Orange County NC Website
e <br />r <br />ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />.Meeting Date: March 6, 2001 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 9-~ <br />SUBJECT: Use and Access Plan -McGowan Creek Preserve <br />DEPARTMENT: ERCD PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Property Orthophoto (1993) David Stancil, ext 2590 <br />Use and Access Plan for the McGowan Rich Shaw, ext 2591 <br />Creek Preserve TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Use and Access Guidelines Hillsborough 732-8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br />Durham 688-7331 <br />(Previously Discussed October 17, 2000) Mebane 336-227-2Q31 <br />PURPOSE: To consider a staff proposal for the future public use and access for the McGowan <br />Creek Preserve, a new 63-acre County park located west of Hillsborough on US 70, and <br />general guidelines for a Use and Access Policy for County natural area parklands. <br />BACKGROUND: On March 31, 2000, Orange County purchased this former piece of Duke <br />Forest from Duke University. The tract was acquired with a matching grant from the N.C. Clean <br />Water Management Trust Fund for watershed protection and the provision of open space in an <br />urbanizing area along the US 70 corridor. One requirement of the grant is that 300-foot riparian <br />buffers be preserved with a conservation easement held by the State of North Carolina. The <br />property, now termed the McGowan Creek Preserve, is adjacent to Corporation Lake in the <br />critical area of the Upper Eno watershed. <br />Attached is a proposed plan for the development and use of the property for limited public <br />recreation. It was revised from an earlier draft that the BOCC received on October 17, 2000 <br />and requested changes. The plan includes staffs thoughts on an entrance driveway, parking <br />area, restroom, walking trails and signage. The plan calls for construction of a tum lane to <br />facilitate access to the property from US 70 West. (Staff is also discussing with NC DOT the <br />need for a tum lane or median cut for cars traveling east on US 70). While no funds are <br />currently allocated for park development, planning for future public use can be accomplished at <br />this time. (Trail construction, however, can proceed with existing staff and volunteers.) <br />Because of the site's location in a watershed critical area and the County's interest in protecting <br />the natural state of the property, only limited development for public use is proposed outside of <br />the conservation easement area. <br />FINANCIAL IMPACT: Developing the site for these public uses will require future expenditures <br />of County funds, which are as yet unbudgeted. The estimated cost for site development is <br />about $65,000-- including tum lane(s) ($33,000); entrance gate, driveway and parking area <br />($14,000), toilet facility and trash receptacles ($15,000) and signage ($3,000). Possible <br />