Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 10/09/2014

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linear elements, areas along rivers and streams or chains of lakes are excellent candidates for incorporation into the regional trail system. Natural features in the greenway or adjacent to the trail treadway serve ecological and environmental educational purposes, too. Restoration and management practices emphasizing native species can maintain and enhance the aesthetic, habitat, and other resource values of these areas. Linking Regional Trails should be located within the Metropolitan Urban Service Area of the region, as defined in Chapter 1. For linking regional trails, any two trails running parallel to each other, and not separated by natural or human -built barriers, should be at least 1.5 miles apart so as not to overlap the localized service area of those trails. Whenever possible, linking regional trails should be located to reasonably maximize inclusion of high - quality natural resources and connections to local trails, areas of lifecycle and affordable housing, the transit network, and areas of infill and redevelopment. Visitor origin data from the Council's 2008 Regional Parks and Trails Survey indicate that regional trails in the metropolitan area are used most by people who live nearby or can reach the trail in a short bicycle trip or drive. Therefore, a priority is to develop more trail corridors in the Metropolitan Urban Service Area, where more than 90% of the population lives. Some of the metropolitan area's inner -ring suburbs are not close to regional parks and don't have large tracts of land that would be available for future development of parks for the regional system. Regional trail development should be pursued in these suburbs when the need has been identified, to help achieve geographic balance of Regional Parks System facilities. In the Metropolitan Urban Service Area, attention should be given to both high - quality natural resources and to major human -built or developed resources in the fully developed areas. Interesting human -built resources include historical and architectural buildings and sites, education facilities, cultural facilities, and major public and private buildings. Utilizing the surface rights of underground utility corridors, such as large sewers, for trail purposes protects the utility for access /maintenance and provides a linear corridor for the trail. When determining the boundaries of regional trail corridors, regional park implementing agencies should consider high - quality natural resource lands adjacent to the trail treadway to enhance the natural resource values of the trail. This is especially appropriate when the trail treadway is primarily an abandoned rail bed, in a power line corridor, or along a highway. These pockets of natural areas not only enhance the recreational experience of the trail user but also enhance the values of the primary land near the entire trail. Retaining these areas in their natural condition is the best use of the land, especially if it would be difficult to develop them for other land uses. An example would be including wetlands adjacent to the trail within the trail boundary. The wildlife habitat, water - quality values, plus the aesthetic values of the wetlands enhance the trail user's experience and encourage best land -use practices, since the wetland could not be developed economically compared to "dry" land. Regional trails may pass through local parks along their route. The regional trails can enhance access to these local parks, and the parks may provide amenities for trail users. Because of this synergy, there may be a desire to incorporate these local parks into the regional trail corridor. However, these local parks may not be regionally significant and may only serve a local audience. In determining whether an existing local park should become part of the regional trail corridor, the Council will evaluate the request in terms of its regional importance and whether the park itself serves a regional or local audience.