Preservation in the News

By: Michael Hewlett

LEXINGTON - One day, Davidson County residents might be able to run along the banks of the Yadkin River from Boone’s Cave Park to the Rowan County line or cycle four miles from Lake Thom-A-Lex to Finch Park in Lexington.

That’s the hope of county officials as they develop plans for greenways, something that other counties, including Forsyth, have done over the years.

For residents, greenway trails provide more opportunities for recreation. And for county officials, they provide another way to tap into tourism dollars and make Davidson more attractive to new industries.

The county is spending $25,000 to hire the Piedmont Triad Council of Governments to develop a greenway master plan, said Guy Cornman, the county’s planning director. Davidson Vision is providing $8,000 for the effort. The county will use that plan to get grants for the project, he said.

Officials are hoping to tie into other greenway systems in other counties and connect with the 900-mile Mountains to Sea Trail across North Carolina.

Residents endorsed the idea at a workshop last December.

Paul Kron, the regional planning director for the Piedmont Triad Council of Governments, said that greenways encourage exercise by providing places for people to hike or ride their bicycles. That’s especially important at a time when reports are showing that more children are obese, he said.

Having a greenway helps counties lure industries because many companies base at least part of their decision on a community’s quality of life, Kron said.

Cornman said he would like for county officials to complete at least one section of the trail in the next two to four years. Once people see what a greenway looks like, they are more likely to support an expansion of a trail system, he said.

The key, Kron said, is deciding the best places for the trail system to go. Often, greenways follow creeks and rivers.

Now’s a good time to look at building a trail, Cornman said. Alcoa Power Generating Inc. is pursuing a new license to operate four reservoirs along the Yadkin River that generate electricity. The company owns land in the area. Arrangements could be made to use some of that land to build trails, Kron said.

It takes a long time to build a greenway-trail system, and many communities build sections over a number of years. Raleigh and Cary have spent about 30 years building their greenway trails, Kron said. But the effort is worth it because greenways improve the quality of life for a community, he said.

“It’s all part of the larger picture of 'Is this a good place to live?'” he said.