Agenda - 11-20-2012 - 5a - Laserfiche WebLink

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32 1 o The county being able to provide a suitable location for parking at posted access 2 points to divert anyone from parking or accessing the MTS from Thunder 3 Mountain 4 o OWASA's commitment to preserve the scenic beauty of this land such that it is 5 not subjected to timbering 6 - Done properly, we believe this segment of the MTS would have no significant adverse 7 impact to the water quality of the Cane Creek Reservoir 8 - We believe this is a rare opportunity for the residents of this area of Orange County to 9 work together to be part of a positive legacy for generations to come. 10 11 Joe Boyle said that there are supporters and those in opposition to this trail. He wants 12 to learn about this issue. He said that there did not seem to be a market for this trail. He would 13 like to know the original motive for this MTST. 14 Audrey Booth read a prepared statement. 15 "1 am Audrey Booth. It is my pleasure to address the Orange County Commissioners in 16 order to bring a ringing endorsement of the Mountains to Sea Trail and for the local link that we 17 may offer to make it as seamless as possible. 18 We, in the Piedmont, are fortunate to be the beneficiaries of the vision of Western NC 19 environmentalists and decades of fund raising and sweat equity. 20 It is the"Trickle Across NC Theory." We have an opportunity to help "pay it forward" 21 with our region's public and scenic land to extend the trail. The Falls Lake trail and bridges, 22 already paid for and built, await the link from Cane Creek. 23 1 have understanding and respect for the uneasiness that some neighbors from the aera 24 have even though the trail will not be on their personal property. I come from a farm 25 background too and we lived far apart and privately, thanks to the land of others. 26 My 20 years in land conservation in Orange County and the Greenways Commission in 27 Chapel Hill, further taught me the important of addressing that fear of invasion of privacy by 28 fully answering all questions. I understand that has happened. Perhaps a visit to Falls Lake 29 link or other western links in the trail would be reassuring to those who are still uneasy. 30 The Cane Creek trail link is a tiny but sparkling component in an ambitious and 31 wonderful vision of a 930-mile trail from Pilot Mountain to Jockey's Ridge. I sincerely hope that 32 we will contribute a small piece of our gem to "Trail Trickle"through the scenic Piedmont." 33 34 Carl Shy read a prepared statement. 35 "Re: Section of Mountains to Sea Trail Proposed for OWASA Property at Cane Creek 36 37 "My name is Carl Shy. I own property whose southern border is approximately 2,000 38 feet from the proposed MTS trail through OWASA property. 39 1 am strongly in favor of the location of this section of the trail, which will pass through 40 some of the most beautiful parts of Orange County, containing a dense and large variety of 41 native trees and shrubs, rolling landscape and views of the Cane Creek Reservoir. At present 42 most of this OWASA property, other than the waters of the reservoir, are not accessible for 43 public use and enjoyment. I believe that my neighbors will value living close to and having the 44 use of this wonderful recreational asset. 45 Three concerns are commonly raised by persons living near public trails: safety 46 (including crime and trespassing), littering, and decline of property values. 47 Regarding safety, a number of studies have been published on the Internet. One study 48 in particular, performed by the Rail-to-Trail Conservancy, received responses to survey 49 questions from managers of 372 rail-to-trails throughout the U. S. Overall, the results showed 50 that the rate of major crimes is extremely low on trails compared with rates in comparable