Introduction
In 2002, the Town of Cary purchased 11 acres of land located on the northwest corner of Walnut Street and Lawrence Drive. The purchase and development of this parcel into a park is part of a broader effort by the Town of Cary to improve the Walnut Street corridor, from the US 1/64 - Walnut Street interchange as well as Crossroads shopping area, as proposed in the Southeast Gateway Area Plan.
The actual planning process for the park began in March 2005. This plan is largely the result of a community based planning and design process involving a Citizens Advisory Committee, and the general public. The master planning process involved several committee meetings, public hearings, and coordination with town staff. As such, the master plan responds to the expressed needs of the community as well as the recommendations found in the Town's Park, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Facilities Master Plan.
Throughout the design process, the public expressed the need for active and passive recreational opportunities, as well as providing activities for all ages. There were many comments regarding the need to protect existing vegetation and wildlife on the site, while providing natural open space in the park. The plan reflects a balance between passive and active recreation facilities and a focus on preserving the natural environment.
Guiding Objectives
The master plan for Walnut Street Park is based on various objectives identified during public, staff, and advisory committee meetings. One of the overarching objectives for the plan was to develop a park that protected as well as exhibited environmental awareness of the park’s natural features. This is evident in the plan's overall layout, ideas for construction implementation, and the selection of materials for park elements. The following is a brief description of several objectives.
Gateway
Due to the park’s prominent location along Walnut Street, which is a very busy thoroughfare and one of several gateways into the Town center, an important objective was to make the park visually appealing from the street.
Preservation of Natural Site Features
The site contains large mature pines and hardwoods which have been integrated into the design as a feature. The original intent of the plan was to protect the hardwoods by creating open space clearings but configured in such a way as to still maintain the large existing hardwoods. Secondly, a gravel lot is located at the southern edge of the park site, which it was agreed initially would provide an opportunity to locate parking. Again, locating parking at this clearing would limit the impact to the park’s natural resources.
Passive Recreation
Because a majority of the site was to be preserved, a major guiding principle was that the primary use of the park would be set aside for passive recreational opportunities. Thus, a variety of trails and open spaces make up most of the site's features.
Active Recreation
Because Walnut Street Park is a neighborhood park, there would still be a need to provide active recreation opportunities.
Accessibility
Town staff also wanted to make pedestrian
access into the park a priority. This was supported by local residents at the
public meetings. Effort was made in the planning of the park to provide
sufficient access throughout the park. Secondly, the park will be designed to accommodate
disabled users. All major facilities, restrooms, shelters, pathways, playgrounds,
etc. will be accessible as defined by the current American Disabilities Act
(ADA) requirements.
Inventory & Analysis
Project Site
The park site is located on the southwest corner at the intersection of Walnut Street and Lawrence Road in Cary, North Carolina. The site is approximately 11 acres which is
divided by a drainage way and a small wetland. The majority of the site lies to the East of the drainage way. The site is mostly wooded and exhibits gentle slopes.
Located on the site is an existing home on the corner of Walnut Street and Lawrence Road, which has been vacated.
There is an existing gravel area on the South-East portion of the site that has been used for additional parking by a local church.
Surrounding Land Use
The park is bordered to the North by Walnut Street and to the East by Lawrence Road. Walnut Street is proposed to be widened in the near future which will increase the road to six lanes with a median in the center. Lawrence Road will also become a collector street once it is widened, which will allow for three lanes at the intersection of Walnut Street. Both of these projects will have a limited impact on the park.
To the west and south are adjacent residential neighborhoods. The lots are medium in size (1-2 acres). There are nine lots which share a property line with the park site. Currently the residence at the southern tip is vacant, which would provide an excellent opportunity to increase the buffer with adjacent landowners.
North of the site and across the street from Walnut Street are located two churches.
Other land uses within a 1 mile radius of the site are commercial, including Crossroads Mall and Cary Town Center. The surrounding land uses influence the park development in several ways.
Specifically:
Road Improvements
Walnut Street is currently a 4 lane road with a 45 mph speed limit. Lawrence Road is
currently a 2 lane paved road without curb and gutter. Walnut Street is going to become a 6 lane road with a center median. This widening will not be required for park development but a required 17' of Right of Way will be reserved. The widening of Lawrence Road is required for park development. This will include an additional lane and curb and gutter along the park property.
Buffers
There is a 50' required Neuse River Buffer, along with an additional 50' Town of Cary
required buffer along each side of the existing drainage way. There will be a 20' required buffer along the adjacent land to the west of the park site. The buffer requires canopy trees every 30' on center (25% evergreen) and shrubs every 5-8' (75% of them evergreen). There are enough trees in that area to meet the requirements, however,
there may be some additional shrubs. The existing trees to remain on site along Walnut
Street and Lawrence Road will also provide some buffer to the park.
