093014ssa Agenda Package
Harnett County Board of Commissioners
Special Session
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
9:00 am
9:00 am Government Complex Park Master Plan, Carl Davis
9:30 am Vendor at Courthouse, Jennifer Slusser
9:45 am County Manager’s Report
10:00 am Regular Meeting Agenda Review
10:15 am Closed session
GROUNDS PARK EXPO CENTER 0 Tl ( ~ ' A HH ARCHITECTURE
Aug
strong roots • new growth
FAIRGROUNDS PARK EXPO CENTER Harnett
COUNTY
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strong roots • new growth
HH ARCHITECTURE
August 27, 2014
Harnett County
Parks and Recreation
Departntent
Governinent Co1nplex
Park Master Plan
Prepared By:
McGill
ASSOCIATES
Engineering • Planning • Finance
August, 2014
Acknowled ements
Harnett County Board of Commissioners
Joe Miller, Chair
Gary House, Vice Chair
Jim Burgin, Commissioner
Beatrice Hill, Commissioner
Gordon Springle, Commissioner
County Manager
Tommy Burns
River Park Master Plan
Project Oversight Group
Mr. Carl Davis Mr. Ilia Smirnov
Mr. Mark Locklear Ms. Lisa McFadden
Mr. Joseph Jeffries Mr. Brian Parrish
Ms. Donna Rigby Ms. Lynn Lambert
Mr. Tyrone Fisher Ms. Megan Smirnov
Mr. William Baker
Consultant
McGill Associates, P.A.
5 Regional Circle, Suite A
Pinehurst, North Carolina 28374
(910) 295-3159
McGill
ASSOCIATES
Harnett County Parks and Recreation Department
Government Complex Park Master Plan
Tab of Contents
SECTIONS
1 Project Overview
2 Site Analysis
3 Community Input
4 Preliminary Concept Plans and Public Involvement
5 Final Master Plan
Appendix
APPENDICES
Appendix A
Community Preferences Inventory Map with Public Meeting Input
Appendix 8
Government Complex Park -Alternate 1
Appendix C
Government Complex Park-Alternate 2
Appendix D
Government Complex Park-Final Park Master Plan
S ction 1
Project Overview
In 2007 Harnett County developed and adopted a comprehensive parks
and recreation master plan. This document served as a guide to developing and
implementing future park and program improvements for the County Parks and
Recreation Department. As part of the master plan, recommendations included
the development of a Sports Complex central to Harnett County to serve the
growing population and anticipated demand for recreational amenities in the
area.
Since the system-wide master plan was completed, the County has been
in the process of implementing various components and recommendations from
the plan. In 2014, the County hired McGill Associates to prepare a site specific
park master plan for County owned property. A Park Steering Committee was
formed to serve as oversight and assist with developing recommendations of the
park during the planning process.
As part of the planning process, McGill Associates developed a program to
solicit community input on the project. A parks and recreation survey was
conducted to gather input on facility and programming needs in the County. In
addition, community meetings were held to discuss the project and gather insight
from the participants. Meetings were also held with the Park Steering Committee.
Utilizing the input from the community and the Steering Committee, a
master plan was created for the property that meets the current needs and
recreation trends of the community.
END OF SECTION
August, 2014 Section 1 -Page 1 of 1
Section 2
Site Analysis
General
The park site is located in Harnett County within the limits of the Town of Lillington.
The site consists of two parcels currently owned by Harnett County. The acreage
dedicated to the park is currently undeveloped and consists of both wooded areas
and clear open space. The site is adjacent to developed and undeveloped tracts of
land and is bordered to the south by the Cape Fear River.
The total tract is approximately 202 acres which includes several County
Buildings such as Social Services, Health Department, Sheriff Department, and
other public buildings. These areas take up about 60 acres of the 202.
There are approximately 35 acres east of the railroad that will focus on
agricultural events, fairground, cultural events, and more with approximately 7
acres of this area consisting of clear open space.
