McAlpine Creek Greenway
Community Workshop #1 Minutes
January 29, 2009
Sardis Road to Providence Road
January 29, 2009
Location: The Fletcher School- Rankin Conference Room
8500 Sardis Road, Charlotte NC 28270
City Council Representative
Andy Dulin, City Council District 6
Greenway Advisory Council
Representatives (GAC)
Scott McClure, Chair
Dick Winters
Minutes
Mecklenburg County Storm Water
Services Representative (LUESA)
James Gordon, Project Manager
McKim & Creed Representative
Tim Schueler, Project Manager for Stream
Restoration Project
Roy Alexander
Charlotte Mecklenburg Utilities
Representative (CMU)
Arnold Jarrell, Project Manager
Charlotte Department of Transportation
Representatives (CDOT)
Wirth & Associates Representatives
Carr Mumford, Project Manager for
Greenway
Kyle Hillard, Landscape Architect
Mecklenburg County Park and
Recreation Representatives (MCPR)
Linda Poissant, Supervisor, Right-of –Way
Management/Engineering Services
Jeff McSwain, ROW Manager
Jeff Boenisch, CDOT/Engineering Assistant
Julie Clark, Division Director, Greenway
Planning & Development
James Worsley, East Park Regional
Manager
Palmer J. Hamilton, Director, Park Watch
Gwen Cook, Greenway Planner
Joe Mangum, Greenway Planner
Maya Agarwal, Greenway Planner
Lenny Lampel, Natural Resources Division
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McAlpine Creek Greenway
Community Workshop #1 Minutes
January 29, 2009
Citizens attending: 41 citizens signed in; citizens present estimated at 70.
Call to order – 7:00 PM
1. Welcome- Scott McClure
Scott McClure, Chair of the Greenway Advisory Council welcomed everyone to the workshop.
He briefly explained the role of the Greenway Advisory Council. He explained the Council’s role is to serve as citizen liaisons to greenway planning staff and ultimately report to the Park and Recreation Commission which is appointed by the Board of County Commission. Scott introduced two of the Greenway Advisory Council members present – Dick Winters and Roy
Alexander. He then invited Len Brinkley to share information about The Fletcher School who graciously provided the meeting room for the workshop. Len informed the group that The
Fletcher School is for children with mild learning disabilities and/or attention deficit disorders who need special strategies for learning.
2. Introductions- Julie Clark
Julie Clark introduced staff present who would later be sharing information with the group. She noted we would be following the Agenda provided. The purpose of the meeting is to gain pubic input to inform the design of this section of greenway.
3. Site Orientation- Julie Clark
Julie Clark described the larger plans for extending McAlpine Creek Greenway.

Existing McAlpine Creek Greenway/ Campbell Creek Greenway trail stretches from
Margaret Wallace Road to Sardis Road, a distance of approximately 5.1 miles. The greenway corridor identified on the 2008 Master Plan extends from Mint Hill to the SC state line.

McAlpine Creek Greenway will ultimately connect Mint Hill to the SC state line.

This proposed mile-long section would extend existing Upper McAlpine Creek
Greenway south to Providence Road.

Lower McAlpine Creek Greenway will be extended north to Hwy 51 as well with 2008 bond funds.
4. Site Features- Gwen Cook
Gwen Cook described the many attributes of the site that affect how the alignment of the greenway is approached.

One of the most important factors is property ownership…land either owned by
Mecklenburg County or publically owned land such as road rights-of-way. Greenway trail can be located only on property where the County has a legal right to build and operate the trail and the vast majority of County-owned land is along the south side of the creek.

Already disturbed areas such as sewer easements are often used for trails. With the new relief sewer, sewer easements will be located on both sides of the creek.

Gas easements are more restrictive in terms of trail development. They may be crossed but serve as limited avenues for greenway trail construction. A gas line is located on the
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McAlpine Creek Greenway
Community Workshop #1 Minutes
January 29, 2009 north side of McAlpine Creek.

Active community gardens are north of the creek on County-owned land near Sardis
Road.

A concrete pad for greenway was constructed by the North Carolina Department of
Transportation on the south side of the creek under the Providence Road bridge.

The existing habitat on the south side of the creek is primarily wooded floodplain.
5. Other Projects
Two other entities are involved in projects related to the greenway.

Both City and County Storm Water Services, part of the Land Use and Environmental
Services Agency (LUESA), are designing stream restoration projects for McAlpine
Creek and the major tributaries. A map of the proposed design was shown.

