Anderson Point Park and
Milburnie Park are the first two Arrival Parks to be developed as
part of the Neuse River Regional Park. The specific master plans
are based on the individual qualities that each site offers
relative to its relationship with the river and the potential for
recreation opportunities beyond river-oriented amenities and
facilities. Each park is considered as a part of the proposed
larger whole. As parts of this larger whole, the plans for these
parks focus on the unique contributions the parks can make to the
regional system. The plans for these parks will be diminished or
significantly compromised if the greater Corridor/Regional Park
goals are not pursued and accomplished to reasonable degrees.
This is because they are designed as Arrival Parks, offering and
enhancing services to the Corridor, rather than as independent
destinations. These park plans do not offer a model for other
Arrival Parks because each Arrival Park plan must seek, identify
and develop its unique qualities as a critical node in the
Regional River Park System.
Anderson Point Park is a 105
acre site, split into two parts by the existing railroad. The
main section of the park south of the railroad, approximately 93
acres in area, is roughly triangular in shape, bounded by the
Neuse River to the east and Crabtree Creek to the west. Vehicular
access to the site is from Rogers Lane on the north end of the
site.
The City of Raleigh purchased
Anderson Point from the Anderson family in 1988 to develop the
entire parcel as a park. In 1992, the City and NCDOT agreed to
trade a right-of-way for the highway along the northern edge of
the property for mitigating lands adjacent to Anderson Point and
certain incidental features along the road site.
The central upland portion of
the main section, approximately 25 to 30 acres in area, is
pastoral in character with rolling open fields punctuated by
hedgerows and occasional cedars. A grove of large oaks surrounds
the existing farmstead on the hilltop. The open uplands are
separated from the river by steep wooded slopes and a broad flood
plain. A narrower fringe of hardwood forest on moderately steep
slopes borders Crabtree Creek with a much narrower flood plain. A
sanitary sewer line parallels the river, leading to a pump
station near the southern tip of the uplands. A power
transmission line traverses the site just south of the pump
station. The flood plain forms a broad flat point at the
confluence of the river and creek, with relatively mature and
open hardwood forest, including some enormous oaks.
The twelve acre section north of
the railroad is primarily open field and is traversed by a power
transmission line with a 100 foot wide right-of-way. There is a
large grove of mature hardwoods near Rogers Lane at the top of
the draw between the power line and the railroad.
(Anderson Point Park Master Plan drawing)
The Master Plan for this site
includes a major gateway to the greenway north of the railroad,
and a variety of recreational elements in the main section of the
park accentuating the confluence point, connections to the river,
and the scenic pastoral character of the central uplands. The
planned facilities accommodate many recreational uses with a
focus on informal play, walking, picnicking and other means of
enjoying and exploring the varied and scenic qualities of the
site. A more detailed description of the plan elements follows.
A bridge over the railroad and
proposed US-64 Bypass in the location of the existing footbridge
will provide access to the park from Rogers Lane. Separate,
parallel vehicular and pedestrian pathways lead across the bridge
into the park. The entry road leads past the parking lot for the
riverfront/greenway area and by a water feature which introduces
the visitor to the park. The drive then leads to a circular
drive/drop-off area and to a parking area for approximately 200
cars just south of the highway corridor and west of the entry
drive. Just beyond the circular drop-off, an entry pavilion
serves as the pedestrian gateway into the park. A drive reserved
for use by handicapped visitors leads to the southern end of the
site, running parallel to the highway and then roughly following
the existing road along the edge of the woods. The drive ends in
a small parking lot with twenty spaces for handicapped users at
the southern end of the site below the sewer pump station,
providing more convenient access to the point and riverside
walks.
An entry pavilion located at the
intersection of the entry drive and a major cross-site pathway
introduces visitors to the main portion of the park. Paths lead
out from the pavilion into the oak grove, the central lawn area
and toward the beech grove.
The plan preserves the mature
oak grove around the portion of the existing farmstead south of
the highway corridor as a forecourt for one multi-use building
and as a shady overlook area with views out over the central lawn
area.
A multi-use facility, with
functions based on the City's future program needs, is located in
the area just east of the oak grove. The architecture of this
building should complement the pastoral landscape around it and
reflect the farming history of the site.
