Orange County NC Website
39 <br />.. Chapter 7: Parks and Recreation Element <br />o.~°'•, <br />In addition to the existing and planned parklands, Orange County has <br />purchased additional lands through its Lands Legacy Program, or other <br />means, that have current or future recreational components, such as the <br />Adams Preserve. <br />The Triangle Sportsplex, owned by Orange County and operated by a <br />private firm, offers wellness and fitness programs as well as a pool, ice <br />rink and other amenities. Wellness, recreation and fitness programs <br />targeted to seniors are also offered at multiple sites, including the <br />Seymour Senior Center in Chapel Hill and Central Orange Senior Center <br />in Hillsborough. <br />Parks and Recreational Facilities of Other Jurisdictions <br />The Towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro have independent parks and <br />recreation departments that plan for and provide park and recreation <br />services within the Towns. The Town of Hillsborough does not have <br />dedicated staff to manage and operate park and recreation services and <br />relies on the Orange County Parks and Recreation Department and the <br />Environment and Resource Conservation Department for acquisition, <br />development and management of parks. <br />A comprehensive list of all public parks and recreational facilities in <br />Orange County, including those managed by the towns, is included in a <br />document entitled Comprehensive Park and Recreational Facilities. The <br />Countywide Composite Parks Map, showing all of the jurisdiction's <br />planned and existing parks, is also included in Appendix M. <br />Other park and recreation facilities in Orange County are provided by the <br />following: <br />^ Orange Water and Sewer Authority holds more than 3,000 acres of <br />land in the County, and provides recreational facilities at University <br />Lake and Cane Creek Reservoir; <br />^ Duke University has several Duke Forest properties in Orange <br />County that are used as a private research forest and provides <br />natural areas and public trailways in the County; <br />^ The State of North Carolina manages and operates two state parks <br />in Orange County. The Occoneechee Mountain State Park arid the <br />Eno River State Park are both located in Orange County near the <br />Town of Hillsborough; and <br />^ The University of North Carolina's new Carolina North campus is <br />expected to include open space and recreational facilities and <br />fields. Planning for this large new research campus in central <br />Chapel Hill is currently underway. <br />7.4. ORANGE COUNTY PARK AND RECREATION NEEDS <br />Projections for Orange County's future population between now and 2030 could <br />mean an additional 40,000-80,000 persons that would need parks and <br />recreational services in the future. Approximately one-quarter of those additional <br />residents will likely live outside of the municipalities, which means that the County <br />Ora.vu~~Co-uatityCo-vn~v~e~~-vwPi~taw Page 7-9 <br />