AGENDA #5

MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

FROM:            Greenways Commission, Joe Herzenberg, Chair

SUBJECT:       Greenways Commission Agenda for Meeting with the Town Council

DATE:             February 14, 2001

The Commission thanks the Council for presenting us an opportunity to discuss our work including major issues facing the program in 2001 and future years. This evening we hope to touch on the following issues:

·        Funding issues

·        Potential use of OWASA lands

·        Cooperation with UNC (particularly in regards to the Horace Williams tract)

·        Maintenance and staffing

·        Proposed awards program.

·        Development of temporary trails on the newly acquired Dry Creek property

Several of these topics are addressed in the attached Report, which is in response to questions raised at our 2000 meeting.

ATTACHMENTS

1.  Response to Questions (p. 2).

ATTACHMENT 1

MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

FROM:            Greenways Commission

                        Joe Herzenberg, Chair

SUBJECT:       Response to Questions: Use of Utility Corridors, Use of OWASA lands, and Methods to Achieve Greenways Master Plan

DATE:             February 14, 2001

On February 16, 2000, the Commission met with the Council and discussed the status of the greenways program. The Council asked the Commission to look at three issues:

·        Methods to achieve the recommendations listed in the Greenways Master Plan, including concerns related to funding

·        The potential use of utility easements for trails

·        The potential use of OWASA lands for greenways easements

COMPLETING THE GREENWAYS MASTER PLAN

In regard to the question of how best to achieve the goals of the master plan the Commission agreed that the best approach would be to determine a reasonable ten-year plan. We will show what could be accomplished under four scenarios:

Ø      At current funding levels, which are approximately $90,000 per year

Ø      Increase by 50% or $45,000 to approximately $120,000 per year

Ø      Increase by 100% or $90,000 to approximately $180,000 per year

Ø      Large block of funding such as a bond ($1,000,000 – 5,000,000)

The first step would be to determine the overall cost of the entire program. A chart showing the approximate costs of completing the master plan is found below. The next step would be to prioritize the list to fit some acceptable short-range plan (10 years in this case). High priority projects that totaling just under $5,000,000 are indicated in the chart with a ×symbol.

PROBLEMS IN ESTIMATING THE COST OF COMPLETING THE MASTER PLAN

The Greenways Comprehensive Master Plan did not include cost estimates because of the inherent level of error that is almost unavoidable in assigning costs without the benefit of detailed planning. The cost estimates in this report have only limited value in predicting future costs and will almost certainly prove to be significantly inaccurate as projects go to bid.

Following are some of the factors that limit the accuracy of long range cost estimates for trail construction:

Ø      Estimates are based on prior experience not on actual conceptual plan or engineering studies. For this reason alone all cost estimates are highly suspect.

Ø      Costs are in year 2000 dollars. There is no inflation factor.

Ø      Land values are not included.

Ø      Some sections of trail might be built by developers at no cost to the Town.

Ø      Changes in land use regulations could impact the costs.

TEN-YEAR PLANS

We have provided general guidelines for the Council to consider. Accomplishments for any particular 10-year plan would depend greatly upon which project is selected as well as the year it is bid. For example, the section of the proposed Bolin Creek Trail between Umstead Park and Airport Road will cost a great deal more than a similar length of trail along I-40. Also, a trail built in 2001 will likely cost less than the same trail built in 2010.

A Note on Staffing: We believe that any increase in the overall number of Parks and Recreation planning and/or construction projects would require an increase in Town staff. Currently the Town staff cannot undertake an increase in the number of new planning or construction projects without endangering the quality of work performed on active projects. At present staffing levels we believe that new projects should be added to the staff work schedule only as older projects are completed.

OPTION #1 - CURRENT FUNDING LEVELS

Current Funding Levels (without grants): If the Town maintains current funding levels and if the Town is not successful in securing grants we would expect to complete 1 large or 2 medium sized projects and numerous smaller projects. Examples of a large project might be one mile of paved trail. Medium size projects could be such improvements as a new bridge, trail renovation projects, and as many miles of natural surface trail as we have land.

