TO: Mayor and Members of City Council
THRU: Doug Hewett, ICMA-CM - City Manager
Telly C. Whitfield, Ph.D. - Assistant City Manager
FROM: Michael Gibson - Parks, Recreation, and Maintenance Director
Taurus L. Freeman, MPA, Planning & Zoning Division Manager
DATE: January 11, 2020
RE:
Title
Adoption of the Center City Parks & Trails Master Plan
end
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S):
Council District(s)
2 - Shakeyla Ingram
5 - Johnny Dawkins
b
Relationship To Strategic Plan:
Goal 4 - Desirable Place to Live, Work, and Recreate
• Objective A: To enhance recreation, leisure, and cultural opportunities for all to thrive that reflects diversity.
• Objective B: To provide for a clean and beautiful community with increase green spaces.
• Objective C: To improve mobility and connectivity investing in traffic flows strategies, sidewalks, trails, and bike lanes.
Executive Summary:
The Center City Parks & Trails Plan was developed in partnership between the Parks, Recreation and Maintenance Division, Development Services, and the Linear Park Committee. The plan was developed by Urban Design Associates (UDA), with Stewart Engineering, and encompasses previous planning with future development. The study centers on the downtown area, extending north to Langdon Street, west to Glenville Ave, east to Dunn Road, and south to Campbell Terrace Road
Background:
The City of Fayetteville has a number of greenways that have been developed over the years. The Linear Park Committee, spearheaded by Mr. Harry Shaw, worked with the City for more than two decades developing a series of park spaces and trails along the banks of Cross Creek between Festival Park and the Cross Creek Cemetery. The current trail extends to the Riverside Dog Park and will eventually connect to the Cape Fear River and Cape Fear Botanical Gardens. The Fayetteville Downtown Urban Design Master Plan, adopted in 2019, recommends enhancements to Cross Creek Linear Park as well as the extension of the greenway to both the east and west.
The realignment of the Rowan Street Bridge provides additional opportunities for a point of entry on the northwest side of downtown, via trail way. In this area exists the opportunity to connect to the Little Cross Creek Trail currently ending in Mazarick Park. The Murchison Road Corridor Study, adjacent to the Mazarick Park area, recommends extending the greenway trail from the park to the North Carolina Veterans Park location downtown. Included in the plan is the utilization of flood-prone land along Cross Creek and Murchison Road for parks or greenspaces. The development of North Carolina Veterans Park, Phase II will allow for seamless access in this area.
Issues/Analysis:
The Center City Parks & Trails Master Plan is meant to be a blueprint for the future Center City Parks system. It focuses on enhancements of key parks, including the sig-nature Cross Creek Linear Park and outlines how to utilize additional public lands and nat-ural resources through programming and im-provements. Goals of the plan include creating an identity and attractions, improving access and knitting together different parts of down-town and nearby neighborhoods to improve quality of life, health, and pedestrian safety, providing opportunities for programming and culture, beautification and improvements to the tree canopy and creating opportunities to improve the resiliency of the city and encour-age revitalization.
The Plan has several key components:
• Major Recommendations:
o Extend Cross Creek Linear Park;
o Enhance existing parks;
o New parks & public spaces;
o New neighborhood Connections; and
o Wayfinding
• Implementation:
o Coordination and corridor preparation;
o Develop a capital improvements plan for the corridor;
o Develop a fundraising campaign in coordination with stakeholders and nonprofits;
o Conduct public engagement activities to refine designs, determine programming and implementation priorities;
o Develop RFPs for the design and construction drawings needed to construct various trail and park projects with the use of this document as a guide;
o Establish final construction costs for various phases of the corridor projects;
o Develop an Operations and Maintenance Plan and Program; and
o Execute construction of various trail and park projects.
• Design Palette:
o Existing materials and conditions within the corridor were evaluated and leveraged to create a palette of hardscape materials, lighting fixtures, furnishings, plantings and other elements that can help define the “brand” of the parks, trails and public spaces near Downtown Fayetteville.
Budget Impact:
This study is currently funded.
Options:
• Adoption of the Center City Parks and Trails Master Plan as presented;
• Denial of the aforementioned plan;
• Recommend revisions and adoption of the plan; or
• Remand back to staff for further information.
Recommended Action:
Staff recommends that City Council adoption of the Center City Parks and Trails Master Plan as presented.
Attachments:
• Center City Parks & Trails Master Plan