I would like to point out something: THERE ARE PRACTICAL ALTERNATIVES to paving along Bolin Creek. This is what I think is so crazy. There exist possible paths that Friends of Bolin Creek and myself have been pointing out for years to accomplish this. Damon Seils and Sammy Slade and Mark Chilton have all refused to consider these alternatives.
Yet we could create a network of bike paths independent of roads and safe for everyone and more affordable. Importantly, this means the SEAWELL SCHOOL SIDEPATH, which has been one of Carrboro’s priorities on the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s list for Durham and Orange Counties. This is a very viable route that can connect Carrboro to Chapel Hill, achieving the same objective of moving people around our towns, whether for recreation or shopping.
And we can do this all without paving our riparian areas.
It is insane that the Carrboro Town Council recently manipulated a community process about Bolin Creek, saying that it was only going to consider a paved creek-side route, which the consultant said was the preferred route in 2009. Has nothing happened in the world in the last 14 years?
What kind of leadership is this?
Rob Crook is a long-time forester and expert on urban forests. He has served on Carrboro’s Environmental Advisory Board and its Greenway Commission. He believes we can have a better vision for our future than deciding to pave over all the riparian zones along our creeks.