CMU has designed a relief sewer line to be constructed on the south side of the creek.
6. Greenway Trail Location, Destinations and Assessment- Julie Clark and Gwen Cook
A map showing the proposed alignment of the trail was shown. The alignment will likely change slightly to accommodate ADA requirements as noted below, but the concept and the reasons for placing the trail will likely remain the same.

Property ownership, shown on the map, is the primary driver for locating greenway trail.

Greenways are intended to comply with the requirements of the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA). Grade changes will be studied in greater detail once additional survey information becomes available.

Destinations for the trail include a connection with existing greenway at Sardis Road and with the concrete pad provided by NCDOT at Providence Road, both on the south side of the creek.

The intent is to eventually connect as many people as possible to fully activate the greenway.

In future projects, the main trail will continue south beyond Providence Road and a bridge to Heatherwood and other multi-family developments on the north side of the creek is proposed. Additional access trails are desirable as future improvements. These proposed connections are not funded at this time.

Current funding and land ownership will allow neighborhood access for the Sardis Hills subdivision.

The parking at Sardis Road is often filled and street side parking on Old Bell Road is a problem for the Sardis Hills neighborhood. The conceptual plan calls for increasing the size of the parking lot to accommodate approximately 40-50 cars to help alleviate the parking problem.

The sidewalks along Providence Road are approximately 4’ wide and are separated from the road by a very narrow grass strip. Heavy pedestrian use will not be easily accommodated by these sidewalks. Therefore, trail connections to neighborhoods on both the south and north sides of the creek along Providence Road are desired.

The proposed route of the greenway trail will utilize the relief sewer easement as much as possible to reduce the need for additional clearing and disturbance.

Greenway trail construction is not scheduled to occur until after CMU constructs the relief sewer. Relief sewer construction depends on funding and could begin in 2010 or
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McAlpine Creek Greenway
Community Workshop #1 Minutes
January 29, 2009 be delayed until 2012.
7. Presentations on Related Information by Staff- Julie Clark and others

Arnold Jarrell, CMU, shared details about the relief sewer easement and design and answered questions. The proposed relief sewer will be located on the south side of the creek, removing trees in both the 50’ permanent easement and the 30’ temporary easement, a total width of 80’. The sewer pipe will be buried in a trench approximately
20’-25’ deep. Installation could occur as early as 2010 or later in 2012, depending on funding.

Linda Poissant of CDOT explained the definition of right-of-way and how rights-of-way are acquired. In the case of Old Bell Road, the right-of-way was dedicated as part of the subdivision plat. The right-of-way is for public uses such as roads, sidewalks, utilities, etc.

Lenny Lampel, MCPR Natural Resources Division, explained that habitat and wildlife data has been collected on the County property for many years. As many as 190 different species of birds have been observed in this area of McAlpine Creek. He stated the
Division will work with the greenway planners as the design of the trail continues. He encouraged residents to call Don Seriff (704-432-1391), Natural Resources Program
Manager, for specific information. Mr. Seriff has managed the collection and update of wildlife information on this site for years.

James Gordon, LUESA, further described the stream restoration project and goals and answered related questions.
8. Presentation of Opportunities and Constraints Identified by the Stakeholder Group on
1.22.09- Dick Winters
Dick Winters, Greenway Advisory Council Member, briefly outlined the greenway planning process which is comprised of two kinds of public outreach -- stakeholder meetings and community workshops. As outlined in the newly adopted Park and Recreation Comprehensive
Master Plan, a group of stakeholders, comprised of individuals representing landowners, nearby neighborhoods, businesses, and institutions, park and recreation staff responsible for facility maintenance and operation, as well as park and greenway advisory council members were asked to provide initial input into the design of the project. At the stakeholder workshop, the participants were asked to identify the opportunities and constraints associated with the conceptual design. Dick shared the results of the initial stakeholder meeting for this project held on 1/22/09:
Stakeholder Opportunities Identified

Change alignment of the trail

Expand parking to relieve current parking and provide safe passage on Old Bell Road (40 spaces is too small)

Restrooms

Water Quality Features

Work with CMUD to minimize disturbance to forest

Get under Providence Road

Parking at Providence Road

Consider placing trail on apartments land
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McAlpine Creek Greenway
Community Workshop #1 Minutes
January 29, 2009

