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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 10-13-2009 - 2ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WORKSESSION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: October 13, 2009 Action Agenda Item No. o~ SUBJECT: NC Mountains-to-Sea Trail -Orange County Segment DEPARTMENTS: ERCD ATTACHMENTS: PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No 1. Key Questions and Decision Points INFORMATION CONTACT: 2. Statewide MST Corridor Map David Stancil, 245-2590 3. Eastern Piedmont MST Corridor Map Rich Shaw, 245-2591 4. Planned Orange County MST Map 5. Sample Resolution 6. Dixon Letter (Friends of MST) PURPOSE: To consider the proposed route for the NC Mountains-to-Sea Trail through Orange County and provide direction to staff on planning and prioritization of this corridor. BACKGROUND: The North Carolina Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) is a planned 1,000 mile trail that will traverse the state from the Great Smoky Mountains in western North Carolina to the Outer Banks on the Atlantic coast. In 2000 the NC General Assembly authorized the MST as part of the North Carolina Parks System (Attachment 2). More than 500 miles of the MST has been constructed thus far, and with temporary connectors on back roads and bike trails, people can already hike across the entire state. Most of the existing MST is in western and eastern NC, constructed largely by volunteers on federally-owned lands in cooperation with state and local governments. Developing the trail through the more populated Piedmont section of the state, however, will require special consideration, more-complicated planning, and a boost of state funds. From 2005-2007 the Division of State Parks (NC DENR) held stakeholder meetings to identify a preferred route through Alamance, Orange and Durham counties. Orange County staff .(ERCD, Parks & Recreation, and Planning) participated in those meetings along with land trusts and other groups from across the Piedmont. The preferred trail route through the "Eastern Piedmont" was identified by State Parks in 2007 as a result of those stakeholder meetings (Attachment 3). In Orange County the planned MST corridor starts at the Haw River in the far southeast corner, follows Cane Creek northeast through the OWASA Reservoir lands, and cuts overland through the Seven Mile Creek Preserve to Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area. From Occoneechee Mountain the trail follows the Eno River along Hillsborough's Riverwalk and through Eno River State Park into Durham County (Attachment 4). The adjoining counties (Alamance and Durham) have already endorsed the State's planned MST trail corridor and are working .with the State Trails Program, Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, and other partners to acquire land (and trail easements) and 2 construct the trail. Alamance County is constructing two miles of trail per year. Durham County is working with Wake County and others to complete 46 miles of trail around Falls Lake. The Town of Hillsborough has also endorsed the MST route through its jurisdiction. While Orange County has discussed the trail corridor on a number of occasions, the County has not yet endorsed the State's planned MST trail route. The Orange County segment of the trail is one of the more complex links in the system. It includes one of the few stretches of trail that must cross overland from one major river basin to another without the benefit of natural features and publicly-owned land. Staff has identified the following decision points for Board discussion and feedback: 1) Is the Board ready to endorse the general alignment of the planned MST corridor through Orange County? (If so, staff would suggest several steps to validate this action in existing plans and programs.) 2) How should the County coordinate with OWASA on the MST trail alignment? 3) Can Staff collaborate with the Town of Hillsborough to identify the MST trail linkages to both ends of the Town's Riverwalk? 4) How aggressively should ERCD prioritize MST land acquisition through the Lands Legacy program? 5) Does the Board agree with focusing initial efforts in the vicinity of the County's Seven Mile Creek Preserve? Background information for the Board to consider each of these decision points is provided as Attachment 1. This includes information on the MST support mechanisms, operation and maintenance of the trail, and follow-up items that would be brought back for subsequent Board action. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no impact associated with this item. Several follow-up actions, if pursued, would have financial implications. The approved FY 2009-2019 CIP includes $1.26 million from FY 2013-2016 for Lands Legacy/MST. If the planned NC Mountains-to-Sea Trail were constructed through Orange County, the costs of developing and maintaining a trail would likely be shared among various public and private landowners (including Orange County), along with volunteer assistance coordinated by Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. Likely partners include the Town of Hillsborough, Eno River State Park, Preservation North Carolina, Orange Water and Sewer Authority, and others. State grant funds for land acquisition and trail construction is designated a top priority for the NC Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF), with additional funding from the State Recreational Trail Grant Program, and (only recently) the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund also possible. RECOMMENDATION: The Manager recommends that the Board receive the staff report and provide feedback and direction to staff for bringing action steps back to the Board at a future meeting. No formal action is requested at this time. 0 Attachment 1 iVC Mountains-to-Sea Trail Corridor through Orange County Key Questions and Decision Points Background The North Carolina Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) is a planned 1,000-mile trail that will traverse the state from the Great Srnoky Mountains in western North Carolina to the Outer Banks on the Atlantic coast (Attachment 2). The MST trail corridor has been defined in the eastern and western parts of the state for some time now, but the route through the more- populous eastern Piedmont had not been identified until recent years. In 2007, the State Parks office approved a proposed corridor for the "Eastern Piedmont" section of the MST as shown on the map (Attachment 3). The primary trail route would connect Haw River State Park north of Greensboro to Falls Lake in Wake County. In Alamance County the trail would follow the Haw River to the Alamance/Orange county line. The trail would then turn northeast along Cane Creek through OWASA-owned land at Cane Creek Reservoir, and then continue northeast through the County's Seven Mile Creek Preserve to Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area. From Occoneechee Mountain the trail would follow the Eno River along Hillsborough's Riverwalk and through Eno River State Park into Durham County. The general route for the MST corridor through Orange County is shown on Attachment 4: The proposed MST from Hillsborough east is largely through public lands and private conservation lands along the Eno River. Eno River State Park has already identified a specific MST route through the park. West and south of Hillsborough, however, the specific trail route is uncertain and complicated by the fact that more land is in private ownership. It is important to point out that all MST trail segments are considered "planned" or "proposed" routes until the trail is already constructed and formally designated part of the State Trail system. A government agency must submit a formal application for designation. Alamance County had one section of trail designated MST in 2008 and another section that is pending. Although discussed in previous years, Orange County has not yet endorsed the State's planned MST trail route through the county. Toward that end, Staff has identified the following decision points for Board discussion and feedback: 1) Is the Board ready to endorse the general alignment of the planned MST corridor through Orange County? The State's preferred route was identified in 2007 following atwo-year stakeholder process that included involving Orange County staff, OWASA staff, land trusts, Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, and the staff from neighboring jurisdictions. The two points where the MST would enter Orange County from its western and eastern boundaries have been endorsed by the neighboring jurisdictions. Durham County approved the route as part of its City-County Greenways Plan adopted in 2001. Alamance County approved of the route in 2006 as part of its adoption of the i 0 Haw River Trail. Both counties are now working with the NC Division of Parks and Recreation, Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and other partners to establish the trail in those jurisdictions. Alamance County received a 2008 grant from the NC Parks and Recreation Trust Fund to acquire MST trail segments, and has been acquiring land and trail easements on private land at the rate of two miles per year. Durham County signed a memorandum of agreement with other partners in 2006 to complete the Falls Lake portion of the trail (46 miles). The Town of Hillsborough adopted a resolution in 2005 recommending that the selected route of the MST incorporate the Hillsborough Riverwalk from downtown Hillsborough to Occoneechee Mountain. Phase 1 of the trail was completed with the recent opening of Gold Park and Phase II is now underway with land acquisition for the rest of the trail completed earlier this year. Other jurisdictions have adopted resolutions to endorse or adopt the MST corridor and an example is provided here, for the Board's consideration for action at a future meeting (Attachment 5}. If the Board approves the general MST trail corridor, Staff will incorporate the planned trail in the Orange County Comprehensive Plan, the existing Parks and Recreation Master Plan, and include it in an update to the County's parks master plan envisioned for 2010-2011. This action will enable the reservation or acquisition of trail corridor as future development occurs and as conservation opportunities arise along the planned MST route. 