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<br />ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: February 20, 2018 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 8-f <br /> <br />SUBJECT: Authorization for NC Recreational Trails Program Grant - Hollow Rock Nature <br />Park <br /> <br />DEPARTMENT: Department of Environment, <br />Agriculture, Parks & Recreation <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Adopted Hollow Rock Master Plan <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Marabeth Carr 919-245-2516 <br />Dave Stancil 919-245-2522 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />PURPOSE: To consider authorizing staff to resubmit an application to the North Carolina <br />Division of Parks and Recreation Recreational Trails Program (RTP) by the March 2, 2018 <br />deadline for a 2019 grant for $100,000 to develop an ADA accessible 1/3-mile loop trail at <br />Hollow Rock Nature Park consistent with the adopted master plan. <br /> <br />BACKGROUND: Hollow Rock Nature Park is a 75-acre natural area that straddles the Orange- <br />Durham county line along Erwin Road. The park serves is a trailhead for the New Hope Creek <br />Open Space Corridor, which is a multi-jurisdictional effort of the City of Durham, Durham <br />County, Orange County and Town of Chapel Hill. Phase 1 of the park is complete and opened in <br />June 2016, and includes a new parking area, two miles of natural surface trails, four pedestrian <br />bridges and relocation of the old Hollow Rock store. These amenities were completed with help <br />from a 2013 RTP grant (applied for and administered by Durham County). Orange County and <br />Durham County jointly operate the park. <br /> <br />The propsed application is a resubmittal of a 2018 application that was not awarded funds. <br />Feedback from the Program indicated the project potentially could be awarded funds in a future <br />submission. The request is for $100,000 to develop an ADA accessible 1/3-mile loop trail <br />consistent with the adopted master plan. The grant requires a 25% match or $25,000 (which <br />would be shared by the two counties) and a commitment to complete the project with two years. <br />The grant has a two part approval process. For Part “A”; due March 2, 2018, the application <br />must verify approval from the elected board for the submission and that it will meet the <br />obligations as stipulated. <br /> <br />The proposed grant funds would construct a 1/3-mile ADA accessible trail loop trail. The trail <br />would be constructed in segments of elevated wood boardwalks and compacted Chapel Hill <br />gravel paths. It will enable access to a variety of areas representative of the site - including an <br />environmental education station (retrofitted horse stable) and the educational wildlife overlook <br />1