HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 04-20-2010 - 4eORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: April 20, 2010
Action Agenda
Item No. ~ - ~
SUBJECT: Resolution to Endorse Orange County Segment of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail
DEPARTMENT: Department of Environment,
Agriculture, Parks and
Recreation (DEAPR)
PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution
2. Orange County MST Map
3. OWASA Letter of Support
4. Eastern Piedmont MST Corridor Map
5. Statewide MST Corridor Map
INFORMATION CONTACTS:
David Stancil, 245-2510
Rich Shaw, 245-2514
PURPOSE: To consider a resolution in support of the proposed corridor for the planned
North Carolina Mountains-to-Sea Trail through Orange County.
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 (Attachment 5).
In 2000 the North Carolina General Assembly authorized the MST as part of the North
Carolina Parks System. From 2005-2007, the state Division of Parks and Recreation held
stakeholder meetings to identify a preferred route through Alamance, Orange and Durham
counties. The State's preferred trail route through the "Eastern Piedmont" was identified as
a result of those stakeholder meetings (Attachment 4).
In Orange County the planned MST corridor starts at the Haw River in the far southwest
corner, follows Cane Creek northeast through the Orange Water and Sewer Authority
(OWASA) Reservoir lands, and runs 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 2).
In October 2009 the Board discussed the MST and spoke favorably of the proposed trail
corridor. Since that time staff has held meetings with OWASA staff and Friends of the
Mountains-to-Sea Trail to discuss running portions of the Trail through OWASA property.
In December the OWASA Board of Directors directed OWASA staff to begin working with
Orange County to identify a specific route through OWASA's Cane Creek Reservoir lands,
conditioned upon the Orange County Board of Commissioners' approval of the initiative.
A letter of support from the OWASA Board Chair Randy Kabrick is provided as
Attachment 3.
2
The Intergovernmental Parks (IP) Work Group has also discussed the MST on several
occasions over the past few years. On February 10, 2010 the IP Work Group
recommended adding three trail "links" to one of the State's alternative trail routes. The
proposed additions (shown on Attachment 2) would link the Chapel Hill and Carrboro trail
networks to the New Hope Creek trail corridor that would someday link Eno River State
Park to Jordan Lake. With those additions, the IP Work Group recommends approval of
the State's preferred MST trail corridor. The Towns of Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and
Hillsborough have also endorsed these changes to the plan.
A draft resolution to endorse the State of North Carolina's preferred MST corridor (with the
IP Work Group's suggested additional links) is attached for the Board's consideration
(Attachment 1).
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
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. Finally, the Town of Hillsborough has also formally endorsed the MST route along
the Eno River through its jurisdiction.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no impact associated with this action. Several follow-up
actions, if pursued, would have financial implications. The approved FY 2009-2019 CIP (if
funded) includes approximately $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, the State of North Carolina, and Classical American Homes Preservation
Trust. 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 the NC Clean Water Management Trust
Fund also possible.
RECOMMENDATION: The Manager recommends that the Board approve the resolution,
authorize the Chair to sign the resolution, and direct staff to work with the County's
partners on the next stages of the project.
f~, E S- a o ~~- 0 3 a ~1-I-Fachm~ n-i- ,~
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
RESOLUTION SUPPORTING
THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS-TO-SEA TRAIL
THROUGH ORANGE COUNTY, NC
3
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 are included; and
WHEREAS, the Trail will highlight a wide variety of historic and natural resources across the
State and within Orange County; and
WHEREAS, the Trail would contribute towards improved quality of life and provide economic
benefits from the associated recreation and tourism; and
WHEREAS, the proposed Trail corridor is a recommended project from the Orange County
Recreation and Parks Advisory Board, the Orange County Commission for the Environment,
and the Intergovernmental Parks Work Group; and
WHEREAS, the creation of the Trail is a joint venture among the North Carolina Department
of Environment and Natural Resources, Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, Orange Water
and Sewer Authority (OWASA), the Town of Hillsborough, the Eno River Association,
Classical American Homes Preservation Trust, and Orange County; and
WHEREAS, the proposed segments of the Trail in Orange County include existing and
planned trails at Eno River State Park, the Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail, Poet's
Walk at Historic Ayr Mount, Hillsborough's Riverwalk and Kings Highway Park, Occoneechee
Mountain State Natural Area, Orange County's Seven Mile Creek Preserve, and OWASA's
Cane Creek watershed protection lands;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of Commissioners
endorses the Mountains-to-Sea Trail plan, with its primary and alternate trail routes, as
delineated on the attached map.
This the 20th day of April, 2010.
Valerie Foushee, Chair
Orange County Board of Commissioners
Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board
Proposed NC Mountains-to-Sea Trail
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Proposed new MSTAlternative route Reservoirs
Proposed roadside MSTAlternative route Major Streams Orange County "y 1
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Towns Streets 3/25/2010
Linkage to town greenway system �"'"
Attachment 3
C)WASA ORANGE WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY
A ptablic, non ~rrofit agency providing water, sewer and reclaimed hater services
to the Carrboro-Chapel Hill community.
December 10, 2009
Valarie Foushee, Chair
Orange County Board of Commissioners
Post Office Box 8181
Hillsborough, NC 27278
SUBJECT: MOUNTAINS-TO-SEA TRAIL
Dear Chair Foushee:
I'm writing to express OWASA's support for the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) initiative. We
have met with Kate Dixon, Executive Director of the Friends of the MST, and we are confident
that we can make the necessary arrangements that will allow use of OWASA's property in the
vicinity of the Cane Creek Reservoir, consistent with our primary mission of providing safe and
reliable drinking water for our customers. As such, conditional upon the Orange County Board
of County Commissioner' approval of the initiative, our Board has directed OWASA staff to
immediately begin working with Orange County Staff and the Friends of the MST to develop the
necessary agreements and arrangements that will allow use of our property providing there is no
compromise of water quality, no expenditure of OWASA funds and we are able to make the
arrangements necessary to minimize any additional security risks associated with inviting hikers
to use the property around the reservoir.
Additionally, although it is not a condition of our support for the trail, OWASA has a long
history of notifying and receiving feedback from the public before finalizing any changes to
recreational activities at the Cane Creek Reservoir, and we are hopeful that the County's process
would include some level of public involvement prior to finalizing the plans for the trail.
We look forward to participating in this initiative and believe the MST will be a tremendous
asset for all citizens of Orange County.
Best regards,
....,,~.
Randy Kabrick, P.E., Chair
c: Mr. Frank Clifton, Manager, Orange County
Mr. Roger L. Stancil, Manager, Town of Chapel Hill
Mr. Steven Stewart, Manager, Town of Carrboro
OWASA Board of Directors
Ed Kerwin, Executive Director
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Carrboro, NC 27510-2001 Printed on Recycled Paper mn~v.owasa.or9
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