Current Funding Levels (with grants): We could continue to build major trail segments if the Town is successful in securing a major grant(s). From 1990-2000 we secured 4 major construction grants including funds for both phases of the Bolin Creek Trail (completed), Lower Booker Creek Trail (under construction), and the Booker Creek Linear Park (pending). We used a combination of bond funds, CIP, and payment-in-lieu funds to provide local matching funds for these projects. In addition to funding major projects partially through grants we might be able to complete a number of smaller projects and as many miles of natural surface trail as we have land.

OPTION #2 - INCREASE FUNDING TO APPROXIMATELY $120,000 PER YEAR

50% Increase in Funding (without grants): If the Town increases current funding levels by 50% and if the Town is not successful in securing grants we would expect to complete 1 or 2 large projects over the next 10 years that might total as much as 1-3 miles of paved trail and numerous smaller projects. Examples of smaller projects might be bridges, renovation projects, and as many miles of natural surface trail as we have land.

50% Increase in Funding (with grants): The increase would provide additional local matching funds for prospective grants. In addition to funding major projects partially through grants we might be able to complete additional smaller projects and as many miles of natural surface trail as we have land.

OPTION #3 - INCREASE FUNDING TO APPROXIMATELY $180,000 PER YEAR

100% Increase in Funding (without grants): Over a ten year period this amount of money without grants would likely allow us to construct 3-4 major projects that could total 3-5 miles paved trail and numerous smaller projects.

100% Increase in Funding (with grants): The increase would provide additional local matching funds for prospective grants. In addition to funding major projects partially through grants we might be able to complete additional smaller projects and as many miles of natural surface trail as we have land.

OPTION #4 - LARGE BLOCK OF FUNDING SUCH AS A BOND

A secure block of funding in the $1,000,000 – 5,000,000 range would allow us to finish a number of large projects including some of the technically more challenging projects in the master plan. Projects that might be considered include the Morgan Creek, upper Bolin Creek, upper Booker Creek, North, and Rail trails. Depending on the amount of funding, the year the funding becomes available, and the projects selected we might be able to build up to 10 miles of paved trail.

We have included below a chart, which indicates very rough cost estimates for the projects listed in the Master Greenways Report:

USE OF UTILITY EASEMENTS FOR GREENWAYS PURPOSES

We have investigated the possibility of using several different types of easements and right-of-ways for greenways purposes. Following is a brief summary of what we currently use, plans for the future, and limitations.

OWASA SEWER EASEMENTS

Most of our existing trails are currently located partially within OWASA sewer easements. A good example is the Bolin Creek Trail, which shares a sewer easement for over 3,000 feet. Most of our future trails will likely be at least partially located on OWASA sewer easements.

Advantages to Using Sewer Easements:

Sewer easements have many advantages for use in a growing trail system. They can benefit the trail system in the following ways:

·        Mainly located along the Town’s stream courses where it is easiest to locate trails. Most of our current and planned trails are to be built along streams.

·        Located in floodplain areas not suitable for construction of buildings. These areas often have the least number of residences and have lower per acre costs for acquisition.

·        Often located in areas that are flat. Trail construction is easiest in relatively flat areas.

·        Easements are already cleared of trees. The use of OWASA easements allows trail construction with minimal removal of trees and vegetation.

·        Sewer easements are located in some of the most beautiful areas within the Town. Chapel Hill’s streams provide some of the most scenic areas for trail construction.

Disadvantages to Using Sewer Easements:

There are several potential problem areas related to use of sewer easements:

·        Easements must be acquired. The public has no legal right to travel within sewer easements without an overlying greenway easement.

·        Some of OWASA’s sewer lines are located in areas of difficult topography and are not suitable for trails.

·        Sewer easements can be restrictive due to their sometimes-narrow width.

·        Sewer line maintenance, trail maintenance, and traffic control within jointly used areas can created conflicts.

·        Joint design of sewer and trail facilities can be difficult to coordinate.

Summary:

Sharing OWASA sewer easements represents the greatest opportunity for using utility easements for trail purposes. It is our intent to continue to recommend construction of trails within OWASA easements wherever opportunities allow.

ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION LINES

We currently have only one trail segment (Vilcom site, Northern Trail) under construction within a regional transmission line easement. We believe that several future trails will use portions of transmission line easements.

Advantages to Using Transmission Line Easements:

Transmission lines can offer the following benefits. They are:

·        Easements are usually located in areas not associated with streams. This could allow a more direct route for some trails and a different trail experience from the usual Chapel Hill streamside trail.

