We received the following reply from Mary Henderson, Director of Cary Parks and Recreation in response to our e-mail of 3/8/09:
Hi,
I received the email that you sent to the Cary Town Council related to the parking issue at Old Reedy Creek Road accessing Umstead State Park, Wake County's Crabtree Park, and Cary's Black Creek Greenway. Only two weeks ago staff representatives from state parks, Wake County, and the Town met to continue discussions of this issue. The problem is not simply a Cary problem. It is a joint issue involving all three agencies that requires a joint solution. Prior to any construction funding issues , the initial problem is actually identifying property that can be used and could reasonably accommodate a trail head. I have no knowledge that DOT will be moving ahead without further discussions for solutions, but I will follow up on the rumor and let you know what I learn.
Please feel free to contact me with any future questions or concerns.
Sincerely, Mary Mary Henderson, DirectorParks, Recreation, and Cultural ResourcesCary, NC 919-469-4066 (phone)
mary.henderson@townofcary.org
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
IMPORTANT: meeting re: Parking ban this week
We received the following information from Lucy Simpson 3/22/09 regarding Raleigh City Council's Public Works Committee meeting Thurs. 3/26. As you can see they will be discussing the parking ban at Trenton Woods. Please attend if at all possible. If not, it would likely help to e-mail city council before that date. See posting of 2/5/09 for more information to include a sample letter and e-mail addresses. Your action is needed to make a difference.
PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE AGENDA
The Public Works Committee will meet on Thursday, March 26, 2009 at 9:00 A.M.Location: Room 201, City Council Chamber, Raleigh Municipal Building, 222 West Hargett Street, Avery C. Upchurch Municipal Complex, Raleigh, NC. For information call 996-3040 (City Clerk’s Office) or 996-3030 (Public Works Department).
All the following items are pending in Committee; however, only those items that are shown in bold print will be discussed during this meeting:
07-08 Traffic Calming – Birnamwood Road (1/8/08)07-27 Traffic Concerns – Five Points Area (7/15/08)I.A 07-29 Trenton Road – Bicycle/Pedestrian Path (8/5/08)07-32 Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (9/2/08)07-34 Roanoke Park – Concerns (9/2/08)07-36 Residential Permit Parking – Visitor Passes (9/2/08)07-38 TC-8-08 – Increased Stormwater Management Requirement (9/16/08)07-46 Street Closing – Davie Street/Empire Properties (11/4/08)07-49 Pedestrian Improvements – Lineberry Drive (1/6/09)07-50 Park Master Plan Study (1/22/09)I.B 07-51 No Parking Zone – Trenton Woods Way and Tree Side Court (2/3/09)07-52 Easement Concerns – 4709 Scollay Court (2/3/09)07-54 Traffic Concerns – Reaves Drive (3/3/09)The following items were referred from the March 17, 2009 City Council meeting:II. 07-55 Solid Waste Services – "Need Assistance" Program (3/17/09)
PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE AGENDA
The Public Works Committee will meet on Thursday, March 26, 2009 at 9:00 A.M.Location: Room 201, City Council Chamber, Raleigh Municipal Building, 222 West Hargett Street, Avery C. Upchurch Municipal Complex, Raleigh, NC. For information call 996-3040 (City Clerk’s Office) or 996-3030 (Public Works Department).
All the following items are pending in Committee; however, only those items that are shown in bold print will be discussed during this meeting:
07-08 Traffic Calming – Birnamwood Road (1/8/08)07-27 Traffic Concerns – Five Points Area (7/15/08)I.A 07-29 Trenton Road – Bicycle/Pedestrian Path (8/5/08)07-32 Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (9/2/08)07-34 Roanoke Park – Concerns (9/2/08)07-36 Residential Permit Parking – Visitor Passes (9/2/08)07-38 TC-8-08 – Increased Stormwater Management Requirement (9/16/08)07-46 Street Closing – Davie Street/Empire Properties (11/4/08)07-49 Pedestrian Improvements – Lineberry Drive (1/6/09)07-50 Park Master Plan Study (1/22/09)I.B 07-51 No Parking Zone – Trenton Woods Way and Tree Side Court (2/3/09)07-52 Easement Concerns – 4709 Scollay Court (2/3/09)07-54 Traffic Concerns – Reaves Drive (3/3/09)The following items were referred from the March 17, 2009 City Council meeting:II. 07-55 Solid Waste Services – "Need Assistance" Program (3/17/09)
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
replies to questions to Cary Town Council re: Old Reedy Creek
We received the following replies earlier this week in response to an e-mail I sent to all members of Cary Town Council on 3/8/09 regarding Old Reedy Creek to clear up rumors and to learn of progress on this front:
Thank you for contacting me about the parking situation along Old Reedy Creek Road. I am copying Ben Shivar, the interim town manager, so that his staff can update us on the current status of this situation both from the state and town standpoint. Regarding next years' budget, it will indeed be tight. The town will have to prioritize and make hard decisions that may end up delaying plans for many things. We hope to avoid this. But at this point no decisions have been made. Currently, we are in the very early stages of the budget process which will be approved on July 1st. Thanks again for contacting me.
Harold Weinbrecht
Mayor
Town of Cary
I have forwarded your email to our town staff so they may address your questions in detail. Thanks for contacting us regarding this important matter.