2) How should the County coordinate with OWASA on the MST trail alignment? The proposed MST trail would pass through lands owned and managed by Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA). OWASA staff participated in the stakeholder meetings held by State Parks in 2005-2007 to identify the best trail corridor. Since then ERCD has met twice with the OWASA staff to discuss the proposed route. OWASA staff prefers to wait until the BOCC has given its preliminary approval of the proposed trail route before taking it to the OWASA board for consideration and approval. If the Board indicates its endorsement and takes subsequent action to this effect, staff could convey this to OWASA via a letter from the Chair. 3) May Staff collaborate with the Town of Hillsborough on identifying the MST trail link to the Town's Riverwalk? Hillsborough staff also participated in the stakeholder meetings held by the NC Division of Parks and Recreation to identify the best trail corridor. The Town adopted a resolution in 2005 recommending that the MST incorporate the Eno Riverwalk from downtown Hillsborough to Occoneechee Mountain. Since then, ERCD has participated in two informal meetings with Town staff and the Eno River Association to discuss the potential extension of the Riverwalk, including a proposed "Phase III" of the Riverwalk into the Town's extraterritorial jurisdiction. If the Board concurs, ERCD could work with the Town and others to identify potential trail routes to expand the Riverwalk west to connect Occoneechee Mountain with the 2 0 Seven Mile Creek Preserve and east to connect the County's River Park with Eno River State Park. 4) How aggressively should ERCD prioritize MST land acquisition through the Lands Legacy program? ERCD is prepared to include MST corridor planning and acquisition in the 2010-12 Lands Legacy Action Plan, as has been the case in previous two-year plans, but guidance from the Board would be useful in determining how to prioritize this project among the other Lands Legacy projects. State grant funds for land acquisition and trail construction is available from the NC Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (the MST is now a top priority for PARTF grants), the State Recreational Trail Grant Program, and the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund. State Parks staff has indicated State funds for land acquisition will be earmarked for Orange Coun~,r (once the state budget situation improves) as part of the State's interest in "jumpstarting" the MST in the Eastern Piedmont section. The adopted CIP allocates $1.26 million for land acquisition for Lands Legacy/ Mountains-to-Sea Trail, beginning in 2013-14 and continuing to 2016-17. There is also $2.8 million remaining from the voter-approved 2001 Parks and Open Space bond (Lands Legacy portion) that is or will be available for acquisition of public accessible parks and open space lands. At this point Board direction on whether to consider this a high, medium or low priority will be useful as staff is developing the draft 2010-2012 Lands Legacy Action Plan. A lisfing of other priorities that have been identified to date is available at the Board's places. This draft plan is slated to come to the Board in early 2010, after receiving comments and thoughts from advisory boards. State grant funds are available for acquisition and construction of the MST, but the long- term operation and management of trail segments is a local responsibility. Although large portions of the MST through Orange County will be in Eno River State Park and the Hillsborough Riverwallc, most of the future trail would need to be operated and maintained by Orange County and/or partner entities. The Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (FMST) is anon-profit organization whose mission is to bring together communities and volunteers to build the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, a simple footpath connecting the state's natural treasures for the enjoyment and education of people. According to Kate Dixon, Executive Director for the FMST, volunteers now maintain over 480 miles of existing trail. ERCD has met with Kate Dixon to learn how the FMST could assist Orange County in the construction and maintenance of the MST using a systematic approach used across the state. See the letter from Kate Dixon provided as Attachment 6. 