Agenda - 02-12-2007-4 - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: February 12, 2007 Action Agen~~da Item No. SUBJECT: Concept Plan -Bolin Creek Greenway Phase III DEPARTMENT: ERCD PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Draft Concept Plan, October 2006 David Stanch, 245-2590 (Under Separate Cover) PURPOSE: To consider and provide feedback on the draft Concept Plan for the Town of Chapel Hill's Bolin Creek Greenway, Phase III. BACKGROUND: The 2001 County Parks and Open Space bond included $1.75 million for Chapel Hill and Carrboro greenway projects that furthered open space connectivity. In June 2004, the County and Town of Chapel Hill agreed that the funds allocated for Town of Chapel Hill greenways ($1.0 million) would be appropriated for extension of the Bolin Creek Greenway. The first phases of Bolin Creek Greenway were built from 1993-1998, and provide a paved greenway trail along Bolin Creek from the Town Community Center on Estes Drive (near University Mall) to the Chapel Hill Police Department headquarters at Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, where the trail currently terminates onto sidewalks. Phase III of the greenway would cross Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and continue westward, through the Town's Umstead Park, to connect with Estes Drive Extension at the Carrboro town limits, with future connections northwest into Carrboro and north along the rail line into the Carolina North property. The first step in extension of the greenway was the development of a Concept Plan to conduct a feasibility study and investigate the potential corridor for this future. segment of trail. Since the project is funded by both County and Town funds, the Chapel Hill/Orange County Project Planning Committee (PPC) for parks and open space worked with staffs of both jurisdictions to interview design firms and- recommend a consultant.. The firm of Lappas and Havener was hired in 2005 to create the concept plan. The draft Concept Plan was completed in October 2006, with a public forum on the design in December 2006. The plan is currently being reviewed by Town advisory boards, and was recently presented to the Carrboro Board of Aldermen.