Agenda - 11-18-2014 - 7a - Laserfiche WebLink

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The Board may wish to discuss whether to have this property evaluated by Lands Legacy staff for parks /public open space uses, and whether and how to address the potential repayment to the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund — if desired. Topical Area 6 — Possible Coordination with Town of Hillsborough on Baseball /Softball Fields Town and County staff have met to discuss the potential loss of HYAA baseball /softball fields in Hillsborough to development and to accommodate the future Amtrak train station, and opportunities for replacement of these fields for community and non - profit league usage. A few opportunities may exist for acquiring new sites for fields, and these possibilities will be reported to the Board at a future date. Topical Area 7 — Potential for Expansion of Trail Network and Connectivity Based on comments at the June 3 public hearing, staff was asked to look at the long- term potential for an expansion of trail networks and connectivity among trails in the county. At present, Orange County operates one greenway segment (Jones Creek Greenway, at the future Twin Creeks Park north of Carrboro), has several miles of trails at individual park sites (such as Little River Regional Park and Natural Area and Cedar Grove Park), and is establishing several more miles of natural surface trails (at Blackwood Farm Park and the Seven Mile Creek Public Access at Upper Eno Preserve). There have been previous discussions by the County, Town of Chapel Hill, and Duke Forest about linking trails that would connect Town of Chapel Hill greenways through the former landfill property, the future Millhouse Road Park and Town of Chapel Hill Operations Center— to the Duke Forest trails and the Triangle Land Conservancy's Johnson Mill Preserve on the east side of Interstate 40. Completing this connection would require the concurrence of several private property owners, institutions, and the NCDOT. The N.C. Mountains -to -Sea Trail (MST) is also planned to traverse Orange County, eventually from the Haw River Trail at the southwest corner of the county, northwest through OWASA -owned lands at Cane Creek Reservoir, thence to the Upper Eno Preserve (Seven Mile Creek) and to Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area, where it will connect with the Hillsborough Riverwalk, historic landmarks, and Eno River State Park as it heads east to Durham. This extensive effort — while an important project — will require multiple years to complete. The State Parks office is currently beginning a Master Plan effort for the MST through the Piedmont, to culminate in an official master plan in the summer of 2015. County and town staff and the public are participating in this effort. One of the follow -up items in the County's MST Master Plan would be the evaluation of any longer -term trail connectivity.