STAFF REPORT
Planning and Development Committee, May 14, 2008
Budget Adjustment – USDA Stream Restoration and Greenway Planning Funds for Swift Creek (PR08-29)
Consideration of a budget adjustment to recognize revenues from the USDA to complete the Swift Creek Stream Restoration and Greenway Plan project
Speaker: Mr.
Doug McRainey
From: Mary
G. Henderson, Director, PRCR
Prepared by: Sandi Bailey, Parks Planner
Approved by: William B. Coleman, Jr., Town Manager
Approved by: Benjamin T. Shivar, Assistant Town Manager
Introduction
The Town of Cary has been awarded $200,000 from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) of the United States Department of Agriculture. This is the third grant the Town has received from NRCS for similar studies. The other studies included the White Oak Creek (PR07-22) and Green Level Stream Restoration studies (PR08-28). To date, the Town has received approximately $560,000 from NRCS. The purpose of the Swift Creek project is identical to these other studies and includes preserving open space, improving water quality and providing greenway access in southeast Cary, along the Swift Creek tributary. The project location will include the area along Swift Creek from Holly Springs Road to Lake Wheeler, a distance of 1.5 miles. It is important to note that the project is outside the Town’s jurisdiction, which is similar to the White Oak Creek project where the Town partnered with the Town of Apex. In this case, staff is proposing to partner with Wake County, the City of Raleigh and the Triangle Land Conservancy to complete the study.
Overview of Proposed Plan
The intent of the project is to develop a plan for open space preservation and study the potential for restoration of approximately 1.5 miles of Swift Creek. The project will seek to restore and protect wetlands and riparian areas adjacent to tributaries to Lake Wheeler. The restoration and creation of wetlands and riparian areas will help reduce sediment and nutrient losses within the watershed, thus improving the water. The project will also include a detailed design for a future greenway connection between Cary’s Speight Branch Greenway and the City of Raleigh’s Lake Wheeler Park. Raleigh has begun the planning for a major greenway connection between Lake Wheeler and Lake Benson, a distance of 6 miles. Thus a greenway connection from Cary to Lake Wheeler would provide a key missing link between both Cary’s growing greenway system and Raleigh’s Capital Area Greenway System.
To complete this plan, staff will partner with Wake County, Triangle Land Conservancy and the City of Raleigh. The planning effort will include several public meetings. The plan will take approximately two years to complete. When completed, the plan will include a wetland inventory, topographic and other surveys, a greenway plan and a stream restoration plan.
Fiscal Impact: Since this project is a study, there will be no operating impacts. The entire study will be funded through the grant, thus there will be no funding impacts.
Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends adoption of a Budget Ordinance Amendment and corresponding Budget Adjustment Request to recognize $200,000 in revenue in the Capital Projects Fund from the USDA and the corresponding expenditure in the Capital Improvement Budget for the Swift Creek Stream Restoration and Greenway Plan project.