Piedmont Greenway Master Plan - Town of Kernersville

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Health and Recreation Benefits Greenways encourage people to walk or bike to short-distance destinations. Studies have shown that as little as 30 minutes a day of moderate-intensity exercise (such as bicycling, walking, in-line skating or cross-country skiing) can significantly improve mental and physical health and help prevent certain diseases. Providing opportunities for participation in outdoor activities close to where people live and work is an important component of promoting healthy lifestyles for Piedmont residents. In 1987, the President’s Commission on Americans Outdoors released a report that profiled the modern pursuit of leisure and defined the current quality of life for Americans. Limited access to outdoor resources was cited as a growing problem throughout the nation. The commission recommended that a national system of greenways could provide all Americans with access to linear open-space resources. This proposed central Piedmont Greenway is designed to complement the community’s existing parks and open space system. Trail systems are developed not only for alternative transportation, but also to serve as primary recreation and fitness resources. Additionally, the greenway can help meet the passive recreation needs of Piedmont’s growing population of older residents, enhancing the region’s reputation as a popular place to retire. Cultural Benefits Greenways are a tool to enhance cultural assets and protect historic resources in the Piedmont area. Successful greenway projects across the United States have served as new “main streets”, where neighbors meet, children play and community groups gather to celebrate. For cities and towns large and small, greenways have become a focal point for community activities. Some communities sponsor “greenway days” to celebrate the outdoors and local traditions. Walking and running events are held on greenways to support charity or extend traditional sporting events. Many civic groups adopt segments of greenways for clean up, litter removal and environmental awareness programs. Some greenways, like San Antonio’s River Walk, are focal points not only for community activities, but also for economic development. Numerous National Register of Historic Places, locally significant sites and historic districts represent the richness and diversity of the Piedmont area’s historic resources. The interpretation of historic and archeological sites along greenways can serve to increase the awareness and appreciation of Piedmont’s rich history. As example, the historic Old Guilford Mill is an active restored grist-mill still in operation that could provide a future educational feature for the greenway system. Greenways can also be vehicles to provide controlled public access to important cultural sites in ways that promote preservation and enhance interpretive opportunities. Safety Benefits Many Americans are concerned about crime. According to a report by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) and the National Park Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program, crime and safety concerns are very low for trails. The report, Rail-Trails and Safe communities, released in January, 1998, shows that out of 372 trails that cover approximately 7,000 miles of trail with more 45 million annual users, RTC found only 3% of responding trails which had experienced any type of major crime. The study found that common sense and preventative measures should be used on trails to ensure the lowest possible levels of crime, trails remain much safer than many other environments. Simply stated the study said "crime occurs on roads, parking lots, in shop-ping malls, office buildings, airports, and at zoos. However, no one would rationally argue that we shouldn’t build any of the above because crime will occur there." The same should be said for all trail types. Additionally, RTC also found that letters from law enforcement agencies support these findings. Crime statistics and reports from law enforcement officials have shown that parks and greenways are typically land uses with the lowest incidence of reported criminal activity. They consistently report that rail-trails do not encourage crime. Some of the most successful deterrents to criminal activity have involved increased neighborhood awareness by citizens and participation in community watch programs. Greenways have proven to be an effective tool to encourage local residents to participate in neighborhood watch programs. As a recreation resource, alternative transportation corridor or site where fitness activities can take place, most greenways provide a safer and more user-friendly resource than other linear corridors, such as local roads. Greenways typically attract local residents who use the facility frequently, thus creating an environment that is virtually self-policing. Additionally, greenways— PIEDMONT GREENWAY Final Master Plan Report 8
whether publicly or privately owned—are dedicated for multiple uses and are normally designed to meet federal, state, and local standards for public safety. Water Quality and Water Quantity Benefits Greenways often preserve wooded open spaces along creeks and streams, which absorb floodwaters and filter pollutants from storm water. Flooding can be a significant problem, especially when building and other land uses encroach into flood-prone areas. As an example, by designating the floodplains of Reedy Fork Creek, and Moore’s Creek, and other tributary creeks of the system as greenways, the encroachments can be better managed and in some cases replaced with linear open space. This open space serves as an amenity to local residents and businesses whose property lies adjacent to the greenway. Greenways can also provide needed floodwater storage capacity. As a flood control measure, greenway corridors serve as a primary storage zone during periods of heavy rainfall. The protected floodplain can be used during non-flood periods for other activities, including recreation and alternative transportation. In conjunction with existing storm water management policies and programs, greenway lands can be established as development occurs. The savings realized in reduced flood-damage claims can offset the expense associated with the establishment of the greenway system. Additionally, for those residents who are required to purchase flood insurance, implementation of a community-wide central greenway system in the region is likely to result in reduced flood insurance rates. Greenway corridors can