolin Creek - Phase I
•
Dedicated Phase I completed in 1993, Phase
II completed in 1998
•
Ten-foot wide, paved
woodland and meadow trail with few steep slopes, .8 1.5 miles long.
Designed for multi-use, pedestrian and bicycle traffic as a Class 6 greenway.
• Connects Airport Road with Elizabeth Street and Community Center Park.
• Fourteen acres of adjacent bottomland with steep slopes at the edge offer additional buffering and passive recreation opportunities.
Bolin
Creek - Phase II
•
Ten-foot wide,
paved woodland and meadow trail with few steep slopes, .8 miles long. Designed
for multi-use, pedestrian and bicycle traffic as a Class 6 greenway.
•
Connects with
Bolin Creek Trail Phase I near Elizabeth Street with the Community Center Park.
•
Construction
is anticipated for completion in July 1998.
•
Completed
in1979.
•
Unpaved, Class
3 woodland trail with some steep slopes within the 51-acre Cedar Falls Park. Approximately 1.2 miles in length.
•
Cedar Falls
Trail joins with the park’s internal network of minor unpaved paths including
the .6 mile long Jo Peeler Nature Trail.
•
Trail spurs
connect the main trail loop with Lake Forest and Cedar Falls neighborhoods,
providing access to East Chapel Hill High School.
• Phase I Completed in 2001
• Natural surface trail from San Juan Road to Perry Creek Road.
•
Phase I Completed in 1996 2000.
•
Paved Class 6
woodland trail with few steep slopes, .6 1.2 miles long, along Wilson Creek and Fan Branch, both tributaries of Morgan Creek.
• Connects Southern Community Park with Culbreth Road.
•
Additional
phases will connect with future Southern Community Park.
•
As of July
1998, the Town had not yet taken possession.
Lower Booker
Creek - Phase
I
• Phase I completed 1991, Phase II completed in 2002.
•
Ten-foot wide paved
concrete Class 6 trail, approximately 300 feet .85 miles long
with a bridge crossing of Booker Creek.
•
Connects Franklin Street to Daley Road and Tadley Drive.
Connects Franklin Street, Daley Road, Tadley Drive, and Booker Creek Road.
Includes pedestrian signalization of Franklin Street to allow safer crossing.
• Paved trail completed in 2004. Natural surface trails anticipated to be completed in 2004.
• Paved Class 6 asphalt trail from west side of High 54 to Rashkis School and Meadowmont Park. Services commercial and residential areas of Meadowmont.
• Natural surface trails to connect to Lancaster Drive and eastern extension of Meadowmont Drive.
• Additional phases will connect with future Southern Community Park.
•
As of July
1998, the Town had not yet taken possession.
•
Dedicated Completed in1986.
• Unpaved, Class 3 woodland trail with some steep slopes within the Bolin Creek corridor. Approximately .4 miles in length.
• Connects Northside neighborhood with Umstead Park.
Existing Park Trails
Currently, the Town has five existing park trails, totaling approximately 4.25 miles.
• Completed in1979.
• Unpaved, Class 3 woodland trail with some steep slopes within the 51-acre Cedar Falls Park. Approximately 1.2 miles in length.
• Cedar Falls Trail joins with the park’s internal network of minor unpaved paths including the .6 mile long Jo Peeler Nature Trail.
• Trail spurs connect the main trail loop with Lake Forest and Cedar Falls neighborhoods, providing access to East Chapel Hill High School.
• Completion date unknown.
• Unpaved, Class 3 woodland trail with some steep slopes within Jones Park. Approximately .25 miles in length.
• Completed 1994
• Unpaved, Class 3 woodland trail with some steep slopes. Approximately .5 miles in length.
• Loop trail completed 2003. Work continues.
• Unpaved, Class 3 woodland loop trail within Pritchard Park. Approximately 1 mile in length.
• Loop trail completed 1997
• Unpaved, Class 3 woodland loop trail within Southern Community Park site. Approximately 1 mile in length.
• This trail will likely be partially replaced with a paved facility upon construction of the park anticipated for 2006.