Vegetation
There are two distinct vegetative areas associated with the park site. Much of the site
contains mature hardwoods, while to the Northeast portion of the site there are many
pines. Throughout the site are some large holly trees, and very little undergrowth except the area immediately adjacent to the drainage way. It is the intent of the plan to retain as much of the existing tree cover as possible. There are no rare and endangered plants known to be present on the park property.
Wetlands
There has been an investigation to identify jurisdictional wetlands on the property. A small wetland area is located along the existing drainage way and is within the Neuse River Buffer. Wetlands will be protected.
Soils
There are a variety of soil types which are found with in the park. There are four soil types found on the site. The CeB2 are found to the Northwest and Northeast portions of the site. The CeB are found towards the center of the park site and cover a majority of the site. The ApB2 are found at higher points of the site and are more suited to development, their depth to the bedrock is greater. The CgB2 is found to the Southwest portion of the site.
Slopes
The slopes on the proposed park site range from under 5% to greater than 10%. The
majority of the site contains slopes between 5-10%. Along the stream there is a more
significant slope, while to the East along Lawrence Road, the slopes are under 5%.
There are two high points on the site, located to the Northwest corner and the East side of the side. The low point is located to the Southwest
Community Involvement
The process of preparing a master plan for Walnut Street Park included extensive
community involvement. Public community hearings were held and the design team
worked with a citizen advisory committee throughout the process.
Citizen Design Committee
The Citizens Design Committee was created for local residents to provide more detailed input into the Master Plan Process. The committee was created at the first public meeting where neighbors were asked to volunteer for the committee. The goal was to find someone from each neighborhood within a mile radius to form the committee.
The Citizen Design Committee consists of 16 members who met between each phase of the master planning process. The first meeting was held on April 26th and involved an initial site visit along with a review of the first public meeting site analysis discussion. The meeting also involved a discussion regarding the park program. At the second meeting, May 17th, 3 concept plans were presented. The committee was then asked to discuss the concepts with their neighbors and provide the design team feedback for a final concept plan.
Public Involvement
Along with the committee, the general public was an integral part of the planning process. Through meetings/presentations, the discussions shaped the ideas presented in the master plan. The design team met twice with the public. The first meeting was held on March 29, to present site analysis information. There were approximately 120 people from the community there. The second meeting was held on June 14 to present these alternative concept designs and the final draft concept. There were approximately 70 people from the community there. Each meeting provided an opportunity for the public to present comments on the plans.
Please refer to the appendix for detailed meeting minutes.
Program
The Town of Cary's Parks, Recreation, and
Cultural Resources Facilities Master Plan,
defines various types of parks depending on
size, and service area, and identifies typical
facilities. The Walnut Street Park is defined as
a neighborhood park. A neighborhood park is
defined as a park that is within a 1 mile radius
of the community it will serve. A neighborhood
park is approximately 10-20 acres in size.
Typical Facilities associated with a
neighborhood park include:
_Playground
_Basketball Court
_Paved or unpaved walking trails
_Sand Volleyball Court
_Free play areas
_Multi-purpose court
_Soccer Field
_Buffer or undeveloped lands to remain natural
Through discussions with Town Staff, various
facilities from this list were identified for the
Walnut Street Park Master Plan, along with
others. These included:
_Restroom Facilities
_Small Picnic Shelters
_Basketball court
_Playground
_Trails
_Free play
_natural areas
Community Input
During various meetings, community members
and staff discussed issues and developed ideas
for the park. These included the following:
Large open space for multi purpose events
Picnic areas
Dog run area
Fitness Stations
Paved trails around the site with markers to
indicate distance
Variety of programs for all age groups
Preservation of existing natural features
Basketball Court
Water Feature
Erosion control methods to reduce the runoff on
site
Concept Design
The three concept designs presented to the community reflected comments received from the community and the citizen design committee as well as the discussions with Town staff. Each concept presents similarities in program elements as well as some differences. The following list of program elements are included in each concept plan:
_Trails _Picnic areas
_Play areas _Restroom Facility
_Lawn areas _Parking
Option A
The first concept focused on the natural
environment with educational opportunities. The
following lists the primary program elements
associated with the plan.
_Constructed Wetlands
_Ecological Succession areas
_Separated playground and picnic areas
_Expansive trail network
_Fitness stations
_Small lawn area
_Rain Garden to collect the rain from the parking lot
Option B
The second concept focused on a pastoral
landscape.
_Large meandering lawn
_Single entrance parking scheme
_Consolidated play areas/picnic facilities
_Basketball Court
Option C
The third concept focused on the display of plant
materials in a Botanical Garden setting.
_Formal elliptical lawn
_Pedestrian Promenade
_Circular path system with art objects idea:
metamorphosis
_Viewing area from high point/ telescopes/
orientation
_Native plant areas
_Curved parking area with basketball court
separated from other play areas
Draft Master Plan
After reviewing the three concepts with the public as well as with Town of Cary staff, a draft master plan was developed that incorporated all the comments that were received. As such, the draft concept is a combination of all three options. The plan is organized by the pedestrian promenade from the North to the South as shown in Concept C. A meandering lawn area provides for flexible play opportunities as proposed in Concept B. A trail system, as proposed in Concepts A & B, has been planned which will tie together all the areas of the park.
