The Adams Tract

And what about the linear creek corridor that drops down behind the PTA Thrift Shop and follows Old Pittsboro Road down to NC54? And my personal favorites - preserving the quickly disappearing informal walkways from Northside/Lloyd Street to the main part of Carrboro (Harris Teeter, especially). They may not be "nature" but they are vital links to town that are quickly being gobbled up by landowners not interested in allowing easy passage (ex. the addition to the clinic on Lloyd Street is cutting off one of these trails).

There's a development being built now between Old Pittsboro and PTA. I'm not sure how they're dealing with the creek. The construction company has a sign on Old Pittsboro that someone keeps painting with "Owl F**ckers" or more recently "Still F**cking Owls." I'm generally in favor of building more in town rather than sprawling outward, but there's plenty of other places to put crappy apartments than our shrinking stock of in-town, undeveloped wooded areas.

According to an unnamed Carrboro Alderman, Chapel Hill was not involved in the purchase of the Adams tract. The tract, which is on the opposite side of Bolin Creek from Carolina North, has an adjacent property that could also be purchased.

My favorite urban trail opportunity is under the Duke Power

line that runs south from Timberline to south of Estes Drive.

What a golden opportunity for walking and bicycling that

could be achieved for so little work and would serve

so many people.

Joe,

I agree, this appears to be marvelous opportunity. However, if I remember correctly when the Greenways Master Plan was done, it was not feasible due to the density and lot sizes at a couple of critical points in Timberlyne.

(I tried looking at the Master Plan on the Town web site and could not get to the apppropriate page. Only a portion of the report was accessable.)

Ahh Rickie, you've touched upon one of my greatest disappointments in the history of Chapel Hill's development - the disappearance of all those great paths that used to criss-cross town.

You used to be able to walk (stumble?) along the Bolin Creek corridor through to Northside multiple ways. They threw up a 20 foot high chain-link fence around one of the apartment complexes above Umpstead Park, they filled in and built low cost housing across the eastern path from Umpstead into Northside, the path across to the Village apartments is overgrown and blocked, etc.

These non-sewer line greenways were great ways to traverse town.

I'd be happy to nominate a few of these as linear preserves to preserve and enhance the Chapel Hill walking/biking experience.

How about starting with the strip that goes from Hillsborough St. up north towards Coker Circle with a branch towards Airport Rd via the big kudzu bowl?

Speaking of land in our own backyards.... I'm wondering if there is an interest in better connecting the existing Bolin Creek corridor to the downtown? There are a couple of opportunities... there is a greenway that comes up from Bolin Creek into the Northside neighborhood, but then stops abruptly when it enters the neighborhood. I've been hearing that Chapel Hill is planning on extending it a bit further into the neighborhood. It seems like it could be extended all the way up past my house into Carrboro via the park on Broad Street by following the existing undevelopable creek bed. I guess you'd just have to secure rights through the edges of people's property which shouldn't be too costly. Or could there be a way to build a bike path along the railroad tracks from the old train depot in Carrboro down to Estes??? This would allow very easy and safe access to the Adams Tract via foot and bike traffic. I know there are eventual plans for transport from the university to Carolina North along this corridor, but it seems like there would be room for both.

Certainly not under the NEW LUMO...but it was combined into one lot with an already platted (is that a word?) lot on Burlage--so falls under the OLD LUMO. (As I understand the way the already platted lots were grandfathered.)

Honestly--it's no steeper than most of the backside of the Mount Bolus neighborhood. It could support a few houses. OTOH--if the counsel HAS rendered it "unbuildable" with the new LUMO then I think they OUGHT to buy it, and at what WOULD have been fair market value had htey NOT rendered it unbuildable. Seems unfair to (essentially) take the land by zoning fiat.

melanie

Thought I should add-- I do NOT think it is up to the town and taxpayers to preserve my view. And I don't know that the town wants to spend significant money on another peice of land-locked property...but if they did I wouldn't complain! (Though I would understand if others did.)

melanie

I read about this in the newspaper and I have one question about this that wasn't answered there: What was going to happen to the Adam's Tract otherwise? From the sound of it, it was going to hang out for a little while as it was.

On the other hand, I'm a huge fan of greenways and natural areas. Especially the CH/Carborro Greenway which is, IMHO, one of the best marked, upkept, and connected in the triangle.

Melanie, it preserves my view line also.

This tract is contiguous with two sewer lines and has four minor creeks that feed down into John's Creek. There's several additional undeveloped tracts going North on John's Creek leading up towards the YMCA. I doubt that much of this tract is developable as there is serveral water courses and the land is rather steep.

How about the stretch of creek paralleling Burlage Rd?

There's a 11 acre tract between Mt. Bolus, Cedar and Burlage that would be great to preserve.

For those who want to find the tract Will R is speaking of--the name of the creek is John's Branch. I'd LOVE to see the tract preserved--it's right behind my house--but doubt the town can afford it.

melanie