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2 <br />special use permit for the pazk and ride lot portion of the design only and to restructure the <br />remainder of the site's plan to expedite siting of athletic f elds. The Council minutes note that <br />implicit in the resolution is that funds would not be expended for Dogwood Acres Drive <br />realignment. <br />Details an Chapel Hill Bond Funds <br />In November 1996 Town of Chapel Hill citizens voted to approve a bond referendum for .$13.5 <br />million, which included $5 million far pazks and recreation improvements. The remainder of the <br />bond was allocated: $3 million for open space purchase, $3 million far streets and sidewalks, $2 <br />million for public safety, and $500,000 for public buildings. _ <br />The majority of the $5 million for pazks and recreation has been expended on what is now <br />Hamestead Park. $3,259,000 has been spent on the park's infrastructure and existing amenities, <br />including 2~saftball,~a.;eba11 fields, 2 rectaz:gu:ar~~athl~ti.c fields, a,5katebaazd park; a Harting cage <br />facility, playground, picnic shelter, and walking trails. We estimate $1,31'6,000 of the 1996 bond <br />funds will be available for whatever aquatic%ommunity center is eventually built at Homestead <br />Pazk. The Northside Gymnasium facility located at the Hargraves Center was completed with the <br />remaining $425,000. <br />The Situation Today <br />Since the southern park's original plan was developed there have been several changes that affect <br />the site: <br />• The pazk and ride lot, which was originally programmed far the park site, was built <br />on land adjacent to the pazk on Southern Village property. <br />• The Scruggs Elementary School was built. As a part of that project, the Tawn traded <br />about 6 acres of land with the school system. In addition to the land trade, the Town <br />has also donated about G acres of the park site for the school's playing field. ]n <br />exchange, the Town will receive partial use of the school's athletic field. <br />• The County Baazd of Commissioners approved using up to $105,000 from the $1 <br />million of 1997 bond proceeds for Southern Community Pazk to light and irrigate the <br />field, and purchase benches and refitse grid recycling containers, 'That project is <br />almost complete now; and we expect the Schools to request the funding before this <br />fiscal year is over. <br />• NCDOT's imminent widening of US 15-501 eliminates the need to realign Dogwood <br />Acres Drive, because the intersection of the two roadways will be reworked. The 15- <br />501 widening project is scheduled to begin this fall. The state will bear that <br />significant expense. <br />These changes have so significantly impacted the site that a new planning process is needed. In <br />addition, we want the residents in southern Chapel Hill, who maw are asking that this park be <br />developed, to participate and influence the pazk's design. <br />Once planning funding for the Southern Community Pazk is secured, we anticipate modeling its <br />conceptual plan process on that of the Homestead Pazk Aquatic/Community Center. The Council <br />solicited applications for both neighbor and at-lazge representatives on the Conceptual Plan <br />