Parks, Recreation, Greenways, and Open Space ... - Town of Apex

One hundred year floodplain information is producedby FEMA and can be found on their website athttp://www.fema.gov. These areas have specificregulatory requirements and protective measures fordevelopment.In addition to the federal and state rules referencedabove, the Town of Apex has regulations in place thatprotect the watersheds within the town which areoutlined in the Town’s Unified Development Ordinance(UDO) 6.1 WATERSHED PROTECTION OVERLAYDISTRICTS. Areas within these overlay districts mustadhere to specific regulatory requirements includingbuffer and density requirements.Additionally, the UDO outlines flood protectionrequirements in an effort to promote the publichealth, safety, and general welfare of the Town andto minimize public and private losses due to floodconditions in specific areas as outlined in provisions6.2 FLOOD DAMAGE PREVENTION OVERLAY DISTRICT.REGIONAL PARK CONNECTIONSApex is located in southwest Wake County and locatedadjacent to Cary, NC, and Holly Springs, NC, both ofwhich provide their own recreation resources. Thestate capitol of Raleigh is also nearby with plentifulgreenways, recreation facilities, and programs. BondPark in Cary serves as a greenway hub, and boasts alake with boathouse, ropes course, picnic shelters,athletic fields, multi-use fields, and an educationcenter. In addition to these nearby towns, there areseveral regional facilities which provide open spaceand recreational opportunities for Apex residents.REGIONAL FACILITIESJordan Lake, located just west of Apex, is approximately15,000 acres with approximately 30,000 acres ofadjacent lands. The facility offers picnic areas, trails,boat launch areas, and camping.Harris Lake County Park is a Wake County runfacility located just southwest of Apex. A portion ofthis property has been developed as parkland andincludes trails, playgrounds, fishing, picnicking, andenvironmental education. This provides a muchneeded recreational resource to residents south andwest of Highway 1.FUTURE GREENWAY TRAILCONNECTIONSThe American Tobacco Trail (ATT) is a 30 mile rails-to-trails project that would provide a regional trailconnection for residents to downtown Durham nearthe Durham Bulls Athletic Park and to New Hill OliveChapel Rd. in western Wake County.Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve is located east ofApex off of Ten Ten Road and is a part of the Townof Cary Parks, Recreation, and Cultural ResourcesDepartment. The approximately 150 acre tractcontains trails, a stand of Hemlock trees, and a naturecenter with educational displays and environmentaleducation classes.Regency Park Symphony Lake is also a part ofthe Town of Cary Parks, Recreation, and CulturalResources Department Park System. Located east ofApex on Tryon Road, it houses the North CarolinaSymphony during the summer months. There is a longrange opportunity to link to park trails and Cary areagreenways.Bond Park is located northeast of Apex in Cary andserves as a regional facility for the Town of Cary. Thereis an opportunity to connect Apex residents to thispark by creating future trail connections northeast ofApex Community Park.2-13 | Section 2