Agenda - 03-20-2001-8c - Laserfiche WebLink

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s SCOPE OF WORK Cultural and Archaeological Survey Little River Regional Park and Natural Area Orange and Durham Counties I. Project Background The parkland is comprised of 391 acres of undeveloped land straddling the Orange/Durham county border (255 acres in Durham County and 148 acres in Orange County). The main entrance to the park will be from Guess Raad (NC 157). The surrounding areas to the west, north and east are in a natural state. The northern and eastern boundary of the project consists of over a mile of frontage along the North Fork of the Little River. The land to the south of the property includes low-density residential development. Most of the subject property was purchased in November 2000. The remaining 85 acres, all in Durham County, will be acquired before July 31, 2001. The owner of that 85 acres, the Triangle Camrnunity Foundation, has authorized inclusion of that property in this archaeological survey. The parkland will be available for "low-impact" recreational use, including hiking trails, picnic areas, nature study and cultural interpiretation. Most of the park facilities will be constructed within the 1S-acre meadow located near the Guess Road entrance in the southwestern corner of the property. This meadow area was farmed with row crops until about five years ago. Park facilities proposed in this area include a park entrance, entrance driveway, parking lot, picnic shelter, toilet facility and other associated amenities. Large portions of the existing meadow will remain as open areas for further recreatianal and aesthetic enjoyment. Other trail and roadway improvements are planned for the interior, forested section of the property. Former logging roads will be converted to walking trails. Some former roadways may be used for horseback riding and mountain biking. Trail improvements will include new culverts and waterbars to address drainage and erosion problems on the existing roads. New walking trails will be established along the North Fork of the Little River. According to the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, Division of Archives and History (DAH) there are four recorded archaeological sites within the proposed park area, however only a small portion of the area has been surveyed. The Archaeological Branch of that agency feels there is a high probability for the presence of additional prehistoric and historic archaeological sites within the areas proposed for development. In addition, the State Office of Archaeology has identified the site of a former mill on the property and another larger mill site on an adjacent property, bath adjacent to the North Fork of the Little River. 2