Don Frantz
Cary
Town Council
We appreciate the prompt responses from Mayor Weinbrecht and Council Member Don Frantz. Given the budgetary constraints faced by all, we encourage you to contact Cary Town Council members to let them know you would appreciate anything they can do to make the parking area at Old Reedy Creek a reality or to help assure no actions are taken by DOT until provisions can be made for parking at this area.
If interested in the e-mail sent, please see below:
To: Mayor Harold Weinbrecht and Cary Town Council Members Gale Adcock, Julie Robison, Don Frantz, Erv Portman, Jennifer Robinson, Jack Smith
I am contacting you in regards to the Old Reedy Creek Road access point to Umstead State Park. As I’m sure you are aware, an on-line petition was started last year ((www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/609803273) regarding diminished parking access to Umstead and with several stated goals to include preserving parking access at the Old Reedy Creek Road. Please take some time to review the petion and petitioners statements.
In April 2008, we attended a meeting with State Representative Jennifer Weiss and various representatives from North Carolina Department of Transportation, North Carolina General Assembly and North Carolina Department of Parks and Recreation. At that time, Johanna Reese with NCDOT stated that NCDOT agreed to delay their plans of paving the Old Reedy Creek access point in order to give the Town of Cary time to explore the option of building a parking lot on town-owned land near the entrance. This was in response to strong public outcry regarding the actions that had been taken which effectively eliminated parking at two other access points to the park. At this point, the issue at Old Reedy Creek appears to remain unresolved.
Many rumors are currently swirling about regarding this situation. One is that because of current budgetary constraints, Cary will not be able to build a parking lot for Umstead patrons now or at any point in the near future. Another is that the DOT is unwilling to delay paving the road until a lot can be built. As you know, action of that sort would eliminate parking for the many who depend on this access point at Old Reedy Creek to enter the park.
My hope is that neither of these scenarios is accurate. Myself and the many others in our community who love Umstead Park appreciate anything the Town of Cary can do to make the parking lot a reality or to help delay action by the state until such time that the Town is in a financial position to build the lot.
Thank you for your consideration and support of this matter.
Margaret Cooper
Access Umstead
Thank you for contacting me about the parking situation along Old Reedy Creek Road. I am copying Ben Shivar, the interim town manager, so that his staff can update us on the current status of this situation both from the state and town standpoint. Regarding next years' budget, it will indeed be tight. The town will have to prioritize and make hard decisions that may end up delaying plans for many things. We hope to avoid this. But at this point no decisions have been made. Currently, we are in the very early stages of the budget process which will be approved on July 1st. Thanks again for contacting me.
Harold Weinbrecht
Mayor
Town of Cary
I have forwarded your email to our town staff so they may address your questions in detail. Thanks for contacting us regarding this important matter.
Don Frantz
Cary
Town Council
We appreciate the prompt responses from Mayor Weinbrecht and Council Member Don Frantz. Given the budgetary constraints faced by all, we encourage you to contact Cary Town Council members to let them know you would appreciate anything they can do to make the parking area at Old Reedy Creek a reality or to help assure no actions are taken by DOT until provisions can be made for parking at this area.
If interested in the e-mail sent, please see below:
To: Mayor Harold Weinbrecht and Cary Town Council Members Gale Adcock, Julie Robison, Don Frantz, Erv Portman, Jennifer Robinson, Jack Smith
I am contacting you in regards to the Old Reedy Creek Road access point to Umstead State Park. As I’m sure you are aware, an on-line petition was started last year ((www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/609803273) regarding diminished parking access to Umstead and with several stated goals to include preserving parking access at the Old Reedy Creek Road. Please take some time to review the petion and petitioners statements.
In April 2008, we attended a meeting with State Representative Jennifer Weiss and various representatives from North Carolina Department of Transportation, North Carolina General Assembly and North Carolina Department of Parks and Recreation. At that time, Johanna Reese with NCDOT stated that NCDOT agreed to delay their plans of paving the Old Reedy Creek access point in order to give the Town of Cary time to explore the option of building a parking lot on town-owned land near the entrance. This was in response to strong public outcry regarding the actions that had been taken which effectively eliminated parking at two other access points to the park. At this point, the issue at Old Reedy Creek appears to remain unresolved.
Many rumors are currently swirling about regarding this situation. One is that because of current budgetary constraints, Cary will not be able to build a parking lot for Umstead patrons now or at any point in the near future. Another is that the DOT is unwilling to delay paving the road until a lot can be built. As you know, action of that sort would eliminate parking for the many who depend on this access point at Old Reedy Creek to enter the park.
My hope is that neither of these scenarios is accurate. Myself and the many others in our community who love Umstead Park appreciate anything the Town of Cary can do to make the parking lot a reality or to help delay action by the state until such time that the Town is in a financial position to build the lot.
Thank you for your consideration and support of this matter.
Margaret Cooper
Access Umstead
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Info from PAC meeting
Paul from Access Umstead attended the March Umstead Park Advisory Committee meeting and reports that it was generally uneventful regarding the access issue. The next PAC meeting is scheduled for 5/13. It is expected that DENR will have announced their decision about Graylyn by that time. Also, while not conveyed during the meeting, in a discussion with Jean Spooner (chairperson of Umstead Coalition; Umstead PAC member), he learned that a study by NCDOT has shown the Reedy Creek entrance is being used at a rate of approximately 150,000 people per year.
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