West of the railroad is about 107 acres to be used for athletic fields, playgrounds,
and more traditional recreational amenities and facilities. Approximately 28 acres of
land in this area is currently clear open space.
Manmade Factors
Zoning
The site consists of four different zoning classifications, open space, heavy
industrial, office-institutional and general business. The adjoining parcels are zoned
open space, office-institutional, heavy industrial and general business. The majority
of the site is zoned as open space, with the next largest portion adjacent to rail right
of way designated as heavy industrial.
Rail
There is an existing Norfolk Southern rail line that runs in a north to south direction
that bisects the property. Any crossings will need to be coordinated and approved
by the Norfolk Southern.
Surrounding Land Use
The site is bordered to the west with undeveloped open space. The southern edge
of the property is adjacent to the Cape Fear River. The northern tip of the property
abuts the Norfolk Southern Rail right of way. The eastern edge of the property is
adjacent to a mix of uses, which include an industrial site, government facilities, the
August, 2014 Section 2 -Page 1 of 3
Sandhills Farm Park (County owned and leased to the Sandhills Farm Club), open
space and US Highway 401.
Utilities
The property has both water and sewer available. The sanitary sewer crosses the
property roughly parallel with the Cape Fear River. A 12" domestic water line is
located along Alexander Drive and the site currently has 6", 4" and 2" lines.
Existing Structures
The parcels designated by the PIN numbers do contain existing government
buildings and associated parking. The park project area limits do not contain any
existing structures.
Natural Features
Topography
The topography for the overall site ranges from a half percent adjacent to the
river to twelve percent adjacent to the jurisdictional streams. Average slopes
across the site not adjacent to the river are in the two to six percent range.
A majority of the lower areas adjacent to the river area are relatively flat and
prone to flooding after heavy rains.
Hydrology/Drainage
The site is adjacent to the Cape Fear River and is located in the Cape Fear River
Basin. Based on information obtained from the USGS topographic map and the
USDA soil survey mapping there are several jurisdictional streams located on the
site. There are also several streams that feed into the existing wetlands from the
adjacent properties.
There is an existing pond located in the southern portion of the property that
drains to the Cape Fear River. Ultimately all of the drainage from the site exits
the property into the river. The site is broken up into multiple parts due to the
existence of the jurisdictional streams, pond and existing wetlands.
The majority of the site is located in the Special Flood Hazard Areas subject to
inundation by the 1% (1 00 year) annual chance of flood.
Floodway regulation per the local ordinance will allow for development within the
floodplain if it is recreational use.
August, 2014 Section 2 -Page 2 of 3
Wetlands
As part of the site analysis, wetland information was obtained from USGS
Topographic maps and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Wetlands
Survey Mapping. There are significant wetlands located on site toward the
western and southern portions of the site. The wetland areas onsite consist of
freshwater emergent and freshwater forested/shrub.
Vegetation
The majority of the site is wooded. A large portion of the wooded areas contain
hardwood forest with only a few pocket areas containing pine forest growth There
is an open space field that is easily accessible from the government facilities
located along McKinney Parkway. There are additional open space fields located
closer to the river that were previously used for agricultural purposes.
Soils
As part of the site investigation soil information was obtained from the USDA soil
survey mapping. The site has a variety of soils present. The western and
southern areas of the property along the river mainly consists of Chewacla -
Congaree loams (Ch) and Wehadkee loam (Wh) which are both determined to
flood frequently. The northern and eastern portions of the property are mix of fine
sandy loam, sandy loam and loamy sand. The fine sandy loams consist of
Augusta (Au), Exum (ExA), and Wickham (WkD). The sandy loam is designated
as Marlboro (MaB). The loamy sands consist of Norfolk (NoB and NoC) and
Wagram (WaS). Coxville loam (Co) and Roanoke loam (Ro) run parallel with two
of the main jurisdictional streams on the site. Soils on the site are designated as
moderate to high for corrosion of concrete and steel. For the construction of
paved roads the Norfolk sandy loam and Wagram loamy sand are designated as
not limited, the remainders of the soils are designated as somewhat to very
limited.
