Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation is seeking public input for the new Park and Rec. Master Plan.  Your input can make a difference in how the county prioritizes future projects and funding through bonds.  See the schedule below.  Thanks!  -Brian

Park and Recreation master plan public workshops schedule
Monday, February 25th at 2:00 pm-3:30 pm, Senior Center at Marion Diehl Park, 2219 Tyvola Road, Charlotte NC  28210-2922
 
Monday, February 25th from 6:30 pm -8:00 pm at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, 3301 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte NC  28216
 
Tuesday, February 26th from 6:30 pm- 8:00 pm at Cornelius Town Hall, 21445 Catawba Ave, Cornelius, NC  28301

Wednesday, February 27th from 6:30 pm- 8:00 pm at Matthews Town Hall, 232 Matthews Station St., Matthews NC  28105

Thursday, February 28th from 6:30 pm- 8:00 pm at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Government Center in Room CH-14 (basement level), 600 E. Fourth Street, Charlotte NC  28202

MECKLENBURG'S NEW PARK AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN  
CITIZENS INVITED TO HEAR WIDE-RANGING RECOMMENDATIONS
   
Charlotte, NC--Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department and its nationally-known consultant will present during the last week in February their recommended Master Plan for parks and recreation in Mecklenburg County. This Master Plan will cover the next ten years.  

If approved by Mecklenburg County Commissioners, the Master Plan will guide decision making on development, land acquisition and management of parks, greenways, recreation centers, nature preserves, and recreation programs in the County.  The prime consultant on this project is Leon Younger, president of PROS Consulting, LLC Team. Younger was a parks and recreation director in Indianapolis and other cities.  He and his team of experts have consulted on recreation plans all over America.

This Master Plan will be presented in public sessions Countywide:

Feb. 25, 2pm: Senior Center on 2225 Tyvola Road (special presentation for seniors) 
Feb. 25, 6:30pm: Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, Beatties Ford Road 
Feb. 26, 6:30pm:  Cornelius Town Hall, 21445 Catawba Avenue, Cornelius 
Feb. 27, 6:30pm: Matthews Town Hall, 232 Matthews Station Street., Matthews 
Feb. 28, 6:30pm: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center, Rm 267, 600 East 4th Street 

Interested citizens are invited to attend any of these presentations. The recommended Master Plan was developed after an intense assessment of Mecklenburg's recreation facilities. Citizen comments and opinions were sought in public workshops, focus groups, and through a countywide, random survey. 

The Master Plan includes recommendations on many questions, such as:

What new recreation facilities does the public want, and want to pay for? 
How much land acquisition is needed for future open space and recreation needs? 
How much should we spend for expansion of greenways? 
How important are nature preserves in Mecklenburg County? 
What additional recreation programs are recommended for the future? 
What programs and facilities are needed for the county's growing senior population? 
What are Charlotte-Mecklenburg's needs for "sports tourism?" 
How should these needs be paid for?

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Hey mtbchk, are you and dodo going to the Cornelius meeting tomorrow?  I'll see there.


Mark

Enoch wrote on 02/26/08 at 12:12pm:


Ditto!

I'll be at the meeting tomorrow night (2/28) at the government center.  Hopefully at least a few mountain bikers will be present?

Brian

I'm gonna make the Matthews meeting tonight.

Couldn't make the CDOT meeting, but Mark and I were at the CMP&R meeting in Cornelius last night.  It seems like "trails" were at the top of most of the lists... this is good.

For those that can't make it, here's the presentation:

(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

Could someone who went to the CDOT meeting post up about how that went?  I'm curious.

On another note, I had an interesting conversation with the director of the Nature Preserves.  In his presentation, there were a couple of slides with different "hierarchies" of trails, and some mention "non-motorized vehicles".  I asked him about this and he said that bikes weren't allowed -- not sure I understand.  There is also an ad in the P&R program guide for tours of the trails on a Segway.  I asked him about how they could do this, yet not allow bikes.  He said because it was "guided" and not just open to anyone with their own Segway.  Whatever.  Just thought I'd share.

Read the (long) presentation.  It has a lot of interesting data, and I like data.

Did they mention anything ab out the zoo/aquarium/botanical garden idea?

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I see they may make SB a nature preserve...and that means no biking? Say it isn't so 

dirt wrote on 02/28/08 at 2:14pm:



Hey Dirt, could you paste this over on the "other" topic of discussion"?

M

Page 79 of the PDF file. SB is recommended to become a nature preserve. (I like this idea)

Page 68 recommends biking only on paved roads inside nature preserves. (don't like this so much)

Maybe an exception can be made for SB because the trails are already there? And there's an injured dedicated bunch of trailworkers taking care of it.

Locomoto wrote on 02/28/08 at 4:15pm:

Actually Fisher Farm Park was the first one.  And I've got a witness!  (me).

If I remember correctly, Sherman Branch was supposed to be a Nature Preserve anyway.  That's why Enoch kept the trail out of some sensitive areas.

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I've always heard this, but their presentation would lead me to believe otherwise (isn't a mountain bike a "non-motorized vehicle"?).  This is why I asked the question, and why I continue to ask.   

I was told "bikes aren't allowed on the trails, unless guided by our staff".  Their concern is that we would go off trail and make new corridors.  (Couldn't a hiker do the same thing?)  I was also told that "Ten speeds are welcome on the roads".  But my bike has 27 speeds....

I still continue to question the logic, especially when there are thousands of acres of nature preserves and the data and public feedback show overwhelming need for bike trails.

Am I wrong?

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Not at all, but bike bans seldom have anything to do with logic.  I remember when I moved to Charlotte being surprised how much public land mtb-ers have access to.  Bikers have gradually been chased out of the woods every place else I've lived or else confined to one or two very crowded trails.  Typically it involves some politically well connected hiker group seeking exclusivity for themselves with the excuse that bikes damage the environment, disturb the wildlife, menace other users, etc.  I worry that attitude may eventually take hold here as the population grows.

I know there is a study being conducted around Sherman as to the wildlife. I am not 100% sure what division it is. I am also aware that some of the land was off limits to building any trail due to a certain species of bird.

I doubt that any particular hiking group has lobbied for changing the status of SB in order to get rid of the MTB trails. I do know that we have some neighbors that are part of the carolina raptor center that have released some hawks and such in the park but in speaking with them they seemed very happy to have the trails there.

Our presence has stopped (certainly curtailed) various illeagal activities in the park..Hunting, ATV, Moto, etc and I really have not noticed very many hikers on or off the trails.  I hope the powers that be see that we have added to the enjoyment of the public and neighbors by having trails here.

Is there a contact that would be appropriate to reach out to in order to discuss what restictions would be put in place or avenue to change the proposed designation of nature preserve to ensure that the future use is including the trails.

OR am I getting concerned over nothing???

Thanks for going, if you can. I have family obligations and can't make it myself 

Make sure you shave, dress nice, and take a wad of cash to bribe and represent the club in a positive manner 

Thanks for the update. I guess that is overall good news 

In a lot of land management issues, horses are considered natural users while cyclists are seen as a form of "mechanized transport" equivalent to dirt bikes, ATVs, etc.

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I wouldn't count on us loosing that land.  We are on the master plan for that park.