Consider parking on 5 lots across Sardis Road

Consider directing parking to other locations when parking lot is full

Explore lighting for safety at parking on Old Bell Road

Increase Park Watch Patrols
Stakeholder Constraints Identified

Loss of privacy

Parking and trash due to on-street parking

Difficulty entering and exiting driveways

Cost of bridges to cross the creek

Similar concerns if trail realigned to opposite side of creek

Topography constraint for parking and trail configuration at Providence Road

Safety/crime due to access trail

Loss of trees may lead to flooding and erosion problems

Loss of wildlife

Decrease of home values due to trail looping around property

Non-ownership of property for trail alignment shown

Possible wetlands
9. Additional Opportunities and Constraints Identified by the
Community Workshop Attendees- Julie Clark
Julie Clark asked workshop participants to identify additional opportunities and constraints.
Gwen Cook recorded the comments on flip chart paper. General questions were also asked and answered:
Additional Opportunities Identified by Workshop Participants

[Provide] Connection to Bishop Ridge

Potential acquisition of four lots on Old Bell Road

[Provide] Parking at Providence Square

Consider north side of creek for trail

Bridge to north and go to Providence Road

Control (decrease) deer population

Make creek a natural viaduct for storm water

A property on north side of creek, west of Providence Road is for sale

Provide trail surface for runners

Continue negotiations with Old Bell Road landowners

Consider better wayfinding to existing restroom in nearby parks in lieu of providing a restroom at Sardis Road

Look for potential access locations

Remove invasives and restore wildlife habitat

Explore surface types (boardwalk)
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McAlpine Creek Greenway
Community Workshop #1 Minutes
January 29, 2009
Additional Constraints Identified by Workshop Participants

North side of creek, west of Providence Road, is too steep [for trail]

No one would want a restroom at a neighborhood entrance

Must control access at night, closing greenway and parking lot

Restrict parking on Old Bell Road

Disturbance of lovely natural areas

Is there a need for a restroom here?

What makes this section a high priority for development?

Spending taxpayers funds

Want to see definitive location of parking

Study impact on three owners on Old Bell Road

Sardis Hills neighborhood lives on their streets. Avoid increased traffic. Project compromises safety and health. Want country appearance, quality of life.
10. Summary- Julie Clark
Julie thanked everyone for attending. She explained that the information collected at both the stakeholder and community workshops would be taken into account as trail design continued.
Participants will be alerted as to the next upcoming workshop. Participants were then asked to participate in the Question and Answer Session. Participants were directed to tables at the back of the room where staff were available to answer specific questions. Four stations were set up with staff and consultants:

Greenway (Wirth & Associates, CDOT)

Stream Restoration (LUESA, McKim & Creed)

Relief Sewer (CMU)

Environment, Operations and Maintenance (Park Watch, Regional Park Managers,
Natural Resources staff)
The Community Workshop was adjourned at 9:15 PM. Many citizens remained for the Question and Answer period.
11.
For More Information

The preliminary greenway trail alignment map can be viewed at www.parkandrec.com
.

If you have any comments or questions, please call Gwen Cook, Greenway Planner at
704-432-1570 or Gwen.Cook@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov
. Please let Gwen know if any information in these minutes does not reflect your understanding of the information presented or input received during this meeting.

Participants will be notified of future workshops by mail as well as email (if provided).
Enclosure: Additional written comments received
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McAlpine Creek Greenway
Community Workshop #1 Minutes
January 29, 2009
January 29, 2009
Comment 1-
Bishops Ridge residents are very concerned about greenway connection to apartment complex
(Heatherwood Apartments). That is a high crime area and we are concerned the connection will give the “troublemakers” easy access to the back of our neighborhood and houses.
Comment 2-
Deer Population- eating plants
-See herds of 8- 10 deer
-I know we are encroaching on their land, but what do we do?
-Parking on both sides of Old Bell Road
Comment 3-
Teresa Yurlcovich
Several neighbors on Chalyce Lane- Bishops Ridge- love our privacy and do not want it altered in any way.
Comment 4-
Andrew Swistak
I love the greenways! I do have to say that all paved surfaces don’t work well for runners. I uses Lower McAlpine and Upper McAlpine and love the gravel surface and side trails of Upper
McAlpine. One thing to check might be the PRE’s Trail in Eugene, Oregon.
Something else to add variety would be more ‘natural’ side trails (like at Upper
McAlpine)…provides shade, hills, soft surfaces.
Also avid disc golfer and love the courses, and charmeck P&R and Charlotte Disc Golf Club.
Comment 5-
Consider cutting off Old Bell Road short of Sardis Road to remove it as a neighborhood entrance and satisfy neighborhood concerns about the appearance of their entrance.
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