END OF SECTION
August, 2014 Section 2 -Page 3 of 3
Community Input
Community Meetings
To facilitate community input, three public meetings were conducted during the
initial phase of the Master Plan process. These workshops were held at different
locations in the County. The workshops were held on three separate occasions
in order to offer multiple opportunities for residents to voice their opinions on the
topic of recreation. The first community meeting was held at the Lillington
Easter Hop'in and Egg Hunt at Lillington Park on April 17th, the second meeting
was during the May 2nd Relay for Life Cancer Walk at Campbell University. The
third and final community meeting was held at Harnett County Government
Complex on US 401. A Survey/Questionnaire was made available online as well
to provide another method to gain public input. In total there were 417 survey
participants representing approximately 1 ,400 individuals.
Participants were given a questionnaire at the first two workshops. The final
meeting was an open house to review the draft Master Plan and solicit opinions
regarding the proposed design. The questionnaires solicited participant views on
needed recreational amenities and programming in Harnett County. Questions
were also asked about funding and the types of parks they envisioned for their
County's future. Along with the questionnaires, participants were encouraged to
participate in map exercises aimed at identifying and locating any desired
amenities.
Specific discussion concerning what participants wanted to see at the proposed
Harnett Recreational Park and what concerns they may have with the
development of the park resulted in the following summary:
Needs:
Cape Fear River access
Walking trails
Additional athletic fields
Passive recreation opportunities
Multi-use Events Facility
Dog Park
Farmer's Market
Gym
Community Meetings Questionnaire
Concerns:
Wetland Preservation
Parking Availability
Security
Efficient use of space
Participants in the Community Meetings were also asked to fill out a two page
questionnaire (one page -front/back). Most of the questions concerned the
development of the Harnett County Recreation Park. Some questions were
August, 2014 Section 3 -Page 1 of 10
designed to provide the Harnett County Recreation Department with public opinion
concerning the County Recreation System as a whole. The following graphics
represent the survey questions and results :
Unanswered
1%
Gender
Resident of Harnett County
Unan$~Y,~red
27592
27505
28356
28326
27$32
27506
27501
27521
28.'134
27546
27526
28lHl9
28323
Respondent Zip Codes
-
0 so 100
Household Ages Provided by Respondents
Unanswered
age60+
age 50-59
age40-49
age S0-39
age22-29
age 19·21
age 16·18
age 13-15
a1e 9-12
age6-8
age 1·5
0 so 100 150 200
August, 2014 Section 3 -Page 2 of 10
Ampitheater
Farmers Market
Canoeing
Baseball/Softball Field
Horseshoe Pits
Picnic Area
Soccer Field
Shuffleboard Courts
Bocce Courts
Fishing Pier
Sand VB Courts
Football Field
Splash Pad
Open Space
Dog Park
Disc Golf
Fitness stations
Indoor Gymnasium
River Walk
Skate Park
Jogging/Walking Trails
0
Ranking of amenities by importance
so 100 150 200 250
A majority of respondents ranked jogging/walking trails as the most important
amenity for the new park to have followed by picnic areas, a river walk, Farmer's
Market, and baseball/softball fields.
August, 2014 Section 3 -Page 3 of 10
5
114
3
2
1
If new facilities are provided, should they be
included in fewer but larger County-wide
parks or in more, but smaller community
parks?
larger
parks 1" -;:;:::;--.,---~
August, 2014 Section 3 -Page 4 of 10
Sources of funding are you willing to support in order to make
improvements, build new facilities and create programs?
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
o'?
o<::'
'Q
Would you be willing to pay a nominal fee to
attend an event or use a special facility?
Unanswered
0%
August, 2014
Do you use any school or private facilities for
recreation or leisure activities?
Unanswered
2%
Section 3 -Page 5 of 10
Most respondents were in support of paying
a nominal fee to attend an event or use a
special facility.
Overall how would you rate the existing
programs offered?
Unanswered Poor
12%
Would you favor or oppose expanding recreational
opportunities in this county?
