Good stewardship of Bolin Forest includes Greenway access

In all the work we at Save Bolin Creek do in favor of a forest preserve and opposing the proposed creek side route, sometimes it is easy to forget that we do support phases 1a, 1b, and 2 as paved greenways.  These are stand-alone amenities for the Town and don’t need to be connected to a creek side route to function effectively.  These routes have already been approved, and will help bike transit circulation throughout town.

Save Bolin Creek does support some of the proposed paved routes

It is a good to review the map produced by Greenway’s INC to see where these routes are. Below is a thumbnail, click it to get to the Executive Summary.

Greenways INC Phase Map

From the summary, here are the route descriptions with cost estimates.

PHASE 1A: Wilson Park to Railroad – $266,304
PHASE 1B: CNF to Claremont – $770,277
PHASE 2: Jones Creek – $672,451
PHASE 3: Carolina North Forest – $1,211,590
PHASE 4: Railroad to PH Craig Tract – $1,086,724

We are supporting Phase 2, planned to be built between Homestead and Lake Hogan Farm. This route will also go along the creek although the terrain is such that the sewer easement is usually at least 50 feet away from the stream. This is a sizeable area that will allow for handicap access along the creek. The route runs all the way out to Route 86 and to Morris Grove Elementary School.

We also suppport 1 B which will enable walking and biking connections between Claremont I north of Homestead Road and Chapel Hill High School and Seawell Elementary School south of Homestead Road.  There are several alignments under consideration by the Greenways Commission once the route goes underneath the road.  We support the staff recommendation to build the green route that stays away from the wetlands and heads more directly to the schools.

These paths are important because they do get the northern neighborhoods tied into the alternative bike transportation and allows them to avoid Homestead Road which is one of the worst roads to bike in town, (no shoulders, cars going very fast).

For the reasons outlined before we oppose phases 3 and 4:

• paving and construction in the riparian zone is detrimental to water quality
• more expensive than alternatives
• loss of large trees
• needed blasting of rock, grading and retaining walls in hill sides
• violates Jordan Lake (water quality) rules

We believe that the Seawell School road path planned as part of the Carolina North project is a much better place to put phases 3 and 4. Recent plans outlined during the last Carolina North Permitting meeting (June 21)  have included a path next to Seawell School Rd. This would be much like the one at Meadowmont in Chapel Hill which is not located on the roadway:

Road side trail at Meadowmont

Our hope is that the tracts of forest where phases 3 and 4 are discussed become a preserve. UNC and the Town of Carrboro own the majority of the land and have pledged to conserve it.  The planned greenways surrounding this preserve would provide excellent access to it.

Save Bolin Creek supports the following

• For creek erosion: Members of the Friends of Bolin Creek are working on a restoration and conservation plan. The Town of Carrboro, meanwhile, is involved in restoration efforts.
• For alternative transportation routes: Carrboro, Chapel Hill and UNC all have existing or planned bike lanes surrounding this entire stretch of forest.
• For accessibility to this natural beauty: Groups are working to make this a nature preserve, open to everyone. We must keep in mind that accessibility does not require a paved transportation route through the most sensitive part of a forest, in the heart of a riparian zone next to the creek. If we pave over the Bolin Creek trail, the creek’s natural beauty will be lost, and no one will have access to what now is so special about this area. Smaller scale access is preferable through the use of boardwalks.