0 5) Does the Board agree with focusing initial efForts in the vicinity of the County's Seven Mile Creek Preserve? If the Board sees the MST as a priority, staff feels that the Seven Mile Creek Preserve may be a fitting place to start. Focusing initial attention on the MST segment in the Seven Mile Creek portion of the Upper Eno Watershed is suggested for several reasons: a) The County already owns nearly 300 acres for the Seven Mile Creek Preserve, and the planned MST corridor would travel through that property. b) ERCD is in contact with four landowners who are interested in selling or donating land for the Preserve. Three are key properties adjacent to County- owned land, and one of these priorities has been negotiated and is planned for the October 20 Board agenda. c) State funds for land acquisition are likely to be earmarked for Orange County once the state budget situation improves. State Parks staff has indicated a preference for the Seven Mile Creek area because the County has already acquired land in that area and is within reach of other public lands. d) As noted in the budget service reduction materials from last spring, while a lull in park master planning is anticipated during 2009-10, staff did anticipate the need to begin at least internal efforts toward developing a master plan for Seven Mile Creek Preserve, which would identify recommended future boundaries, access points, recreation sites, natural and historical points of interest, and the future MST corridor. Finally, as has been noted in previous Lands Legacy Action Plans, the Seven Mile Creek Preserve, when viewed in the larger context of preservation in the Neuse (Falls Lake) basin, offers an opportunity as a gateway for linking conservation areas to the north, potentially expanding the formal conservation of land northward along the Eno River to include several existing permanent conservation "nodes." ERCD staff will be available to answer questions and to provide additional information about these issues at the October 13 work session. 4 1Nester~ Moon#an Central f legion Rec r r ~~ Wit,. t ,r ~ ~ ~ _t ~ ~ . . ~ C~ t .. .,~=~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ Dorrre ~ ~ * ~ -~ ~ -~~~ ~.." 1 l f L~. 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L • t. r '` • 1 ~ ., , s r' l ~ r ` } {,k ! >, , ' ~, ~) ;. i !. ~ 1 ~' i' J•{t + ~/1 SY ~~ct~'•r•.~ ~ ~ } ~ ~ Ll '~ nr ~ t i~ J t ; '-;1 i t S '~,~.: ~ h ~• ~- ~ . O~IAS tit, ~ ~ ~~ '~'~~i r '~~ J `~ ~~ ~ r:'~ '``' .}.~ ~JL ..i t. ./, ri ;;, r J ~ _~~.,~ .. + ~. ..% .. r .- w , ,... ,^ 51. ~ Mountains To Sea Trail r ~ ~ ~ _ ' • e - ' ~'~ • Eastern Piedmont Section = ~ '--r"''~V >••', ~ ~~ Central MST Planning Region -- _ . , .. '. From Lake Townsend to Falls Lake Dam Proposed MST Route: 'r` Eastern Piedtrwnt Section - 1, . Mountains io Sea Existing Tral County Central MST Planning Region _ - `. ,..; ' ~ Mountains to Sea Primary Route Q Municipality The following proposed routes will provide an outstanding regional trait system with loop-trail options- Mountains to Sea Aitematrve Route ~ Water Body for the Eastern P'iedrrorrt inBial Undesignated r,r~+. Streams/Creeks primary Route: From Lake Townsend to Haw River ' ~''~ MST Route State ParIK down the Haw River through portions of -.-r- Abandoned RR Rockingham and Guilford Counties and much of ~ Park f~sR-" Pubricty Owned Land Alamanca GouMy; up Cane Creek in Orange County to --i--t Rajl~oad and through Hitlsborough; along the Fso River through Open Space Orange and Durham Counties; and abng Falls Lake e through Durham and Wake Counties ----- ANemative Routes: 7) Lake Towr>rend to the Haw River, {= ~~ ~ NE Guilford Park to Lake Mackintosh and the Haw -" 5 25 0 5 River, ~ Town of Haw River to Hillsborough; 4) down rr the Haw River to .brdan Lake and then north to the Eno '~~ Rivervia the New Hope Creek or the American Tobacco - ~" Trail. t -- ... {.) .,~._ Proposed NC Mour~~airts-~to-lea Trail '~' T~~~~ y NC Mountains-to-Sea Trail s r-~;y t~:..~~t Primary route Alternative route Proposed roadside alternative route Eno River State Park Orange County parkland & open space ~ _ ~ pWASA conservation lands Lakes & reservoirs Major Streams . ;- ! Towns Streets 0 os ~ ~ ~ t z rta~ t ~ t Orange County ERCD 10/5/2009 10 ,~?-r~-r-x~ c FF~~t ~ ~ -- S`. RESC)LUTIUN SUPP4RTiNG Ti-IE MC>UNTAINS-TO-SEA TRAIL IN GUILIFC-ItD COUNTY, NC A motion was made by Board of Commissioners member ~..- ytt~t.a ~1'ui.~,~3 and seconded by Board Member _ ~~ ~p..