Orange County NC Website
4' <br /> important to be consistent with surrounding land uses . Ideas on ways to mitigate <br /> the impacts of larger active facilities include co- location of schools and parks, <br /> combining active and low- impact recreation in larger park settings to buffer <br /> residential areas, and the need for a proactive land . acquisition program to <br /> purchase lands for long -term use as parks (and/or schools) .. <br /> The potential for coordinating parks planning exists beyond the scope of the local <br /> governments involved in this effort. In particular, the report ' notes the significant <br /> potential for coordination with UNC, OWASA and Duke University in meeting j <br /> long -term needs of mutual interest. While UNC provides many facilities used by <br /> students (and local residents) , there is also an undefined . impact on local <br /> recreation facilities from faculty and staff of the University. Programs such as the <br /> Carolina Outdoor Recreation Center offer a means for sharing resources, and the <br /> Potential exists for collaboration on future recreational facilities with UNC. <br /> Likewise, OWASA currently provides recreation facilities at both University Lake <br /> and Cane Creek Reservoir. OWASA holds over 3 ,000 acres of land in the County, <br /> some bf which appears to offer the , opportunity for coordinated recreational use . <br /> A memo from the OWASA Board (Appendix F) indicates a willingness to discuss <br /> certain parcels for future public use . And finally, Duke Forest also provides a <br /> recreational resource to County citizens . While concerns about protecting the <br /> integrity of the forest resources will be paramount, opportunities exist to work <br /> with Duke in the future, particularly in terms of carefully-located trails that fit <br /> with the University s plans . <br /> Adegluate Provision of Parkland and Natural Corridors <br /> identified is to preserve green corridors, <br /> One of the most , prominent needs <br /> whether in an urban or rural setting . This section of the report addresses the <br /> Potential for linking some existing and proposed greenway networks in Chapel <br /> Hill , Carrboro and Hillsborough to future parks and " regional open space such • as <br /> Eno River State Park and Duke Forest. <br /> The importance of existing and future greenways in the Towns is noted , as well <br /> as th <br /> e existence of a schematic plan for greenways extending from the Chapel <br /> Hill/Carrboro area into the Rural Buffer, developed in 1986 as part of the Joint <br /> Planning Area Land Use Plan . Wildlife corridors in the rural areas were introduced <br /> into County planning efforts through the 1988 Inventory of Natural Areas and <br /> Wildlife Habitat, and are important to the overall County and regional ecosystem <br /> as part of the " green infrastructure . " These corridors are undeveloped riparian <br /> stream corridors or overland connectors that exist in a natural state . Any trails <br /> would exist only as they have evolved over time by use of wildlife or humans . <br /> However, as the County and Towns continue to grow, it will become important to <br /> link Town parks to regional corridors such as Eno River State Park, nodes of <br />