Orange County NC Website
Citizen Plan #3 for Twin Creeks Park/School Campus <br />8 <br />Citizen Plan #3 For Twin Creeks Park/School Campus <br />Orange County has purchased land for a joint park/school campus south of Eubanks Rd <br />and east of Old NC 86. The current county plans isolate the main elementary/middle <br />school site from the nearest dense neighborhoods, with a half mile of greenbelt. This <br />does not contribute to the Carrboro model of walkable neighborhoods, and presents <br />safety risks to children walking to school through the forest. The Citizen Plan #3 shows <br />that all the facilities and features of the county plans of'2003 or 2004 can be retained, <br />while moving the main school site almost one half-mile south, creating a walkable <br />neighborhood school site. See www.orangecitizens.org for the Citizen Plan #3 in <br />electronic form. See http•//www.co.orange.nc.us/ercd/parks/parlonain.hthn for the county <br />plans. <br />Proposed Resolution: <br />Whereas we support integrating schools and parks into town planning, and <br />Whereas we support providing opportunities for moderate physical exercise such <br />as walking and biking as part of daily life to maintain and improve health, and <br />Whereas we support efforts to reduce automobile usage and encourage alternative <br />transportation, and <br />Whereas the Board of County Commissioners requested their staff to apply the <br />principles of "Smart Growth" planning to the Twin Creeks park/school site, and creating <br />walkable/bikable neighborhoods is one of these principles, and <br />Whereas Citizen Plan #3 for Twin Creeks would ensure a walkable neighborhood <br />focus by locating the combined elementary/middle school within walking/biking distance <br />of the 500 homes of Lake Hogan Farm development without losing any other features of <br />the park/school campus, with no cost penalty, and <br />Whereas other Orange County residents in nearby housing and/or mixed-use <br />developments could also benefit from this proposed location, <br />Now therefore be it resolved, that we request the Chapel Hill/Carrboro City <br />School Board, Town of Carrboro and Board of County Commissioners to consider <br />asking county staff to prepare and analyze an alternate plan similar to Citizen Plan #3 <br />which places the main school site at the southern end of the Twin Creeks campus. <br />11/29/2004 Page 1 of 6