Agenda 05-07-24; 6-b - Approval of the Orange County US 70 Multimodal Corridor Study (MCS)

Browse Search

30 US 70 Multimodal Corridor Study 4.1.3 Relevant Plans 4.1.3.1 2014 Orange County Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Master Plan 2030 The Orange County Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Master Plan identifies facilities, parks, and trails for expansion, improvement, and creation across Orange County by 2030. Key recommendations include: • A proposed segment of the MST is planned to cross the study corridor at the confluence of Cane Creek and the Haw River. • The Orange County trail segment is planned to parallel Cane Creek north from the Alamance County line to the Town of Hillsborough where the trail follows the Eno River westward. • The plan recommends that the county and other stakeholders develop a master plan to facilitate the completion of the trail segment and consider the location of a node or way station on county or OWASA land to provide basic hiking services. 4.1.3.2 A Landscape Plan for Wildlife Habitat Connectivity in the Eno River and New Hope Creek Watersheds (2019) Recognizing that the Eno River and New Hope Creek-Jordan Lake watersheds are home to ecologically important habitats supporting a rich diversity of plant and animal species, this plan identifies actions to preserve and enhance connectivity within and between wildlife habitats. Development and climate change cause habitat fragmentation and loss.To survive, animal species must be able to move within and between remaining high-priority wildlife habitats. Functional ecosystems require a connected network of habitats and corridors for movement. In addition to sustaining diverse wildlife populations, such connections can benefit water quality, native plants, working farms and forests, and public health and safety. This plan helps ensure wildlife habitat connectivity throughout the Eno River and New Hope Creek-Jordan Lake watersheds. The objectives most relevant to the US 70 Corridor Study involve guidance for decision- making related to land protection, land-use, and transportation. Three basic principles associated with this effort are: • Protect conservation priorities, including large natural areas and sensitive habitats. • Buffer these areas from suburban and urban development. • Connect these natural areas across the landscape to reduce habitat fragmentation. 4.1.3.3 2019 Eno New Hope Plan The goal of this project is to provide an actionable plan for ensuring wildlife habitat connectivity across the landscape of the Eno River and New Hope Creek-Jordan Lake watersheds through minimizing the impacts from future land uses changes. Recommendations relevant to US 70 include encouraging the redesign of the I-85/US 70 to incorporate bridge designs that allow wildlife to cross safely under the bridge and that allow pedestrian passage along any existing or planned trail-system connectors. 4.1.3.4 2022 Bringing Eno River State Park to Downtown Hillsborough This project aims to acquire a group of parcels located near downtown between US 70 and 70A as park space. The collection of parcels makes up over 200 acres of preserved open space to be added to the Eno River State 21 Existing Conditions and Critical Issues