improve the surface water quality of local rivers and creeks. The floodplain forests and wetlands contained within the Reedy Creek, Moore’s Creek and small tributary creeks floodway act as filters for pollutants from storm water. These pollutants are not removed if storm water is collected in pipes and discharged directly into local streams and rivers. Improving surface water quality in streams not only benefits local residents, and the continued protection of the critical watershed boundary associated with Reedy Fork Creek in Guilford County, but also numerous forms of wildlife that depend on streams for their habitat. In the Piedmont Greenway Master Plan, one of the critical issues is regional protection of the natural environment. Air Quality Benefits Greenways as alternative transportation corridors are designed to reduce traffic congestion, helping to improve local air quality. Automobile emissions in the Piedmont area are a major source of such air pollutants as nitrates and carbon monoxide. One of the important recommendations of the assessment was the “study and implementation of appropriate transportation control measures/ programs to reduce mobile emissions.” Offering viable, alternative transportation choices through greenways would encourage people to bicycle and walk more often, especially on short trips, thereby reducing traffic congestion and automobile emissions. The Triad is able to meet air quality standards at present and has not been designated as a federal “non-attainment” area (see www.epa.gov/airs/nonattn.html, for more information). However, air quality monitoring shows that levels of such air pollutants as ozone are increasing. Due to the area’s topography, weather inversions can confine and concentrate pollutants, causing sporadic increased air pollution. Plant and Animal Habitat Benefits Greenway corridors serve as viable habitat for many species of plants and wildlife. Greenways provide essential food sources and, most importantly, access to water that is required by all wildlife. Additionally, a central greenway corridor could become a primary migratory corridor for terrestrial wildlife, serving to help maintain the integrity of many plant and animal gene pools. Some wildlife biologists have extolled greenways as future “gene-ways” and determined that migration routes are essential to maintaining healthy wildlife populations. Greenways can also serve as “gene-ways” for plant species, which migrate with changes in climate and habitat. These “gene-ways” often follow river and stream corridors that have long served as transportation routes for animals and humans. The Piedmont Greenway can be targeted as a primary habitat for many species of plants and animals. Programs can be established to protect the valuable existing forest and wetland areas of the region, and to reclaim and restore streams to support higher quality habitat. PIEDMONT GREENWAY Final Master Plan Report 9
Page 1 and 2: The Piedmont Greenway Master Plan L
Page 3 and 4: TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary
Page 5 and 6: LIST OF MAPS & FIGURES Figure 1: Re
Page 7 and 8: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Piedmont Gree
Page 9 and 10: OVERVIEW AND INTRODUCTION Since the
Page 11 and 12: VISION, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES The fo
Page 13: BENEFITS OF GREENWAYS A multi-objec
Page 17 and 18: sensitive to erosion and need to be
Page 19 and 20: Mixed Hardwood Forest Ecosystem Sev
Page 21 and 22: mercial in some parts and open farm
Page 23 and 24: ounding Triad Park and Kernersville
Page 25 and 26: main Piedmont Greenway trail along
Page 27 and 28: The status of local lines could cha
Page 29 and 30: • As an alternative, the south si
Page 31 and 32: Proposed Piedmont Greenway Alignmen
Page 33 and 34: Primary Piedmont Greenway Segments
Page 35 and 36: 39 Willow Bend Legend Deer Crossing
Page 37 and 38: Croyden Ches Legend Morris Primary
Page 39 and 40: Brittainywood Roberson Farm Valleyd
Page 41 and 42: Legend Roxbury Primary Greenway Tra
Page 43 and 44: Legend Primary Greenway Trail Road
Page 45 and 46: Old Orchard Woodfield Cathi Nickel
Page 47 and 48: Asbury Deere Hitachi Kernersville L
Page 49 and 50: Farmwood Legend Piney Grove Bost Ra
Page 51 and 52: 0 Ira Main Chaucer Manor Clay Flynt
Page 53 and 54: Bunker Hill Saddle Brook Dapple Gre
Page 55 and 56: Morganshire Parcel Data not Availab
Page 57 and 58: Gaylord Morganshire Faye Legend Ree
Page 59 and 60: Windcrest Bronco Wooden Rail Watert
Page 61 and 62: Legend Hepatica Summerfield Summerf
Page 63 and 64: safety railings be installed where
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ADA Requirements The Americans with
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COST ESTIMATE FROM SALEM LAKE & LIN
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No. Item Qty. Unit Price Total V. K
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No. Item Qty. Unit Price Total VIII
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No. Item Qty. Unit Price Total XIII
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Estimate of Probable Land Acquisiti
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GREENWAY FUNDING SOURCES The most s
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PL 566-Watershed Protection and Flo
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METHODS OF GAINING PUBLIC ACCESS Ac
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Greenway Facility Safety and Securi
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2) a risk management plan that appr
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landowner may still be sued but the
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NORTH CAROLINA TORT CLAIMS ACTS AND
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Supplemental Information ADDITIONAL
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THE WATERSHEDS OF FORSYTH AND GUILF
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By designating buffers within flood
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Appendix B: Public Meeting & Worksh
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Appendix D: Public Meeting & Worksh
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Appendix E: NC News Piedmont Greenw
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PIEDMONT GREENWAY Final Master Plan
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sources of water supply for drinkin
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Piedmont Greenway Master Plan - Town of Kernersville

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