Orange County NC Website
7 - 2 <br />Orange County Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Master Plan <br /> CHAPTER 7 - Linkages with 2030 Comprehensive Plan and Other County Plans 7 <br />The plan aims to promote healthy lifestyles and <br />improve quality of life while being sensitive to <br />environmental and cultural amenities. Additionally, <br />these goals outline the importance of inter- <br />jurisdictional cooperation with entities such as <br />schools, municipalities, non-profits, private land- <br />owners, as well as state and federal agencies. <br /> <br />The Parks and Recreation Element goals and <br />objectives complement those in the Land Use <br />Element and the Natural and Cultural Systems <br />Element by identifying the need to acquire and <br />retain publicly-owned of land for parks, open space, <br />and habitat conservation. The Parks and Recreation <br />Element goals also link with the Services and <br />Facilities Element goals to identify opportunities for <br />coordination with school systems and other entities <br />for shared use and jointly-funded projects. <br /> <br />Action strategies for achieving parks and recreation <br />goals and objectives are provided in Chapter 11. <br />The following are parks and recreation linkages to <br />other County goals found in the Natural and Cultural <br />Systems Element of the comprehensive plan. <br /> <br />B. The Nature of the County Parks System <br /> <br />Orange County has a variety of recreational <br />opportunities including state and local parks as well <br />as trails and greenways. The County and its <br />municipalities have collaborated on recreational fa- <br />cility and park planning efforts to deliver regionally- <br />coordinated services to all Orange County residents <br />while protecting cultural and natural resources and <br />providing safe recreational and educational <br />opportunities. <br />Table 7-2: Parks and Recreation Planning in Orange County <br />The Orange County Department of Environment, <br />Agriculture and Parks and Recreation manages <br />county parks and recreation facilities bringing envi- <br />ronmental education as well as programming in <br />recreation and athletics to Orange County residents. <br /> <br />C. Town Parks and Recreation Systems <br /> <br />Orange County and the municipalities of <br />Hillsborough, Mebane, Carrboro, and Chapel Hill <br />coordinate efforts to provide a full range of recrea- <br />tional opportunities. The Intergovernmental Parks <br />Work Group has facilitated inter-jurisdictional <br />linkages by recommending a number of cooperative <br />measures in order to minimize redundancy of <br />recreational offerings and optimize use of recreation <br />departments’ resources. Key linkages include the <br />Comprehensive Countywide Parks Plan, coordinating <br />land acquisition, identifying green corridors, siting of <br />parks and schools, and providing facilities that serve <br />both municipal and county residents. <br /> <br />Highlights of cooperation include: <br /> Homestead Park and Aquatics Center <br /> Southern Community Park <br /> Twin Creeks (Moniese Nomp) Park and Educational <br />Campus (planned) <br /> Smith Middle School and Cedar Falls athletic fields <br />Jurisdiction Adopted <br />Park Plan? <br />Year <br />Adopted <br />Current Parks <br />Acreage <br />Other Related Plans <br />Carrboro Yes 2006 112 Morgan Creek Greenway Plan, Bolin Creek Greenway Plan <br />Chapel Hill Yes 2013 350 Greenways Master Plan <br />Hillsborough Yes 2009 65 Community Connectivity Plan <br />Mebane No 2014 200 Lake Michael Park Master Plan, Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan <br />Orange County Yes 1988 500* Lands Legacy Plan, Joint Master Recreation & Parks Report <br />*Includes 255 acres of Little River Regional Park & Natural Area located in Durham County; managed by Orange County <br />80