This garden, located on the
ridge east of the multi-use building, serves as outdoor gathering
space for functions at this facility and as a place for
educational and interpretive programs. The tobacco barns and any
historically significant portion of the farmhouse should be
relocated, if feasible, to this area to give structure and
greater utility to the garden space and to add historical context
and opportunities for interpretive exhibits on the site's
historical use. The garden is envisioned to create a microcosm of
the park with a water feature reflecting the park's main focus as
well as helping to mask highway noise, and plantings reflecting
the site's agricultural history and its varied natural
environments.
The cross-site axis extends
through the garden to a river overlook at the top of a steep
slope with trails leading down to the flood plain and to the
pedestrian bridge across the river next to the proposed US-64
Bypass. Another upland overlook is located on a nearby knoll in
the woods with views of the wooded slopes, flood plain and
ephemeral wetland pond.
South of the river overlook, a
trail leads down the slope through the beech woods to a stone
overlook terrace next to the river and a stone riverwalk along
the river's edge, just above the normal water level where park
visitors can get close to the water on solid ground.
A tree-lined trail leads west from the entry pavilion towards Crabtree Creek. Stepping down to a boardwalk across the beaver pond below the existing farm pond, the pathway ends in a beech grove at a bend in the creek.
If the proposed US-64 Bypass is
constructed through the park, the portion of the existing farm
pond outside of the highway Corridor should be reshaped and
buffered from the highway embankment to create a fishing pond.
A large picnic shelter is
planned at the edge of the woods bordering Crabtree Creek with
convenient access from the main parking area. An informal lawn is
located adjacent to the picnic area. It is separated from the
main lawn by hedgerows which provides a semi-private space.
Smaller shelters are shown at several points around the edges of
the central lawn and at the upland overlook.
A second multi-use building at
the southern end of the separate lawn offers potential for
development as a corporate retreat center or other function as
determined in the future. This building looks over the enclosed
play lawn and through the woods to Crabtree Creek.
The central upland portion of
the park remains open with a long informally shaped lawn
extending from the existing oak grove on the hilltop to the
southern end of the upland, accentuating the length of the site
and leading the eye toward the point. A lobe of this lawn extends
to the east below the gathering garden, offering additional space
for informal play. The lawn shape is modulated to create three
informal spaces within the greater lawn area. This 'great lawn'
is intended to remain as rolling ground, with grading limited to
the extent necessary to make lawns suitable for pick-up games,
kite-flying, Frisbee-playing and other informal play. The lawns,
and indeed the entire park area south of the railroad, are not
intended for organized athletics. Small groves of trees and
meadow areas are proposed to shape and differentiate the open
lawn areas.
A sculpture terrace crowns the
knoll on the eastern edge of the central lawn with views out over
the site across rough meadows on the slopes of the knoll.
The plan accentuates and
enhances the diversity of natural habitat in the flood plain
areas of the park, providing a variety of trails so that visitors
can explore this area. The existing wetland and ephemeral pond
area west of the sewer line should be managed to encourage more
diverse wetland vegetation. The woods mass south of the power
line should be shaped to reduce the linear character of the
cleared Corridor and to accentuate views towards the point. A new
wetland pond is shown on the western end of the power line
corridor. The banks of this pond are intended to be gradually
sloped and the pond kept shallow enough for wading in order to
provide safe access for participants in park nature programs.
An island overlook at the tip of
the point, connected to the point by a short bridge provides
panoramic views up and down the Neuse, up Crabtree Creek and back
to Anderson Point. The existing tip of the point, currently
covered with brambles and including no significant trees, will be
cut off to create the island. The larger trees at the point are
set back from the tip and will be preserved, with some thinning
of underbrush to accentuate the open woodland character of this
area. A planned bridge across Crabtree Creek just north of the
confluence, will connect to future greenway trails along the
Neuse down to Poole Road and to the Crabtree Creek greenway.
A planned trail leads through
the rich hardwood forest on the slopes along Crabtree Creek from
the point to the Beech Grove. Trail portals will identify access
to this trail from the central lawn. Access to the creekside
woods will be restricted except where trails are provided to
minimize damage to vegetation on the slopes.
A network of trails will connect
the various site elements and provide opportunities for circuit
routes of varying lengths and character. All main site elements
will be served by at least one hard-surfaced trail for universal
accessibility. Surfaces of other trails will vary, ranging from
soft surfaces such as bark chips, grass or fine gravel to hard
surfaces such as stone, asphalt or concrete.