·        Provides an additional type of cleared corridor in already urbanized areas.

·        Sometimes wide enough to allow trails to be located in a manner that takes advantage of topography

·        These easements are not suitable for construction of buildings.

·        Easements are already cleared of trees. The use of power easements allows trail construction with minimal removal of trees and vegetation.

Disadvantages to Using Transmission Line Easements:

There are several potential problems related to use of transmission line easements:

·        Easements must be acquired. The public has no legal right to travel within electric transmission easements without overlying greenway easements. Some transmission easements cross numerous private properties within short distances. For example, one transmission line in the Timberlyne area crosses over 20 private lots in less than a mile. Easements would be required from each property owner.

·        Transmission lines are built with little regard for topography. Many of these lines are built in areas so steep and rolling that they are not suitable for paved trails.

·        Power line easements are much wider than sewer easements. Power easements are frequently impassable in the summer months due to growth of dense vegetation. Mowing these easements to keep grass and brush maintained at a reasonable level could be costly.

Summary:

Regional transmission lines represent an opportunity for locating trails in areas other than along streams. Their use may be limited by often severe topography, number of private properties encountered, and maintenance concerns. We should incorporate power easements into trail designs whenever possible. We believe that the proposed North Trail, north of Weaver Dairy Road and south of I-40 could be located at least partially on power easements.

GAS TRANSMISSION LINES

We currently have no trails built or planned to be built within gas transmission easements.  Because of the hazards associated with high-pressure gas transmission lines, utilities do not allow use of these easements, except that trails may cross transmission lines in a perpendicular fashion.

POTENTIAL USE OF OWASA LANDS FOR GREENWAYS

The Town currently uses OWASA easements for trail use as discussed above. However, we have not incorporated larger tracts of OWASA property into the Town’s greenways program. We have looked at OWASA’s inventory of property within the Town limits and investigated two tracts.

We have included some of the advantages and disadvantages that might be experienced if the Town were to obtain some degree of control over the property, whether that control is fee simple ownership, easement, or access agreement. This assumes that OWASA would be willing to relinquish some degree of control of the properties.

Nunn Mountain Site:  The Nunn Mountain site is approximately 26-acres in size and is located north of the North Forest Hills neighborhood, adjacent to the Town’s 10-acre North Forest Hills Park, south of the Timberlyne neighborhood, east of Stateside Drive, and west of Piney Mountain Road. The side slopes are wooded, while the top of the hill is a cleared area. Only a small portion of the site is used for water storage. The storage tanks are served by a narrow access road that is gated.

The site is not on an identified greenway corridor. However, the area currently appears to be well used by neighbors. An informal trail connects the park to the cleared area at the summit of the hill. Informal trails enter the site from the end of Stateside Drive and the access road that connects to Piney Mountain Road. A loop trail follows the edge of the cleared area across the entire top portion of the property.

Advantages to assuming some degree of control over the property

·        The Town could improve the existing trails.

·        The trails could be signed to encourage more people to use the area.

Disadvantages to assuming some degree of control over the property:

·        There appears to be no easy location for additional parking.

·        The Town would become responsible for maintenance of what already is an informal open space area that is currently maintained by OWASA.

·        Increased use of the area could impact nearby residents.

The Commission recommends that at this time the Town take no action as it relates to this site.

Hilltop Site:  This 17-acre site is located south of Hilltop Street and east of Merritt Mill Road. Other than a small clearing around the existing water storage tower the site is totally wooded. A small stream, Pritchard Branch, bisects the property. An informal footpath currently links the ---- neighborhood and the Laurel Ridge apartment complex off of Fordham Boulevard. Only a small portion of the site is used for water storage. The storage tank is served by a narrow access road that is gated.

Advantages to assuming some degree of control over the property

·        The Town could improve the existing trail.

·        The trail could be signed to encourage more people to use the area.

Disadvantages to assuming some degree of control over the property:

·        There appears to be no easy location for additional parking.

·        The Town would become responsible for maintenance of what already is an actively used though informal open space area.

·        Increased use of the area could impact nearby residents.

The Commission recommends that the Town explore the possibility of working with OWASA to provide a neighborhood oriented, nature surface trail through the site. Any proposal would likely require a small amount of parking on OWASA property as well as a greenway easement.