Agenda - 09-18-2012 - 8a - Laserfiche WebLink

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3 operation. More fieldwork by the team is required before it can report its findings and recommendations to the OWASA staff and OWASA Board of Directors. Neighboring jurisdictions are also working with State Parks and FMST to extend the MST. For example: • In Durham and Wake counties trail partners recently completed 46 miles of the MST around Falls Lake. • In 2011 Alamance County received a $375,000 grant through the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) to help purchase land for a section of the MST along the Haw River in the southern part of the county. Alamance was previously awarded $400,000 from PARTF to develop the trail. Currently, over 10 miles of the trail exist or are in construction, including Swepsonville River Park and a new segment at Glencoe. • In June 2012 the Town of Hillsborough was awarded $425,000 from PARTF to continue work on Hillsborough's Riverwalk, which will be part of the MST. Hillsborough previously received over$900,000 for other sections of the project. • In November 2011 the City of Raleigh opened the first 6.5 miles of what will soon be a 28-mile Neuse River greenway trail and part of the NC MST. On August 13, 2012, DEAPR, along with State Parks and FMST, held an Open House for the public to learn more about the planned sections of the MST in Orange County and the process of identifying and constructing the trail. A summary of the questions raised at the August 13 Open House is included at Attachment 7. On September 7, 2012 staff met with representatives of a group that has expressed concerns about a portion of the MST near Cane Creek in Bingham Township. The group is concerned that initial planning occurred without community involvement and has questions concerning the safety and security of homeowners adjacent to the future trail. Enclosed are responses to "Frequently Asked Questions" about the MST (Attachment 8), and some typical examples of photographs taken along the MST (Attachment 9). In response to a Board member petition, the BOCC Chair has asked the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail to host another meeting this fall that will include a question and answer session and will involve County staff. Future public information meetings will be held as progress on MST planning continues. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no impact associated with this item. Several follow-up actions, if pursued, would have financial implications. There is no current funding for the MST trail construction. The adopted 2012-17 Capital Investment Plan (CIP) includes potential funding in FY 2013-14 through FY 2016-17 for the trail. These funds would need to be approved as part of future budget deliberations. The costs of developing and maintaining the NC Mountains-to-Sea Trail through Orange County will be shared among various public and interested private landowners (including Orange County), along with volunteer assistance coordinated by the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. Partners include the Town of Hillsborough, the State of North Carolina, and Classical American Homes Preservation Trust. Once the exact trail route is determined, negotiations with landowners along the route would be conducted, with participation on a strictly voluntary basis. State grant funds for land acquisition and trail construction is a high priority for the NC Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF), with