INC NEWS - New Hope Creek Park update

Wed Mar 30 00:04:20 EST 2005

Dear Neighbors,

Good Will toward the creation of New Hope Creek Park is flowing!!! Please
read on after action alert to get a current update.

ACTION ALERT: LESS THAN A WEEK UNTIL FINAL DECISIONS ARE MADE ABOUT THE
FUTURE OF NEW HOPE CREEK PARK.

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN HELP NOW.

1) KEEP THOSE EMAILS COMING! please send these brief messages ASAP

CITY OF DURHAM- Will vote at Mon., April 4, City Council Meeting
council at ci.durham.nc.us

THANK YOU TO ALL CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR YOUR IMPLIED SUPPORT AT THE
MARCH 24 WORK SESSION. WE ASK FOR YOUR VOTE OF SUPPORT AT THE APRIL 4 CITY
COUNCIL MEETING.

If you want to elaborate
1) City is now only being asked to contribute
$75,000 over a 3 year period. This is a great investment for city. 2)
Opportunities for Walking (was ranked#1) and need for greenway trails, and
open space acquisition were highlighted needs in Durham Parks and
Recreation Master Plan of 2003. This land purchase will provide both. The
Duke tract can serve as an Urban Gateway into the New Hope Creek Corridor
for thousands of nearby city residents. 3) New Hope Creek Park will become
an important asset to the city. Like West Point on the Eno, this regional
park will be within a high population area, will be an asset to our public
school students and can combine history, environmental education and
recreation with the added bonus of being access point for 15 mile trail to
Jordan Lake. It will be another star on Durham’s tourist destination map
with the financial benefit of those tourism $$ as well as enhancement of
Durham’s quality of life for future vitality of our area.

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ORANGE COUNTY- Meeting on Thursday, March 31 to make decision.
Mcarey1 at mindspring.com
Barry.j at mindspring.com
Vfoushee at mindspring.com
Gordonam at mindspring.com
Stevehh at mindspring.com

PLEASE VOTE YES AND FOLLOW CHAPEL HILL’S LEAD. PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PROTECT PENNY LAND, WHICH IS PART OF NEW HOPE CREEK
MASTER PLAN AND TARGETED ORANGE COUNTY PRIORITY PROTECTION LAND. DURHAM
COUNTY CAN NOT PURSUE THIS DEAL WITHOUT ORANGE COUNTY’S PARTNERSHIP.

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DURHAM COUNTY-Will also meet and decide on Mon., April 4.
Commissioners at co.durham.nc.us

THANK YOU FOR TAKING A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN THIS REGIONAL PARK INITIATIVE.
PLEASE VOTE TO SUPPORT THE PUBLIC PURCHASE OF THE DUKE TRACT AND ENSUING
PROTECTON OF PENNY LANDS WHICH WILL HELP COMPLETE THE NEW HOPE CREEK
MASTER PLAN AND PAVE THE WAY FOR AN HISTORIC, ENVIRONMENTAL AND
RECREATIONAL TREASURE FOR DURHAM COUNTY.

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2) KEEP THOSE PLEDGES COMING!!! OUR NEW GOAL IS $200,000!!!!

Thanks to the lack of good will of Crosland, who recently reneged on their
offer to pursue a state tax credit, which could have reduced the cost of
the land for our local governments to $1.3 million, the purchase price
still stands at $1.5 million.

To help our local governments step up to this challenge, we have been
asked by our elected officials to try to raise up to $200,000 over a 3
year period. WE HAVE NOW RAISED ABOUT $124,000 IN ABOUT 2 MONTHS! SO CAN
WE DO IT? YES WE CAN!!!

PLEDGE AT www.ErwinNeighbor.org (EANG) or liz at tlc-nc.org (TLC)

AGAIN, WE ASK YOU TO PLEDGE WHATEVER YOU CAN, OVER A 2-3 YEAR PERIOD.
EVERY LITTLE BIT COUNTS; WHATEVER YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE IS IMPORTANT!!! AND
ITS ALL TAX DEDUCTABLE.

