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16 <br />Hollow Rock Access Area Master Plan September 2009 <br />VII. Recommended Master Plan and Rationale <br />Based on its deliberations and discussions, along with public comment, the Master <br />Plan Committee proposes the following components of the draft master plan: <br />Master Plan Rationale <br />The design of the Master Plan was driven not only by the many opportunities that the <br />site offers and the types of facilities that the committee and community desired, but <br />also by the formidable site constraints —from the natural limitations (e.g., floodplains <br />and significant wildlife habitats), to the special regulations and conservation <br />easements imposed on this site to protect the significant natural and cultural <br />resources, to the findings of the cultural and archaeological surveys, which informed <br />decisions about the most - appropriate locations for many activities. <br />Providing safe access to the site proved to be one of the major design issues in <br />developing the Master Plan. Although the site is centrally located between Durham <br />and Chapel Hill, access via Erwin Road is quite difficult because of the large volume of <br />traffic and poor sight lines needed for safe ingress and egress. NCDOT <br />representatives worked with staff to identify two potential access points, which were <br />then evaluated by the committee and incorporated into the design. <br />Another major obstacle (or constraint) is that the site is bisected by Pickett Road. <br />Although most committee members favored closing a section of the road, the formal <br />process to do so is quite long and complex. As a result, the proposed Master Plan is <br />presented in two phases: one with Pickett Road open and one if it were ever closed. <br />Phase One could be completed regardless of the decision to close Pickett Road. <br />The site's natural, undisturbed setting is its most appealing feature. The many <br />development constraints imposed by three conservation easements and required <br />stream buffers will protect the setting, but they also severely limit the siting of the <br />desired park facilities. Of the park's total 75 acres only 12 acres are not limited by <br />conservation easements, stream buffers and areas with potential cultural and <br />archaeological significance. Most of the proposed facilities are, therefore, located <br />outside of those protected areas. A map of the areas protected with conservation <br />easements is provided as Appendix 8. <br />The merging of the many facility preferences was the least difficult of the design <br />issues. The committee readily agreed on the types of amenities and facilities <br />appropriate for the site, and their ideas fell right in line with the community interests <br />voiced at the public meetings. Hiking trails and environmental education were the <br />overwhelming choices for the most desired activities. Other common interests were <br />providing suitable access to the site for private vehicles, school buses, bike riders and <br />pedestrians. Other top vote getters were a picnic area, environmental signage, <br />informational kiosks and restrooms. Finally, the committee supported relocating the <br />old Hollow Rock Store to the property and using it as part of the entrance to the park. <br />13 <br />