Orange County NC Website
54 <br /> a) "Proposed Trail" — This line begins at the end of the Hillsborough Riverwalk, and <br /> works generally within the previously-identified "swath" from the Statewide MST <br /> Master Plan — modified with ideas along that route provided at the meeting and <br /> the Orange Water and Sewer Authority's approved conditions — to reflect a route <br /> for the MST that would correspond to the expected corridor shown in the <br /> Statewide Master Plan. Staff will speak to this in more detail at the meeting. <br /> However, it is important to note that this route has two significant deviations from <br /> the corridor swath: 1) the route would swing north away from the middle section <br /> of Cane Creek Reservoir onto other OWASA lands or private properties away <br /> from the "bottleneck" in the Apple Mill Road area; and 2) the route proposes to <br /> use NC 54 and Saxapahaw-Bethlehem Church Road to connect to Saxapahaw, <br /> rather than continuing down the two miles of Cane Creek to the Haw River south <br /> of Saxapahaw. <br /> b) "Proposed Trail Alternate 1" — The main difference in this alternate route is that it <br /> would take the MST west through the County's Upper Eno Preserve (Seven Mile <br /> Creek) lands to Mount Willing Road, and then use Mount Willing Road, Camp <br /> Chestnut Ridge Road and an overland connector to link back to the "Proposed <br /> Trail." <br /> c) "Proposed Trail Alternate 2" — This alternate route would deviate from the <br /> "Proposed Trail" (although it could also work in tandem with Alternate 1) and <br /> connect through the Camp Chestnut Ridge property and the OWASA "Cane <br /> Creek Mitigation Tract," heading southward to Buckhorn Road and Arthur Minnis <br /> Road to reconnect with the "Proposed Trail." <br /> d) "Multi-Modal Trail" — This concept does not conform to the MST design and <br /> planning methods, but is instead a completely different approach. The Multi- <br /> Modal Trail as shown here would utilize road rights-of-way and is envisioned to <br /> be an improved trail along the shown roadways that would accommodate hikers <br /> (incorporating MST needs), bikes, and even horses. It would provide a trail <br /> experience that travels several roads identified as having scenic qualities. This is <br /> a new and innovative concept that, if pursued, would require a full collaboration <br /> with the NC Department of Transportation for a novel approach not found in <br /> other rural areas of the state, to staff's knowledge. <br /> Maps 2 and 3 show the "zoomed-in" section (by map and by aerial photo) of the <br /> planned initial phase, from Occoneechee Mountain to Seven Mile Creek Nature Park. <br /> Topic 3 — Landowner Voluntary Participation <br /> The acquisition of any trail easements or land purchases for the MST trail route in <br /> Orange County would be handled through the County's Lands Legacy Program. <br /> The Lands Legacy Program, created in 2000, has conserved 3,200 acres of future <br /> parkland, nature preserves, watershed riparian buffers, prime or threatened farmland or <br /> cultural and historic sites. This has been accomplished through a variety of <br /> mechanisms, such as fee-simple purchases of land, or in many cases, conservation <br />