No Unanswered
What 1 if any1 new park and recreation facilities are
needed in the County?
35
August, 2014 f..~"<!.
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Section 3 -Page 6 of 10
Many respondents felt that a recreation center and swimming pool were needed
in the County.
What1 if any new County-wide recreation programs
are needed?
Classes and art
iv!ore adult activities
Agriculture Fair. livestock shovi
Para.d es at Ch ristrnas
Environmental Education a.nd bird watching
Ampitheater
picnic area
fishing
skateboard
golf
hockey
football
lacrosse
soc<:er
basketball
softball/baseball
Safe walking trail
T-Ball
wrestling
tennis
volle~rball
band and movies in the park
s•Nimming, water activities
Weather
playground at Raven Rock
camp, ymca
sports league and programs
0 5 10 15
Sports leagues and programs ranked high among survey participants.
20
--i
25
August, 2014 Section 3 -Page 7 of 10
Participant Preferences Map Exercise
Participants at each of the two initial community meetings were asked to take part
in a preference exercise. Maps of the undeveloped park site were presented along
with pens and stickers. The participants were asked to use the stickers to vote for
what amenities they desired. If an option they wanted was not listed they had the
opportunity to write in what they wanted. The participants were encouraged to
discuss their concerns and ideas with others at the meeting.
Group Exercise Results
The following map is a composite of each separate meeting map showing the total
responses for each amenity. A larger version ( 11 x17) of this image is available in
the appendix.
It is very clear from the above remarks that the participants desire a broad range of
recreation amenities. Some of these are walking trails, athletic fields, and a
farmer's market. The participants also support the idea of a gym and dog park.
August, 2014 Section 3 -Page 8 of 10
Summary of Survey Findings
Community desired recreation facilities
The survey data provided support for the development of trails, athletic fields, a
farmer's market, recreation center, access to the water, picnic and playground
areas, etc.
Future Needs and Facilities
Respondents to the survey felt that trails and active recreation facilities were the
most important of their recreation needs. There was also support for a number of
non-traditional amenities as well. Those included the farmer's market and water
based features such as the River-walk, fishing piers, and water access. The
majority of respondents support paying a nominal fee for events and the use of a
special recreation facility such as a special events facility.
Community Input Summary
The community input program of community meetings, public survey, and
community preference activity served to provide a comprehensive look at the
recreational needs and concerns of the community participants. The three
elements of the program point to a clear desire for trails. Athletic facilities such as
ball fields, walking/jogging trails, and an indoor gymnasium were also important to
participants. Concerns that were expressed dealt mainly with having enough
parking, wetland preservation, and security.
END OF SECTION
August, 2014 Section 3 -Page 9 of 10
Section 4
Preliminary Concept Plans and
Public Involvement
Program Description
Utilizing information from the site analysis and from input from the public meetings
and survey/questionnaires, McGill Associates began developing the alternate plans
for park development. Based on the input from the community, project oversight
group, and the Parks and Recreation Department, McGill Associates was able to
develop the purpose and need for the park as well as how the public would use the
park.
See 11''x17" of this image in the Appendix
The purpose of this park should be to serve the local community and Harnett
County residents with multiple recreational amenities. The strategic planning
elements of the park should offer a variety of activities compatible with athletics
while also preserving of natural areas and provide area to accommodate or expand
the existing County Fairgrounds. The County has a need for active recreation
facilities in this portion of the County. Soccer, football, and baseball facilities are in
August, 2014 Section 4 -Page 1 of 4
demand according to County Staff. There is also a desire from the community to
provide open space and incorporate passive recreational amenities such as
walking trails, picnic areas, and canoeing according to information collected at the
public meetings. Other park elements that complement the park are unstructured
play opportunities in open areas and taking advantage of the existing open space.
In addition to the traditional recreation amenities planned for the park property, the
addition of a farmer's market and agricultural show spaces were incorporated into
park design alternatives. Agricultural exhibit buildings which could accommodate a
wide variety of indoor uses, the Farmer's Market, and office and rental space were
added to the east side of the property adjacent to McKinney Parkway and near the
existing County Public Utilities Building. This portion of the complex would also be
utilized as a location for the County Fairground.
