Northern Park Master Plan (2005) - later renamed Cedar Grove Park

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Upper Eno Watershed overlay zoning requires that impervious surfaces be limited to 12% of the total site area and that stream buffers be provided. Adjacent land uses to this property include: To the north: An undeveloped tract of 25 acres and small residential lots along NC 86. West: The property boundary cuts across a 25-acre pond known locally as Compton's Pond, which serves as a large sediment retention and flow augmentation lake on the East Fork of the Eno River, which it impounds via a man-made dam. South: seven residential lots that are partially occupied. East: NC 86 and a 12-acre tract acquired across NC 86 Access to the site is provided via NC 86, and parking areas exist on both the south and north sides of the Northern Human Services Center. A service road on the north side of the building provides access to the rear of the building. There is an old, unimproved roadway that runs from the ball field to the pond, and there are currently a number of downed trees along this old road from storms in 2003 and 2004. The area surrounding the Northern Human Services Center has been maintained to allow for the continued use of the existing ball field, playground and other structures related to the building, including an old water tower used by volunteer fire departments. The 40 acres west of the building and ball field remain largely wooded. The vast majority of the property is wooded with a mixture of hardwoods and pine. A 12- acre section of the upland property nearest the NHSC is comprised entirely of mature hardwoods-50 to 60-feet-tall. Major canopy trees include red and white oaks, hickories, tulip poplar and American beech. This mature deciduous forest provides numerous benefits, including habitat for wildlife and native plants, and protection of water quality by filtering out sediment and pollutants from runoff before it enters the adjacent pond and the East Fork of the Eno River. The lower-lying woodlands in the western part of the property are a mixture of pine and hardwoods adapted to the wetter soils nearer to the lake. Dense stands of loblolly pine occur along the northern property boundary and the southwestern boundary, both providing 100-200 foot buffers from the neighboring properties. Two small clearings are located in the far northeast and southwest corners of the property. One is at the impoundment for Compton's Pond; the other has been used by someone to store abandoned vehicles and debris. 3