Check out Joe Liles’ gorgeous silk screen prints of New Hope Creek on sale
at www.ErwinNeighbor.org

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And now back to all the Good Will gestures coming together to make New
Hope Creek Park a reality

CITIZENS: We have now raised about $124,000 in pledges toward the public
purchase of the Duke tract!!! This type of outpouring of support from all
over Orange and Durham Counties in little over 2 months is unprecedented.
Neighborhoods and neighborhood associations throughout the area are
lending their support. Many important environmental and civic
organizations in our community have given us their official endorsement.

WADE AND CAROLYN PENNY: The Pennys’ own 62 acres of land adjacent to New
Hope Creek and the Duke tract. They feel so strongly that the Duke tract
should be protected and undeveloped that they have added their land to the
proposal so that 108 acres of New Hope Creek watershed could be in the
public domain or under a conservation easement.

The Pennys’ have offered 25 acres of their land for public purchase at the
Bargain Sale price of $5,500 per acre. This land is part of the targeted
lands of the New Hope Creek Master Plan and must be under public control
to complete the trail way of the New Hope Creek Corridor. The Pennys’ have
also offered to put the remaining 37 acres of their land under a
conservation easement at no cost. The Triangle Land Conservancy has signed
an option with the Pennys’ for the 25 acres. The Penny offers are
contingent on public ownership of the Duke tract.

TRIANGLE LAND CONSERVANCY (TLC): Our local conservancy organization has
taken the lead in facilitating the purchase and protection of the Penny
lands and Duke tract to help complete the New Hope Master Plan and protect
New Hope Creek by taking the following actions:

TLC will set up a fund and process all pledges raised by EANG. All pledges
will be tax deductible and can be fulfilled over a 2-3 year period.

TLC will front up to $150,000 to Durham County immediately upon completion
of contract with Duke to facilitate the purchase of the Duke tract. TLC
will then recoup these funds with the collection of EANG pledges.

TLC will donate $25,000 to the City of Durham to help the city cover the
$100,000 contribution they have been asked to make by Durham County as
their contribution to this regional park effort. Therefore Durham City is
only being asked to contribute $75,000 over a 3 year period. The $25,000
will also be immediately available, allowing the city time to budget for
the $75,000 in the future.

TLC has secured an option on the 25 acres of Penny land adjacent to New
Hope Creek. TLC has been approved for an EEP (Ecosystem Enhancement
Program) grant for the 16 acres of Penny flood plain. In the future TLC
could offer this land to Orange County as the property lies within its
jurisdiction and is part of their priority land acquisitions.

DUKE UNIVERSITY: Duke is taking an active role in helping our local
governments purchase the Duke tract for public use.

Duke is showing great flexibility and generosity in working out the final
arrangements for how Durham County will pay for the Duke tract.

Orange County has expressed interest in an additional 7 acre tract of Duke
University land which is adjacent to the Penny land, Fisher property and a
TLC parcel.

COMPLETING THE PUZZLE:

If all of the proposed purchases/conservation easements take place then 5
adjoining puzzle pieces will come together to complete the New Hope Creek
Corridor in this area- 1) the Fisher property (already protected) 2) a TLC
parcel, 3) the 7 acre Duke parcel, 4) the 62 acre Penny tract and 5) the
44 acre Duke tract.

OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS: Many of our elected officials have shown
extraordinary leadership on this issue and recognize the important
opportunity we have here to create a regional park in the Hollow Rock area
of New Hope Creek that may not be here tomorrow.

Our hats off to our representatives like Ellen Reckhow, Becky Heron, Phil
Cousin, Diane Catotti, Howard Clement, Cora Cole-McFadden, Bill Strom, Ed
Harrison, Barry Jacobs, Alice Gordon and Moses Carey who have taken an
active role in meetings to discuss this issue.

A special thank you to Durham County Commissioners' Chair Ellen Reckhow
who has taken the lead in proposing a workable funding formula for a
regional park at the Hollow Rock access to New Hope Creek.

And our deepest gratitude to the Mayor and Town Council of Chapel Hill in
taking the lead and voting unanimously last week to support this regional
park and commit the $100,000 being asked of them.

LET’S KEEP THIS GOOD WILL FLOWING THROUGH APRIL 4 AND MAKE NEW HOPE CREEK
PARK A REALITY!

Please forward this email to your friends, neighbors, and list serves.

Please keep those pledges and emails to officials coming!

Thank you as always for your amazing support.

Wendy Jacobs

Erwin Area Neighborhood Group