Alternative plans were developed that included a combination of park amenities
composed of active recreation and passive recreation. These designs focused on
the feedback from the community meeting, questionnaire/survey, project oversight
group, and the Parks and Recreation Department. The alternate plans were similar
with a balance of active recreation and passive recreation.
See 11"x17" of this image in the Appendix
The heart of the park design proposes a County Multi-Use Facility and Farmer's
Market which would offer valuable space for special events and opportunities for
August, 2014 Section 4 -Page 2 of 4
revenue generation from renting space for private events. Other important aspects
of the master plan included traditional recreation amenities like ball fields and play
equipment. A trail system that could include both paved and natural surfaces was
included to tie all the park areas together. All three schemes include a significant
amount of the property to be preserved as trails and natural areas. The differences
between the original two alternatives included the size and magnitude of the
agricultural show buildings, the number of and location of ball fields and parking
lots, and the location of the Farmer's Market. There were also differing ideas of
what natural areas (forest and wetlands) to preserve. These areas have a wide
variety of flora and fauna that offer opportunities for nature/eco-educational
signage, bird watching, as well as walking/jogging/hiking trails, but not traditional
athletic programming.
The Park property was designed to be able to accommodate the joint-use
programming and space needs for the County Fair.
Once the different schemes were presented to the Master Plan Steering
Committee, the group chose one of the alternates with minor refinements. Once
the design was revised, a public meeting was scheduled offering the community an
opportunity to review the revised alternate of the master plan and offer additional
input.
See 11"x17" of this image in the Appendix
August, 2014 Section 4 -Page 3 of 4
The third and final alternative design sought to balance preservation and visitor
recreational opportunities. These areas may serve as areas where future park
amenities can be expanded to include additional ball fields, or to remain as natural,
open areas.
The final design integrated trails and preservation areas with multiple other park
elements consisting of soccer fields, a multi-purpose field, a 200' and a 300'
baseball/softball field, picnic areas, splash pad, basketball courts, playground,
canoe portage, fishing pier, restrooms, a concession stand, and ample paved
parking. Proposed athletic fields were intentionally limited to two (2) primary soccer
fields, which can be broken into multiple smaller fields, in order to limit the amount
of impact to the site.
Physical Needs
Capital improvements will be necessary in order to develop, operate, and maintain
a park facility of this degree. Entrance road improvements and parking areas are
essential to provide safe access for park visitors. In addition, the existing site utility
infrastructure will have to be extended to serve the proposed building structures
and athletic fields. These capital improvements will provide service to
restroom/concession facilities as well as park lighting and communications.
Waterlines and electrical service will also be required for the athletic field in regards
to irrigation and sports field lighting.
END OF SECTION
August, 2014 Section 4 -Page 4 of 4
Section 5
Final Master Plan
liARt'.'EITCOUNTYRECREATION PARK MlDn~II\'->1'-''-'Vi'
for HARNETT COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
1>~\~(;$]/<.i
an
See 11"x17" of this image in the Appendix
Based on the response from County Staff and input from the public meeting, the
Steering Committee decided that a slightly revised version of Alternate 3. This
revised master plan closely reflects the needs of the parks and recreation
department and meets many of the desires of the community as expressed in the
public meetings.
Multi-Use Facility and Farmer's Market
It was felt that this proposed plan is sensitive to the surrounding area and is
respectful to the existing nature and land resources and also provides many of the
recreational amenities that are typically found in active community parks. The park
design allows for two distinct but integrated areas. The first area is the multiuse
multi-purpose building/farmers market space and then secondly the more traditional
recreation area.
