Making Moore Connections

1. Making Moore Connections Roxanne Leopper, MS FirstHealth of the Carolinas Community Health Services

2. Objectives For Today • Introduce Making Moore Connections work • Update on other municipalities work on increasing active transportation • Update on Moore County Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) • Review adoption of Complete Streets policy from NC DOT • Importance of leveraging funding opportunities and aligning with county and other municipalities • Review why planning for active transportation is important

3. Making Moore Connections • Collaboration between health, planning, parks and recreation and the community • Enhancing connectivity to increase opportunities for physical activity and increase access to healthy foods

4. Obesity and Chronic Disease in Moore County • Adult obesity rate 28 percent reported in 2007 (PRC) vs. 26.6 for NC • Childhood obesity rate 20 percent; overweight 17 percent (more obese than overweight) • Diabetes prevalence 14.1 vs. 9.1 for NC • Hypertension 33.6 percent vs. 29.2 for NC • 51.3% of Moore County residents are sedentary (exercise less than 3 times per week for 20 minutes)

5. Summary of Other Municipalities Planning and Policies

6. Vass Summary • Have two elementary schools (Cranes Creek and Vass-Lakeview) • Leveraged grant funding to enhance park area near Vass-Lakeview • Developing park survey (already has designated area; maintenance concern) • Opportunity for pedestrian trail Seaboard Street which connects to library and park (1.3 mile trail); unites downtown, neighborhoods, parks and maybe school (have to build bridge over railway) • Land use plan – conducive to be neighborhood community

7. Foxfire Summary • Younger families moving into area • In 2005, submitted and awarded grant for $450,000 to purchase 51 acres for park • Currently has two pavilion areas • Designs for new development area that includes elements of active transportation

8. Southern Pines Summary • Have a formal greenway and park plan approved by town • Have extensive greenway trails • Have several open space park areas • Disc golf course at Reservoir Park • Passed a DOT approved Bicycle Plan (2010) • Forming a Bicycle Advisory Committee approved by Town Council to steer implementation of Bicycle Plan • Committee will also assist with public education campaign • Taking advantage of DOT resurfacing to implement recommendations in Bicycle Plan (back-in parking; repainting share the road marks) • Town funded Phase One of the Bicycle Plan • Added bike lanes to new Harris Teeter • Sidewalk Plan – Approved by Town of Southern Pines • Funded by Town Council (1 cent of taxes dedicated to sidewalk plan) • New developments require sidewalks by policy • Currently have farmers market downtown • Planning to redevelop downtown park

9. Village of Pinehurst Summary • Updating Comprehensive Plan • Has a development ordinance – beginning to rewrite policy standards (subcommittee meeting every other week) • Currently requires sidewalks for new residential and businesses (single and both sides) • New developments – require pedestrian easements and open space requirements • Going forward with local transportation plan, which will incorporate regional plan • Working to align language of municipal policies with CTP language to preserve the connections

10. Village of Pinehurst (cont) • Have farmers market downtown • Adopted comprehensive Parks and Recreation Plan (which includes open space, ETJ, and greenways) • Greenways – adopted 2003; 6.3 miles in 8 years • Trails grant funded to date in partnership with FirstHealth; just completed trail from PES to Library • Working to build trail to Route 5 businesses • West Pine Park – opening 9 hole disc golf course • Connections to Southern Pines on Airport Road • Connections to Aberdeen on Route 5

11. Aberdeen Summary • Town adopted greenway plan in 2009 • Town of Aberdeen passed DOT approved Pedestrian Plan in 2011 (grant funded) • Currently working on DOT approved Bicycle Plan – to approve in 2012 (town funding) • Link language from CTP to ALL plans (current and in development) • Master sign plan in development • Tunnel sign and ramp update • Unified Development Ordinance (zoning) - rolled language from Pedestrian Plan

12. Aberdeen (cont) • Sidewalk requirements for commercial and neighborhood areas • Board actively funded development to complete the “sidewalks to nowhere” • Utilized youth photo journals to tell the story • Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Plan in development • 3 bodies of water • Trail Aberdeen Lake Park – join to Aberdeen Elementary • Trail to Southern Pines Middle – acquiring land • Leveraging some funds through DOT and Safe Routes to Schools • New town website – introduces social media access

13. Moore County Summary • Look to municipalities for DOT approved Bike/Pedestrian plans • In process of Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) • Formed Moore County Transportation Committee • Want municipalities to be engaged • Want municipalities to align language and design guides in their plans • 5 major intersection issues • Hosting interactive public meetings • Looking at more active transportation around businesses on 24/27; street scape improvements • Building public support for multimodal components to include greenways, public transportation

14. Moore County (cont) • Currently updating Land Use Plan (typically every 5 – 10 years) • Sewer/water • Schools • Parks and Recreation Plan for the county in development • Attempting to align county budget with the plans • Green Print Plan (using as foundation for parks & open space plan)

15. NC DOT Adopts Complete Streets Policy • Adopted policy in 2009 • Currently developing design guidelines • Align municipal language with new guidelines • Implementation 2012/2013 • Complete Streets • All new roads and any road improvements will consider all means of transportation to include pedestrian, bicycle, public and vehicles • Local policies typically have clause designating a dollar amount or percent above project cost to meet complete streets criteria (budget parameters)

16. NC DOT Grants To Municipalities • In order to be eligible for implementation funding, municipalities must have DOT approved bicycle and pedestrian plans • Planning grants available one time per year through NC DOT • Approved plans kept on record and considered during repaving and/or new road projects; funding for implementation

17. Leveraging Funding As Region and Through Collaboration • Approved plans are KEY • Aligning language is essential • Funding is available for implementation of plans, road improvements, open space, parks/rec, greenway trails • Successful examples • Pinehurst and FirstHealth sidewalk Gun Club Road (COPDP - $100,000) • Fit Community (PES); Lowes food grant for internal walking trail • Village of Pinehurst connected school to library (based on photo journal project from students) • Aberdeen Tunnel Improvement • Implementation of Phase One of Bicycle Plan (town supported) • Aberdeen leveraged town funds for Bike Plan • SafeKids funding to improve crossing between Aberdeen Elementary School and the park

18. Why Should We CareWhy Should We Plan • Health of our community • Health care costs • Improving population health • Quality of life • Economic development • Businesses are asking “obesity rate” as deciding factor for establishing headquarters/offices • Public safety • Home values increase if they are closer to trails/parks • Developments with opens spaces, sidewalks, parks have higher home sales • Higher walk scores equal higher home values • Less pollution

19. Next Steps Making Moore Connections • Adding capacity to collaborative – public works, policy makers • Cultivating relationship with NC DOT • Working to leverage funding collaboratively to expand active transportation and access to healthy foods (local level, grants, county level) • Grassroots education • Working to include active transportation option into CTP

20. Questions?Roxanne Leopperrleopper@firsthealth.org