Master Plan
Description
The master plan for Walnut Street Park incorporates a variety of elements for the community while preserving the natural environment. The percentage of the park preserves approximately 70% of vegetation. In order to achieve this percentage, the placement of program elements was important.
Master Plan Highlights
_ Preserving the existing vegetation
_ Constructed wetlands with viewing areas
_ Boardwalks and observation deck
_ Benches provided throughout the park
_ Consolidated play areas
_ Picnic areas near playgrounds
_ Extensive trail network, both paved and natural
_ Medium-size meandering lawn (about 2 acres)
_ Pedestrian promenade to connect North and South
_ Rain Garden in the parking area to collect and
clean the run-off
_ Art in selected areas of the park
_ Sidewalk and trails connect to the surrounding
neighbors and future greenway connections.
_ Basketball Court near the "older play area" (Future programmed element)
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Program Elements
The Master Plan for Walnut Creek Park proposes development to occur in the southern edge of the site. This includes parking, a children’s play area, future basketball court and picnic areas. The eastern and northern edges of the park will consist of lawn areas while the western side of the park will be preserved. The following describes each of the program elements in the Walnut Street Park Master Plan:
· Pedestrian Promenade
The most prominent feature of the Walnut Street Park Master Plan is a planned promenade which will connect the northern and southern ends of the park. The promenade will curve and meander through the center of the park. Along the promenade, a large number of flowering trees are proposed which will enhance the walkway and create an interesting sitting area with many benches along the way. The promenade is 10' wide and will include brick pavers to be distinct among the other trails.
· Open Space (Lawn) Area
A large open lawn area approximately 1.5 acres, is located along the eastern side of the park, parallel to Lawrence Road. This area could be used for picnicking, throwing a ball, kite flying, or other recreational opportunities. The lawn area is designed to provide a large open space for free play as well as small areas for smaller events.
· Preservation of Existing Vegetation
The master plan preserves 70% of the existing woodlands, leaving them undisturbed. Areas along Walnut Street and Lawrence Street will be maintained have a park-like feel. The area internal to the park and particularly along the western border of the park will remain natural. In particular, the 100’ buffer that extends through the site will be preserved and maintained.
Natural Areas vs. Developed Areas:
· Pedestrian Circulation
The primary pedestrian entrance will be at North-East corner of the park (intersection of Walnut and Lawrence Streets. This will be designed not only as major entry into the park but also as major visual feature based on the amount of traffic along Walnut Street. This entrance is one of two areas linking the promenade to the North and the South. The Southern entrance connects the parking lot and the Southern neighborhoods to the park. The two entrances will have the same paving as the promenade.
Loop Trail: A loop trail is proposed to surround the park. This loop trail will be paved in asphalt and will be 8-10’ in width. This trail will surround the park and tie together the promenade as well as all other proposed facilities. The trails located to the North and the East of the park are also used as a sidewalk connection along Walnut Street and Lawrence Road. The maximum distance for a sidewalk from the road is 30 feet.
Natural Trail: There is one natural trail located in the North-West portion of the park near the stream. The natural surface trail will be 6' minimum.
· Public Art
Three locations have been identified for public art. These locations include the Northern and Southern entrances as well as the Northwest corner of the site. Public art may be provided by the Town of Cary of private organizations such as Cary Visual Arts.
· Constructed Wetlands
Along the stream and within the buffer, the Master Plan includes a recommendation to construct wetlands. These will be located along the western side of the park. The purpose of these wetlands will be to collect and filter runoff, as well as provide an educational element to the park site. A boardwalk and observation deck will allow park visitors and students an opportunity to experience the wetland closely.
· Children’s Play Areas
An important aspect of the Master Plan will be the development of a children’s play area. These will be divided into age groups. A younger children’s play area and an older children’s play area are consolidated at the south end of the site. The promenade will separate each of the play areas, but provides an opportunity for parents to view both areas. These areas are located near the proposed parking lot and restrooms for convenience and safety. The play areas will contain imaginative and natural elements and will have a rubberized, colorful surface material.
· Picnic Shelters
The Master Plan provides four small picnic shelters which contain two small picnic tables each. The shelters are located near the playgrounds and the open lawn area. There are many other opportunities for picnicking on the open lawn areas.
· Restroom
A restroom is located near the children's play areas and parking area. It will contain three stalls in each section. The central location is convenient to users of the park.
· Parking Facility
A parking area for approximately 30 cars is shown at the southern end of the park site. The parking lot will have two entrances/exits and will be planted with numerous trees for shade cover. The island between Lawrence Road and the parking lot will provide a vegetative buffer which will collect rain water from the parking lot and filter through to a rain garden.
· Basketball Court (Future programmed element)
A basketball court would be located near the parking lot and older children's play area. Initially this area would be a grass area for open play reserved for a future basketball court.