In addition to the refinement of the recreation al park amenities, the farmer's market
and the Multi-use facility was further developed. The proposed facility has
August, 2014 Section 5 -Page 1 of 7
approximately 30,000 SF of space for a variety of uses, approximately 108 parking
spaces, a drop off area, truck/trailer access, plaza area for outdoor functions, an
outdoor amphitheater, designated farmer's market in parking lot with freestanding
awning/roof structure, attractive landscaping, connectivity to the greater park via
paved trails, and open space for outdoor programming and events.
Traditional Recreation Areas
The proposed recreational amenities in the revised alternate (see image below)
included: two soccer fields with restroom/concession building, 225 parking spaces,
a multi-purpose athletic field, playground w/ restroom building, basketball court,
sand volleyball court, horseshoe pits, bocce ball court, (2) baseball/softball fields,
fishing pier, canoe access, a dog park area with separate areas for both large and
small dogs, and approx. 4.35 miles of walking/jogging trail (park total) of this trail;
2,200 linear feet are composed of wooden boardwalk.
See images below
August, 2014 Section 5 -Page 2 of 7
Recreational
August, 2014 Section 5 -Page 3 of 7
Preliminary Opinion of Probable Costs
A preliminary analysis of probable cost was developed for the Master Plan. The
anticipated cost (in today's dollars) for the entire Government Complex Park is
approximately $9,633,575. This estimate includes all proposed elements for the
Park including the Multi-Use Event buildings, parking and utilities. It should be
noted that this estimate is based on master plan level design; final construction
documents will have to be completed in order to present a more accurate cost
estimate.
Below is a breakdown of each area within the Master Plan:
August, 2014
OPINION OF PROBABLE COST
(CONTRACTOR'S WORK ITEMS)
Harnett County
Government Complex Master Plan
Harnett County, NC
PREPARED BY McGILL ASSOCIATES, P.A.
Section 5 -Page 4 of 7
August, 2014
OPINION OF PROBABLE COST
(CONTRACTOR'S WORK ITEMS)
Harnett County
Government Complex Master Plan
Harnett County, NC
PREPARED BY McGILL ASSOCIATES, P.A.
Section 5 -Page 5 of 7
Phasing
OPINION OF PROBABLE COST
(CONTRACTOR'S WORK ITEMS)
Harnett County
Government Complex Master Plan
Harnett County, NC
PREPARED BY McGILL ASSOCIATES, P.A.
It is anticipated that the County will implement the park improvements in multiple
phases. By approaching the development of the park in this manner, the County
will be able to apply for grants and other funding strategies and maximized funding
opportunities. With the understanding that it is undetermined which park elements
will be implemented in future or other phases, this master plan allows some
flexibility towards implementing park elements as the County gauges recreational
needs with the County residents. With this approach the following list of park
elements is divided into two phases: Phase 1 and Future Phase.
August, 2014 Section 5 -Page 6 of 7
Phase One Construction will include: the entrance road to the initial parking area
along to with associated utilities. In addition to road construction, this phase will
include:
• Restroom Building at Playground
• Parking Area (83 Spaces)
• Playground
• 34 Mile Paved Walking Trail
• 846 LF of Trail to the Fishing Pier
• Fishing Pier
• Soccer/Multi-Use Field
• Small Game Courts
• Splash Pad
• Dog Park
The initial phase will include a portion of park infrastructure; however additional
utility and road infrastructure will be required. The following is a list of park
elements for future phases.
• Multi-Use Event Buildings and Parking (191 Spaces)
• Parking at Soccer Fields (142 Spaces)
• Amphitheater
• Fitness Stations
• Small Park Shelters
• Restroom/Concession at Soccer Fields
• Additional Parking Areas
• Additional Multi-Use/Soccer Fields
• Baseball/Softball Fields
• Lighting
• Extended Paved Walking Trails
• Greenway Trail (Off Property)
• Signage
• Canoe Portage Area
• Remaining Recreational Features
END OF SECTION
August, 2014 Section 5 -Page 7 of 7
APPENDIX A
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Pre£erences PROPOSED PARK MASTERPLAN FOR HARNEIT COUNIY, NC
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APPENDIX B
APPENDIX C
APPENDIX D
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