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XCLTHidden Valley Segment

Charrette Presentation – September 21, 2017

Our Team

The Cross Charlotte Trail

Connecting Mecklenburg County from SC to Cabarrus Co.

IMAGINE...

26 miles of seamlessly connected greenways and urban trails.

Separated from automobile traffic.

Being able to bike or hike from Pineville to Uptown to Cabarrus County...

Dozens of destinations and neighborhoods along the way…

What is the Cross Charlotte Trail?

44

#XCLT

Where will XCLT take you?

PNC Music PavilionUNCCHidden ValleyNoDaCordelia ParkUptown CharlotteCPCC The MetropolitanCarolinas Medical CenterFreedom ParkPark Road Shopping CenterPark Road ParkCarolina Pavilion

80,000 residents

and 98,000 jobs

within ½ mile

Existing Trail Miles 7.6

To be Completed by County 5.5

To be Completed by City 12.8

Total Miles 25.9

How is it funded?

County: $28M spent to date + $25.5M more by 2020

City: $5M from 2014 bonds +$25M in 2016 bonds +$??? from future bonds TBD

Cross Charlotte Trail

A true City and County Partnership!

More than just Recreation…

• Economic Development• Business Investment• Tourism

• Transportation – get there without putting the keys in the ignition!

• Quality of Life – County Park and Rec. survey revealed paved trails are the #1 most desired amenity of residents

Why a Cross Charlotte Trail?

Master Plan (2015-2016)

‣ Develop vision, goals, and identify trail alignment

‣ Staff held community meetings and talked to hundreds of citizens‣ Pop-Up meetings‣ Neighborhoods‣ Public workshop

‣ 600+ comments received online

‣ Overwhelmingly supportive

‣ Completed MP in August 2016

‣ Alignment included a segment through Hidden Valley!

“How fast can you built it?”“How will I get to it”

Most common questions:

XCLT – What we’ve done so far…

XCLT – The Segments

The Hidden Valley Segment

What we need to connect.

Why this section?

Equity

‣ Connecting all nearby neighborhoods (residents) ‣ Amenities‣ Shopping‣ Work

Access

‣ To Parks‣ To Schools‣ To Transit

Recreation

‣ Environmental Education‣ Exercise + Fitness

B

North Tryon at Mellow Dr

A

North Tryon at Orr Rd

Process

Where we are, tonight.

Project Schedule – A Planning StudyWhere we are in the process

July 2017 March 2018

Charrette

Existing Conditions Research

EvaluateAlternatives

DevelopPlanningReport

DevelopPreferred

Alternative

PlanningReport

Complete

November 2017

PublicPresentation

Where we are, tonight.

What we heard from the public…

Stakeholder Driving Tours

‣ Ron Hare Trail and sewer line following the stream appear to be a logical alignment.

‣ It is important to connect the schools to

the Ecological Garden.

‣ CMS has prior experience with trails connecting to schools. Generally, trails provide a positive impact and there is a working partnership with CMS.

‣ Safety is a critical component to keep in mind with trail alignment.

First Public Meeting‣ Neighborhood connections to the future trail are very important.

‣ Underdeveloped land and the sewer easement should be utilized.

‣ Connect with more residents – Hidden Valley Community Association, etc.

‣ High quality design elements should be incorporated to enhance user

experience and address safety concerns – lighting, trash receptacles, and water fountains.

‣ Major concerns: safety and property impacts (physical + financial).

Trails and SafetyHow will it impact my community and will I be safe on the trail?

‣ A study completed at UNCC found that greenway-adjacent properties do NOT

incur a greater risk of crime than other properties within the same neighborhood statistical area.

‣ Studies show that trails themselves do NOT

generate crime.

‣ It is important to address safety concerns through neighborhood engagement, trail design and coordination with local law

enforcement.

What is CPTED?

‣ The proper design and effective use of the built environment can lead to the reduction in the incidence and fear of crime and thereby improve the quality of life.

‣ Site and situation specific

‣ Builds on 4 strategies: ‣ Natural Surveillance: Allow visibility, eyes on the trail‣ Territorial Reinforcement: Indicate public vs. private space,

ownership‣ Natural Access Control: Guide trail users‣ Maintenance: Sends the message that someone cares about the

space and discourages abnormal use

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design

engagement public artlighting

CPTED Strategies

6-foot, 2-foot rule wayfinding defining space

Our Goal: Connect the dots

What the Public Drew…

We developed multiple alternatives.

Alternative A

Alternative A

Pros

‣ Most scenic alternative (stream + pond)

‣ Follows Ron Hare Trail

‣ Follows Little Sugar Creek

‣ Closest access to Hidden Valley residents

‣ Shortest spur trail to the Ecological Garden

1.5 mile main spine (+ 0.1 mile spur trail to the Ecological Garden)

Cons

‣ Greatest residential property impacts

‣ Most potential environmental impacts (floodplain/floodway)

‣ Furthest alternative from Old Concord Blue Line Station

Alternative B

Alternative B1.4 mile main spine (+ 0.2 mile spur trail to the Ecological Garden)

Pros

‣ Utilizes vacant property, where available

‣ Utilizes planned developments

‣ Lower impacts to residential properties

‣ Shortest alternative

‣ Closer access to Old Concord Blue Line Station

‣ Least potential ecological impacts

Cons

‣ Greater commercial property impacts

‣ Least scenic

‣ Longer spur trail to the Ecological Garden

Alternative C

Alternative C1.4 mile main spine, 0.8 mile loop (+ 0.2 mile spur trail)

Pros

‣ Moderately scenic (stream)

‣ Utilizes planned developments

‣ Lower impacts to residential properties

‣ Closer access to Old Concord Blue Line Station

‣ Less potential ecological impacts

Cons

‣ Greater commercial property impacts

‣ Longest spur trail to the Ecological Garden

‣ Longest alternative

Opportunities for Trail Amenities

Potential Amenity Area

HAWK signal

Trail Connection

Potential Amenity Area

HAWK signal

Trail Connection

A

B

What might the trail look like?

*Trail at N Tryon

A

B

What might the trail look like?

*Trail at Mellow Dr

A

B

What might the trail look like?

*Trail at MLK Jr

A

B

What might the trail look like?

*Trail at Bilmark Ave

Next StepsHow we will evaluate the alternatives:

Public Feedback

‣ Give your feedback tonight!

‣ We will be visiting neighborhood groups in the coming weeks.

‣ Visit the project website.

Evaluation Matrix – We will study:

‣ Property Impacts (Residential + Commercial)

‣ Construction Cost Estimates

‣ Environmental Impacts

‣ Public Feedback

Project Schedule – A Planning StudyWhere we are in the process

July 2017 March 2018

Charrette

Existing Conditions Research

EvaluateAlternatives

DevelopPlanningReport

DevelopPreferred

Alternative

PlanningReport

Complete

November 2017

PublicPresentation

Contact: Walta Brumskine – Walta.Brumskine@charlottenc.gov

CharlotteFuture.com/XCLT