HomeMy Public PortalAbout08-16-2016 Minutes PRB Regular MeetingPage 1 of 3
Minutes
Parks & Recreation Board
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
7:00 PM, Town Barn
101 E. Orange St.
Present: Chairman Todd Stabley, Vice Chairman Ashley DeSena, Kate Albrecht, Rebecca Swartz,
Nancy Taylor, Chris Wehrman (PB rep), Ex Officio – TB Rep. Brian Lowen
Absent: Robb English, Annie Jarabek, Noah Mace, Kim Woodell
Staff: Stephanie Trueblood
Item 1: Call meeting to order, roll call, and confirm presence of a quorum
Chairman Stabley called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. Ms. Trueblood called the roll and confirmed the
presence of a quorum.
Item 2: Consideration of changes or adjustments to the agenda
Added Item: Dylan Ingold to present his Eagle Scout project.
Item 3: Added item – Dylan Ingold
Mr. Ingold, member of Troop 822, explained his Eagle Scout project, which is a kiosk at Kings Highway
Park adjacent to the kayak launch area. He showed pictures and explained his plans to construct a kiosk
that will hold a life preserver and will include space for public information. The board thanked him for
his service.
Item 4: Continue Connectivity Plan Update: Receive and discuss park district inventory reports
from PRB members
Fairview – needs sidewalk along U.S. 70. Ms. Taylor said the old playground by the substation needs
attention (two missing swings). Ms. Trueblood confirmed that town staff has been working on a plan for
shared use paths, separated from U.S. 70. Ms. Trueblood showed sidewalk recommendations from the
2014 plan. The board discussed shifting the recommendations to Rainey and Torain.
Ms. DeSena reported on a large area, northwest quadrant of West Hillsborough. She wonders about
extending a sidewalk all the way down Hayes Street, but some houses are very close to the street. Ms.
Trueblood added, she’d like to connect Latimer Street across the ravine by building a wooden footbridge
on the right of way. Ms. Trueblood also questioned needing sidewalks on quiet streets like Terrell Road
and Central Avenue when it’s more needed on West Hillsborough Avenue. Ms. DeSena will take another
look at sidewalk possibilities in that quadrant, including Lakeshore Drive. There was acknowledgment of
phrasing the recommendation about connectivity and Kings Highway Park for either a southern
connection or one to West King Street.
Kate Albrecht reported on the 4th district. She asked about the second recommendation regarding the
green space behind former Orange County Planning. She recommends keeping that recommendation in
there to explore the possibility. Ms. Trueblood will check the Orange County space study to see what
that building will be in the future. Kate explained that McAdams Road does not need a sidewalk.
Chairman Stabley reported on the 5th district. He wondered aloud whether there’s a way to promote a
pedestrian corridor down North Churton Street. Ms. Trueblood shared that there are plans to build
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sidewalks along the east side of North Churton Street. These plans need incorporated into the
Connectivity plan. Sidewalks in Corbin Creek Woods need to be added to the plan. Also, at the request
of the Town Board, Ms. Trueblood has trails mapped out for the Town Hall Campus that would be either
mulched or covered in Chapel Hill gravel. The idea is to make the campus grounds a welcoming place for
people to walk or bring a picnic lunch.
Ms. Trueblood covered the downtown area. She reviewed the language for this district, including
keeping the language about handicapped accessibility and the importance of making sure materials
enhance and preserve the character of the historic district. She believes the town will see a lot of
downtown infill over the next 50 years and so it’s important that handicapped accessibility and
pedestrian and cyclist accessibility should be considered in all developments.
There was brief discussion about Eno Mountain Road.
Ms. Trueblood reviewed other updates to maps for the Connectivity Plan. Ms. Trueblood reviewed
South Churton Street widening plans and the planned updating of the interstate interchanges.
Mr. Wehrman reviewed the southeast area that includes Valley Forge Road, Tuscarora Drive, and
Morelanda Drive. He recommends a sidewalk on Business 70 to connect to the Sportsplex.
Ms. Albrecht suggested, as part of her review of the Beckett’s Ridge area, that eventually the town
install a digital speed notification sign northbound on Old NC 86 before Cates Creek Parkway because of
increased pedestrian traffic in that area.
Item 5: Review updated Prohibited Park Activities policy
Ms. Trueblood reviewed this board’s draft list with Planning Director, Margaret Hauth. She shared the
revisions with this board.
Item 6: Update on Parks and Recreation Joint Advisory Board topics: Annie Jarabek
Moved to next month due to Ms. Jarabek’s absence.
Item 7: Reports and Updates- (Parks and Recreation related reports)
Town Board: Brian Lowen—Shared that developers on South Churton Street are
now authorized to pay 100 percent payment in lieu because the state plans to
come along and widen and put in sidewalks. Commissioner Lowen also shared
that neighbors on Faucette Mill Road across from a mobile home park that the
town has decided to annex want to be annexed, too. He explained the difficulty
of getting sewer lines to that area. Also, he reported that Chief Hampton gave a
report on Use of Force policy in the police department.
Planning Board: Chris Wehrman—The board reviewed the townhomes proposed for
Waterstone.
Mountains to Sea Trail- MST: staff—There’s another meeting of the OWASA board
coming up. They’ve started drafting conditions if they decided to allow trails
along their property.
Orange County: Annie Jarabek—absent
Intergovernmental Parks Work Group- IPWG: staff
Park Steward reports:
1. Gold Park: Annie Jarabek, Dog Park: Nancy Taylor—both absent
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2. Cates Creek Park: Kate Albrecht
3. Turnip Patch Park: Annie Jarabek—absent
4. Murray Street Park: Ashley DeSena—mowing crew has piled up sticks that need
to be taken to curb. A newly planted tree is gone.
5. Kings Highway Park: Todd Stabley—trash needs to be removed
6. Hillsborough Heights Park: Kim Woodell
7. Riverwalk: Robb English
8. Downtown Sidewalks/Mayo Park: staff
Staff Updates
--A young girl was burned on the large slide at Gold Park. The slide is warped and is
still under warranty, so she is going to replace it with different equipment.
There will still be a toddler slide, but it will be north facing. A few pieces of
equipment, including the toddler slide, are being replaced under warranty.
--Town is switching mowing crews (Ms. Trueblood wrote a new contract that
includes grounds maintenance).
-- The new planning position is posted and the town expects to hire in September.
-- CMAQ and sidewalk projects will bid in the fall, under construction in early 2017.
-- Orange Grove Road and South Churton projects progressing in DOT framework.
-- Cates Creek Park improvements are funded in the budget.
-- Interpretive signs will be installed soon.
-- Other replacement signs are coming, as well as a new one for the pollinator
garden at Gold Park.
-- Four benches were donated last month (two more in Gold Park on the back
bridge, one on Riverwalk phase 3, and one in front of Burwell School).
-- Downtown trash cans are being replaced with dual trash and recycling
receptacles. One will be installed at KHP and the entrance to Riverwalk, too.
-- She suggested this board hold a work day for KHP in the fall and open it to the
community.
-- A board member shared that two patrons of The Wooden Nickel brought their
own swings and attached them to the trees outside the pub.
-- Ms. Trueblood shared that Ms. Hauth was just informed that the state was giving
Hillsborough downtown revitalization money.
-- Ms. Albrecht volunteered to be the board member who takes a look at Cates
Creek Park and reports monthly.
Item 8: Adjourn
Motion: Mr. Wehrman moved to adjourn at 9:27 p.m.
Second: Ms. DeSena seconded.
Vote: Unanimous