AGENDA #2
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Public Hearing for the Draft 2006 Greenways Comprehensive Master Plan
DATE: November 21, 2005
The purpose of this report is to present the draft 2006 Greenways Comprehensive Master Plan for a Public Hearing and provide the comments of adjacent local governments, aligned organizations, and Town advisory boards including the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, Community Design Commission, Greenways Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Planning Board, and Transportation Board.
The current Greenways Comprehensive Master Plan was originally adopted as a component of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan on May 26, 1998. The 2000 Comprehensive Plan lists it as a component in Appendix A.
On September 8, 2003, the Council authorized the Greenways Commission to hold a series of public forums to solicit comments from the public concerning possible amendments to the Greenways Comprehensive Master Plan.
On June 15, 2005, the Council accepted the draft Greenways Comprehensive Master Plan and referred the document to the Manager, Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, Community Design Commission, Greenways Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Planning Board, and Transportation Board for comments and recommendations.
The current Greenways Comprehensive Master Plan has helped guide greenway acquisition and trail development since its initial adoption in 1998. We believe that it may be beneficial to consider several possible changes.
The Greenways Commission held a series of five Public Forums in 2004 and 2005 to solicit comments and recommendations for changes to the current document. Approximately 60 citizens attended the meetings and provided input. In addition, numerous telephone and e-mail communications were received from citizens who desired to comment but could not attend the meetings. The Commission used the information gathered to develop recommendations for the attached first draft.
The draft 2006 Greenways Comprehensive Master Plan contains the major goals and themes of past documents while addressing specific changes that have occurred since the publication of the 1998 Greenways Comprehensive Master Plan. Some sections have been left unchanged while other sections have been heavily revised to respond to new conditions. The major changes made to the draft 2005 document relate to the changing financial and physical conditions of the Town and its neighboring jurisdictions including:
· New sources of greenways funding, including: Orange County bonds, the 2003 Parks Bond and NCDOT Direct Allocation funds.
· Development of some properties earlier considered for greenway development.
· Town purchase of lands not envisioned in the 1998 Plan, especially in the northeast portion of Town.
· Work of neighboring jurisdictions in developing greenway plans.
· Identification of key road/trail intersections and possible design solutions.
· Acknowledgement that the Bolin Creek and Morgan Creek Trails will likely soon have detailed Concept Plans that will supersede the Comprehensive Master Plan.
· Use of our own GIS capabilities to generate maps for the report.
Recommendations from Town Advisory Boards
Copies of the Greenways Comprehensive Master Plan were presented to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, Community Design Commission, Greenways Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Planning Board, and Transportation Board.
1. The Community Design Commission recommended that the Design Standards and Guidelines chapter be moved toward the front of the document so that the trail width guidelines can be reviewed prior to the chapter dealing with specific trail recommendations. Please see attached copy of the Commission’s recommendations.
Staff Comment: We will make this suggested change in the next version of the Plan.
2. The Transportation Board met on November 15, 2005. Their comments will be distributed prior to the meeting.
3. The Planning Board met on November 15, 2005. Their comments will be distributed prior to the meeting.
Recommendations from Adjacent Local Governments
Copies of the Greenways Comprehensive Master Plan were sent to Orange County, Durham County, Town of Carrboro, City of Durham, Chapel Hill/Carrboro City Schools, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Orange Water and Sewer Authority.
Comment: The Greenways Comprehensive Master Plan mentions this possibility on pages 31 and 72. Any expansion of the trail as an improved greenway into Carrboro would likely be done as a part of Bolin Creek Trail, Phase III project. We believe that the Plan sufficiently covers the need to discuss options for expansion of the Tanyard Branch Trail to the Town of Carrboro. However, we believe the report should note that Carrboro refers to the neighborhood in that area as the Lloyd-Broad neighborhood. In addition, we will be in close communications with Carrboro as part of the Bolin Creek Trail design process, once preliminary site data is available.
Comment: See page 51 of the Master Plan. Language in the Greenways Comprehensive Master Plan does not currently address the trail discussed by the Town of Carrboro. Maps show the trail as a Future Natural Surface Trail. We agree that a paved trail connection to Smith Level Road would better serve the neighborhood and future high school. However, the portion of the trail within Southern Village cannot be paved due to restrictions in the development’s Special Use Permit. We propose to add language to the document that better describes the area of Carrboro’s concern and change the portion of the proposed trail outside of Southern Village from a Future Natural Surface Trail to a Future Paved Greenway.
In addition we will revise the chart on page 71 to reflect the need to provide for safe pedestrian and bicycle crossing of the road.
Comment: We have worked with the Orange Water and Sewer Authority on many trail projects and appreciate the cooperation we have experienced from the agency. We will continue to work closely with OWASA staff on any future project that has the potential for impacting their facilities or easements.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board’s Recommendation: The Board voted (8-0) to recommend that the Council adopt the Greenways Comprehensive Master Plan. Please see the attached copy of the Board’s recommendation.
Greenways Commission’s Recommendation: The Commission voted (6-0) to recommend that the Council adopt the Greenways Comprehensive Master Plan. Please see the attached copy of the Commission’s recommendation.
Parks and Recreation Commission’s Recommendation: The Commission voted (6-0) to recommend that the Council adopt the Greenways Comprehensive Master Plan. Please see the attached copy of the Commission’s recommendation.
Planning Board’s Recommendation: The Planning Board was scheduled to review the Greenways Comprehensive Master Plan on November 15. We will distribute their recommendations to the Council prior to the Council’s meeting.
Transportation Board’s Recommendation: The Transportation Board was scheduled to review the Greenways Comprehensive Master Plan on November 15. We will distribute their recommendations to the Council prior to the Council’s meeting.
Manager’s Recommendation: That the Council adopt the attached resolution, which would recess the Public Hearing until January 9, 2006.