Most of the shrub and pine
screen plantings around the pump station should be removed and
replaced with groves of oaks and other native hardwoods to soften
the views of the facility in a manner more compatible with the
park landscape.
A small restroom building is
shown at the southern end of the uplands to serve the flood plain
and confluence areas.
The area north of the railroad
and the planned US-64 Bypass will serve as a major entrance to
the greenway with a focus on the riverfront. A canoe launch,
picnic shelter and greenway service facility with restrooms and
possibly food service, and bike or canoe rentals, is located on
the riverbank along with a 180 space parking area for greenway
users. A river marker, designed in conjunction with others along
the Corridor, serves as a landmark, identifying the park entrance
from the water. A small fishing pond is shown in the draw north
of the railroad embankment.
Several routes are proposed to
connect the park to the greenway trail north of the site. A trail
follows the river from the canoe launch, passing under the
railroad bridge on a 12 foot wide embankment or boardwalk, and
continuing under the proposed highway to connect to trails on the
park flood plain and uplands. The proposed highway crossing
should be designed to accommodate a 12 foot wide path along the
river to provide for possible future trail widening. Another
trail crosses the northern section of the park past the fishing
pond to enter the main park over the entry bridge. A pedestrian
bridge connected to the proposed US-64 Bypass crossing allows
connection to Knightdale's proposed Mingo Creek Greenway as well
as to future trails along the east side of the river. A new
pedestrian bridge over Crabtree Creek at the southern end of the
site enables connections to future greenway trails extending
south along the river and upstream along Crabtree Creek.
The 200 foot wide US-64 Bypass
highway corridor proposed by NCDOT to cross the park south of the
railroad would have a major impact on the park environment. The
highway would impact far more of the park than the approximately
ten acres which would be taken for highway right-of-way. Highway
noise would be significant throughout the park site, with most
severe effects extending approximately 500 feet on both sides of
the highway corridor. The width of this corridor would create a
complete separation between park land on both sides, and would
also affect the access to the park, requiring long bridges or
underpasses for the entrance road and trails.
NCDOT proposes to build an
access bridge to the park from Rogers Lane, and to acquire
additional land adjacent to the park as mitigation for the impact
of the highway corridor. If built through the park, the highway
should be set at approximately the grade of the existing railroad
track, which is depressed below the adjacent grades in the center
of the site and elevated above the park nearer the river and
creek at the approaches to the bridges. The entrance bridge to
the park should be wide enough to comfortably accommodate two way
vehicular and separated pedestrian travel. NCDOT has agreed to
construct sound walls and/or berms to reduce highway noise
adjacent to the road corridor.
NCDOT should also acquire land
across Crabtree Creek and along the Neuse River across from the
park and along both sides of the river south of the park. This
land is needed to protect views from "the point" and to
facilitate connections to existing City parks to the south. NCDOT
should acquire and transfer to the City of Raleigh land along the
east bank of the Neuse River, from and including Mingo Creek to
the tributary stream just south of the rapids north of Poole
Road. Also to be included are lands along Crabtree Creek south of
the park and continuing south along the river to complete the
connection with City owned property and the existing Poole Road
Canoe Access Park. NCDOT should construct as an incidental
feature of the US-64 Bypass project, a bridge for pedestrian and
light vehicular access. This bridge should span Crabtree Creek
near the southernmost point of Anderson Point Park (as shown on
the Master Plan) to connect the main park and the mitigation
lands along the western shore of the Neuse.
The highway bridge crossing over the Neuse should include a pedestrian walkway as well as adequate space for 12 foot wide trails under the bridge on both sides of the river connecting to the greenway trail north and south of the highway. In addition, connecting pedestrian ramps should be provided between the bridge crossing and the greenway trails at each end.
(Mitigating Land Plan)
The plan includes a
recommendation to purchase the property in the northwest corner
above the US-64 bypass. This property could serve as a
neighborhood recreation area and link the park to residential
developments to the north. Facilities suggested for this
additional property include two athletic fields, a children's
playground, restroom facilities and a 110 space parking area. A
caretaker's residence and park maintenance facility are also
suggested for this area.