Agenda - 10-03-2017 - 8-a - Minutes

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20 1 parts of the trail are being completed. He said the proposed portion around Cane Creek is 2 disappointing though, and does not include the shoreline of the lake, and he wanted to know 3 why. He said north of Cane Creek the route follows on private land, and he wonders how this 4 will work, and if an alternate route will be needed here as well. He noted that it has been two 5 years since the initial meeting on the MTS, and he hoped that the Board would encourage staff 6 to pursue this. 7 Todd Stabley is the Chairman of the Hillsborough Parks and Recreation Board, which 8 passed a resolution supporting the completion of the MTS through Orange County. 9 Carl Shy said he wanted to address the section of the MTS that goes through the 10 OWASA property, and said he owns a football field sized section of land that could serve as a 11 trailhead and parking area at the southern end of the OWASA lands. He said he would like to 12 have the Board's approval to have a group of volunteers, to work with staff and OWASA to 13 route the trail through the OWASA and neighboring properties. 14 Scott Zimmerman said he is here to advocate for the MTS through Orange County. He 15 said this has been a long process, and the Friends of the MTS are here and willing to help in 16 any way possible to help this come to fruition. 17 Heidi Perry said the MTS has been in the planning process for 40 years. She said if it is 18 ready to go, and there is funding, she is not trying to hinder it; but it is her understanding that 19 there are several restrictions on the OWASA property, and obstacles with landowners. She 20 said if alternate routes need to be considered, she hopes the BOCC will consider making the 21 trail a multi-use path, despite the unpopularity of the idea with some hikers. She said Orange 22 County has an opportunity to catch up with Durham and Wake counties with greenways, and 23 she encouraged the Board to give consideration to multi-use trails. 24 Tamara Saunders read a letter from Rob Crook in support of The Great Circle Route, 25 running along the Norfolk-Southern rail line, connecting many areas of Durham and Orange 26 counties. She said the route would also connect to the MTS and the East Coast greenway, 27 which is currently being developed. She said this would serve as a bold step towards multi- 28 modal transportation. 29 Bonnie Hauser said the MTS does not run through her backyard, but she has watched 30 this project divide neighbors for years. She said she called the State Parks and Recreation 31 office and learned that not many people are hiking this trail from end to end, and that Orange 32 County must decide what is best for its citizens. She said the State emphasized the 33 requirement that Hillsborough and Saxapahaw must be connected. She said the County has 34 an abundance of wonderful hiking trails, and she is in support of the County's first greenway. 35 She said she would like to see the trail run through Carrboro and Chapel Hill all the way to 36 Hillsborough and Saxapahaw. 37 Colin Mellor asked if the Board of County Commissioners would weigh all the options of 38 the MTS. He said the piecemeal approach is not good, and a multi-use trail would be better. 39 He asked that the Board look at this alternative to avoid complicated issues with imminent 40 domain. He said the planning map is wrong, and his land is shown as institutional, which it is 41 not. He said this should be corrected. 42 Kate Dixon said she is the Executive Director of the Friends of the MTS. She said within 43 the plan presented tonight, there is the suggestion for staff to partner with the Friends of the 44 MTS, and she said this group is ready and available to do so. She said this group organizes 45 volunteers across the state that build and maintain the trail. She said there are landowners that 46 are willing to work with them on this project. She said the State has prioritized Orange County's 47 portion of the MTS, and there are bond funds available. She said there has been so much 48 progress on the MTS in this area, especially to the east and the west, and she would like to see 49 all parts connected through Orange County.