Agenda - 02-11-2014 - 2 - Laserfiche WebLink

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96 O ar?ge Covnly Conip;,ehei sA-2 Par s c �r'RQ�reat�'ot�1'✓lasfie;�Plan CHAPTER 10-Goals,Objectives,a 6 Ricoinari nda,tions l Recommendation#2: Build the Planned Future Parks Orange County has been very prescient in its ap- Many of these facilities have been identified as need- proach to parks planning by incorporating a progres- ed parks since 1988, and others have emerged as sive, even visionary, component of its program—the promising new opportunities. In some cases, there acquisition of future park sites through the award- are opportunities for interlocal collaboration for park winning Lands Legacy Program. The foresight shown construction, such as at the future Twin Creeks Park by this and previous Boards of Commissioners has and Millhouse Road Park. State and federal grant likely saved millions of dollars by acquiring anticipat- funds may also be available to establish certain ed park sites between 2000-2005 at prices considera- parks. bly less than subsequent or future market value, us- Orange County should commit itself to constructing ing both local voter-approved bond funds and lever- and opening the new parks shown in Table 11-A aging state and federal grants. within 10 years (by the year 2024), and opening two Because of this foresight, the County is poised to of the parks within five years (by 2019). move straight into final design and construction at Recommendation #3: Complete the Protection of five land-banked sites strategically-located across the Identified Nature Preserves and Create Public Access county.The acquisition of these sites included a thor- Areas and Trails ough analysis of the location for transportation, land Through the Lands Legacy Program, working with a use planning, and other factors. Funding to con- number of other conservation partners, Orange struct these facilities is programmed in the adopted County is often predicted to be the "green"corner of CIP for the period 2014-2023. The 2001 Parks and the Triangle. These efforts to date by all of the con- Open Space Bond resulted in construction of several servation partners have created three locations new parks between 2005 and 2010. The time has where nature preserves either exist or have the po- now come to begin to construct the other needed tentiaI to grow: facilities as planned, and open these parks for the enjoyment of Orange County residents. Recognizing Upper Eno Preserve— along the upper segment of that the cost of opening these facilities is substantial, the Eno River and its main tributaries(such as Seven- phasing of construction may be prudent to ensure mile Creek and McGowan Creek), in conjunction with financial sustainability in the context of the County's Duke Forest,the Eno River Association and Eno River total capital needs. Efforts should also be made to State Park; ensure that the facilities are multi-generational in New Hope Preserve— along the New Hope Creek appeal, in ways that meet needs of different age and corridor adjoining and in conjunction with Duke For- ethnic groups and also offer opportunities for com- est, Triangle Land Conservancy, Durham County, the munity-building. Parks should also, unless specifically City of Durham and other conservation-minded targeted for special use(such as soccer centers), con- neighbors;and tain a mix of active and low-impact recreation ameni- Jordan Lake Headwaters Preserve— in the south- ties. Sensitive natural and cultural areas should be eastern corner of the county incorporating significant protected in park design and construction (and iden- natural heritage areas, the Corps of Engineers Jordan tified by the use of biological and archaeological sur- Lake gamelands, and other conservation lands veys, using where possible the volunteer services of owned by University of North Carolina and the Bo- the local experts in this field), and sustainable land- scaping practices should be used during park opera- tion. An ecologically-sensitive approach should be the guiding framework for all park designs. �,�� — 10-6