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Browsing by Author "Eliason, Amy"

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    Morganton, NC: Building a Healthier Community through Open Spaces, Greenways, and Natural Resource Enhancement
    Gilboy, Elizabeth; Browning, Lara; Eliason, Amy; Gresham, Carter (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2015-07)
    “Established in 1777, Morganton is the county seat and cultural, governmental, financial, and commercial center of Burke County, the largest county in Western North Carolina. Sitting in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains between Hickory and Asheville, Morganton’s location along I-40 makes it an important economic center for the region.

    Morganton and the surrounding counties, cities, and towns are blessed with scenic rural landscapes, bountiful natural resources, and a rich historic and cultural heritage. Lake James State Park, the Linville Gorge, Pisgah National Forest, and South Mountains State Park are short drives from the city. Morganton prides itself on providing big city services wrapped in small town charm.”

    The Foothills Conservancy approached the Community Design Assistance Center (CDAC) looking to evaluate an existing trail system on a site just south of Downtown Morganton. An array of different types of trails exist on the various properties of the site. In addition, the largest stakeholder on this “Pentagon” site, Western Piedmont Community College (WPCC), seeks to welcome and attract community members to the area for recreational use. With this in mind, WPCC is requesting options for an enhanced trail system that will connect with the various other sites, including the North Carolina School for the Deaf (NCSD) and Broughton Hospital. Burke County, hailed as “Nature’s Playground,” also seeks to create an environment that promotes healthy living. This project will work in conjunction with the North Carolina Forest Service’s goal of appropriate large scale reforestation.

    The Community Design Assistance Center prepared a conceptual master plan for trails, as well as detailed amenity spaces, planting recommendations, and reforestation guidelines.
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    Morganton, NC: Trail and Natural Resource Enhancement Stewardship Plan
    Gilboy, Elizabeth; Browning, Lara; Eliason, Amy; Gresham, Carter (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2015-07)
    Considering the level of maintenance for different projects depends on the project type and use. Frequency of day-to-day maintenance tasks are based on the level of maintenance required for each project to be sustained as designed. Additional considerations, when determining the level of maintenance for projects, are funding and who will be performing the tasks. Each individual community must determine their resources and how those resources will be allocated within their budget.

    Sources of funding may be donated by various community groups, and partnerships can help to bolster a community’s capacity. For example, if a town cannot afford to install irrigation systems for their athletic fields, a local interest group could donate that installation money. The town would then assume the management responsibilities of that irrigation system onward.
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    Stecoah Valley Center Conceptual Site Master Plan
    Gilboy, Elizabeth; Browning, Lara; Burg, Gardner; Behbahani, Armaghan Behzad; VanNoy, Jess; Alsaiari, Hamad; Eliason, Amy; Gresham, Carter (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2015-06)
    The Stecoah Valley Center is located in Stecoah, NC within Graham County. The Center was built in 1926 and served the community as the Stecoah Union School until it was closed in 1994 and converted into a cultural center. The Center now serves the community as a place for after school arts programs, a performance space, an art gallery, a museum for Cherokee history, and an event space to celebrate local arts and agriculture. The Center sits on 10 acres of land currently comprised of a fitness trail that surrounds the extent of the property, a playground, an azalea garden, a pavilion, a separate gymnasium building, and a creek. The majority of the grounds consists of open space to provide ample room for the many cultural events the Center hosts in the summer and fall seasons.

    The Community Design Assistance Center (CDAC) was tasked with developing a conceptual master plan to enhance the cultural and environmental quality of the grounds. The proposed master plan includes a half-basketball court that also serves as an outdoor performance space, outdoor restrooms, a wind garden, a story circle, a creek-side reading area, an interpretive walking trail with a variety of stations, and stormwater management all of which are Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible. In addition, open space was preserved to support the many events that the Center hosts every year.

    The Stecoah Valley Center also wanted CDAC to enhance the fitness trail and convert it to an interpretive walking trail, so 5 interpretive stations were proposed. These stations reflect the history, culture, art, and geology of the region.