~ ~.i ors for the adoption of the following xesolutian,'vohich upon being put to a vote was duly adopted. WHEREAS, the Mountains-to-Sea Trail is planned to provide a major cross-state transportation, recreation and tourism resource for all North Carolinians; AND WHEREAS, the Trail is planned to cover nearly 1,000 miles of the State, when all spurs and connectors axe included; AND WHEREAS, the Trail will highlight a~wide variety of historic and natural resources across the State and . within Guilford County; AND WHEREAS, the Trail would cozztribute towards improved quality of life and provide economic benefits from the associated Yecxeatian and tourism; AND WHEREAS, the Trail is a recommended project fxom the Greensboro Area Metropolitan Planning Organization's adopted Bicycle, Pedestrian &Greenway Master Plan; AND WHEREAS, creation and maintenance of the Trail is a joint venture among the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, the Piedmont Land Conservancy, the Greensboro Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, the Piedmont Triad Council of Governments, Guilford Cvunty, and the City of Greensboro; AND WHEREAS, Guilford County already has over 20 miles of trail in the Watershed Packs Trails System designated as part o£ the Mountains-ta-Sea Trail and maintained by the City of Greensboro Parks and Recreation Department; AND WI-IEREAS, the proposed and existing segments of the Trail. in Guilford County include the Piedmont Greenway, the Atlantic & Yadkin rail-trail, connector trails along the Mears Foxk and Long Branch from Summexfield and tlxe watershed lal~e trails to the I Iaw River State Park, the Haw River Trail, and a trail along Reedy Fork in eastern Guilford County; ~ . Nt)W, THEREFORE, be it resolved that the Guilford County Berard of County Coznxnissioners endorses the Mountains-to-Sea Trail plan, with its primary and alternate trail routes, as delineat:.d an the attached map, on this, the 1.8~ day of September, 2008. `~ • V V ~ yam- .-~.-. DATE Kixk erkins, Chairman Guilfoxd County Board of County Conunissioz~ers R-~~'~$ ~ DATE WITNES ii Attachment 6 (o~ r -y~ f ,/: ~rzenc~s of~yyth~ yp~y ygy~ September 9, 2009 TO: Dave Stanch and Rich Shaw Orange County Environment & Resource Conservation Department FROM: Kate Dixon Executive Director 919-698-9024; kdixon@ncrost.org RE: Volunteer Assistance with Construction and Maintenance of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST Thank you fox your interest in North Carolina's Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST). More than half of the 1000-mile trail is now complete in other parts of the state, and FMST members and volunteers axe eager to help build and maintain Orange County's section of the trail. The proposed route in Orange County starts on the Haw River at the Alamance County border, follows Cane Creek through the OWASA Reservoir, cuts overland through the Seven-Mile Creek area and onto Hillsborough's Riverwalk, and then runs down the Eno River to Durham County. When complete this beautiful route will introduce hikers to some of Orange County's most special places. Progress on the MST in and around Orange C~ Important progress is already being made on several sections of the proposed route. Alamance County has been working hard to acquire land on the Haw River for its portion of the trail. Hillsborough is also making great progress with its Riverwalk. FMST is starting trail construction in the Eno River State Paxk. Further downstream on Falls Lake, FMST has completed 46 miles of trail, and Raleigh and Wake County have pledged to build an additional 26 miles of trail on the Neuse River by 2012. If Orange County jumps on board, we could have well more than 100 miles of the MST complete in the Triangle in four or five years. Actions Needed Promote the Trail in Orange County We hope that the Orange County Board of Commissioners will take several actions to support the trail: 1. endorse the proposed route through the County 2. incorporate the trail route into the county's land use plan so that land will be set aside for the trail if land is developed Attachment 6 3. incorporate the MST into the County's park plan 4. encourage OWASA to authorize a natural-surface foot trail along the Cane Creek Reservoir 5. continue the County's land conservation work in the Seven-Mile Creek watershed as acquisitions in this area will also provide additional trail corridor How Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (FMST) Can Help FMST is eager to assist your efforts to build the MST in Orange County. One of the ways we can be most helpful is by providing volunteers for trail construction and maintenance. Organizational Structure for Trail Construction FMST organizes its volunteer trail work in a similar manner to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. We assign sections of trail to "Task Forces," each led by one or two "Task Force Leaders." In Orange County, we would probably have three volunteer task forces: 1) for the OWASA Reservoir; 2) fox the section between the reservoir and Hillsborough; and 3) for Eno River State Park. Task Force Leaders 1) work with land owners/managers to lay out the trail route, 2) organize volunteer workdays to build and maintain trail, and 3) manage volunteers who are responsible fox maintaining subsections of the trail. An example of how this works can be found at Falls Lake where FMST volunteers have already built 46 miles of trail. The lake is owned by the US Army Corps of Engineers, and portions of it axe then managed by the NC Division of Parks & Recreation and NC Wildlife Commission. FMST has a memorandum of understanding with the Corps, NCDPR, NCWRC and Durham and Wake counties which outlines how we all work together. Building New Trail In the first step of building trail, Jeff Brewer and Bruce Wisely, our two Task Force Leaders at Falls Lake, flag a proposed trail route and then walk that line with representatives of all the parties to the MOU. If concerns axe raised, Jeff and Bruce alter the route to resolve those issues. Then the Task Force Leaders organize trail construction workdays once a month to build the trail. When volunteers are close to completing the approved trail route, the entire process of flagging, approval and constnzction starts again. Trail Maintenance Trail maintenance is handled by volunteers who accept responsibility for shorter sections of trail, usually two- to three-miles in length. At Falls Lake, for example, we have fourteen maintenance volunteers. Those volunteers report to the Task Force Leaders -letting them know when they have performed maintenance and if they have any problem areas where a bigger crew is needed to make the repair. When such a repair is needed, the Task Force Leaders send volunteers from one of the monthly trail construction workdays to work at that site. Number of Volunteers and Volunteer Leadership. At Falls Lake, attendance at our monthly workdays has been ranging from 60 to 100 people. About thirty of these people attend regularly and axe very knowledgeable about trail construction, and they are the leaders we will ask to serve as Task Force Leaders fox new trail sections isi the 2 Attachment 6 Triangle. Two of those leaders, Jim Suiter and Shawn Williams, live in Caxrboxo and Chapel Hill, respectively, and are excited about new trail being built in Orange County. How Construction and Maintenance Costs are Covered Every year, FMST applies for a Recreational Trails Program grant through the NC Division of Parks & Recreation to buy tools and supplies needed to build and maintain trail across the state. We then distribute that money among our task forces, depending on what their needs axe at any given time. If we establish task forces in Orange County, they would also be eligible for a share in this money. The maximum size of an RTP grant is $75,000, and we have had no trouble so far covering basic expenses with grants that size with the exception of bridge construction. At Falls Lake, I estimate that our cost of trail construction is approximately $10,000 per mile, but that price is dramatically influenced by the price of one bridge which is too large to be built by volunteers. Our basic costs at Falls Lake, where we axe building about seven new miles of trail per year and maintaining more than 40 miles, is n,nning about $8500 per year fox tools and supplies. This cost includes the lumber and supplies needed to build bridges up to 32 feet in length. However, the Falls Lake section of the trail requires one 110-foot steel, pedestrian bridge over Lick Creek which we estimate will cost approximately $225,000. This one expense throws the average cost per mile up considerably at Falls Lake. Fortunately, bridges are one-time expenses, and, in the Piedmont and the Mountains, they have been rare to date as we try to route the MST to avoid the need for them. How many bridges may be needed on the Orange County sections will be determined as we flag a route at a later date. Currently, the only source of funding to help Orange County build a bridge like the one at Falls Lake is probably the NC Parks & Recreation Trust Fund. Although bridge costs seem high in the context of overall trail costs, trails including bridges axe probably the least expensive and most popular recreational amenity that the county can provide, particularly when they are built and maintained by volunteers. The Mountains-to-Sea Trail, in particular, will be an extraordinary resource -enjoyed by residents and tourists - and a great way to show off the natural beauty, history and diversity of Orange County. I hope this summary of how FMST can help in trail construction and maintenance is helpful. Please let me know if you have questions and if we can help in other ways. We look forward to working with you. 3