Windshield and Walking Tour

Team Members: Lindsay Dozier, Shanu Jindal, Krishna Patharkar, Rachel Pisula, and Katie
Puttkammer

Days/Times observations were completed (note the team members for each visit):
Wednesday, 9/10/14 6:10pm- 8:10pm - All members present
Sunday, 9/20/14 11:15am-1:30pm - All members present
General information:

1. Name of Neighborhood: Colony Woods

2. Congressional District: 4

3. Location (zip code): 27517

4. Boundaries:
North- Fireside Drive
South- Shortly after the intersection of Leclair Street, Tinkerbell Road dead-ends
East Highview Drive
West- Northern part of Tinkerbell Road

Neighborhood design for physical activity:

5. Sidewalks: Network of walkable sidewalks that are unobstructed, well maintained, and
level (Describe): Sidewalks are present only on Ephesus Church Road once you get into
Orange County. Otherwise sidewalks have not been laid down for other streets in Colony
Woods.

6. Bike trails or routes: Network of biking routes that are unobstructed, well maintained,
and easily identified (describe): There were no official bike trails or routes for Colony
Woods.

7. ADA Accessibility: Walking and biking routes are accessible to people with disabilities
1and in compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements
(describe):

1. Routes are mostly flat with no large dips or inclines

There were a few dips in the roads with signs alerting people of the dip.
b. Routes are smooth with no large level changes, breaks or gaps
Roads in the neighborhood were well maintained.
c. There are smooth transitions (e.g., curb cuts or ramps) from the routes to the
streets.
Not applicable because there were no sidewalks in the neighborhood.
d. Routes are free of other major impassable features (e.g., mailboxes, light
poles, trees).
 Not applicable because there were no sidewalks; however the roads were clear.

8. Neighborhood parks (public or private), shared-use paths/trails, and open spaces are
provided and maintained within easy walking distance (i.e., within a half mile ) of most
homes or public transportation stops.
Name parks, describe location and facilities
Ephesus Park connected to the elementary school that is within a 400m walk from the
western boundary of the neighborhood. Facilities include tennis courts, baseball field,
basketball court, playgrounds, entrance to wooded trails, and bathrooms.
Burlington Park- located off of Ephesus Church Road between Landerwood Drive and
Sharon Road on the north side.
o Facilities accessible by those with disabilities (e.g., accessible parking,
restrooms, sinks at appropriate heights, water fountains, accessible
playgrounds)
At Ephesus Park, the bathrooms included a handicap stall and sinks at appropriate
heights, however the sidewalk to get to the bathrooms was uneven. There were
no bathrooms at Burlington Park.
o Opportunities for physical activity, indoors and/or outdoors
Swimming pools- There is a swimming pool in Ridgewood, a nearby
neighborhood where Colony Woods residents could join if they choose to.
Basketball courts- There was a basketball court behind Ephesus
Elementary School. Many Colony Woods resident had personal basketball
hoops in their driveways.
Baseball/softball fields- There was a baseball/softball field behind
Ephesus Elementary School.
Soccer/football/lacrosse fields- There were no official
soccer/football/lacrosse fields in the parks or neighborhood.
Tennis courts- There were approximately 3-4 tennis courts at Ephesus
Park.
Health/wellness/recreation centers- There were none at the parks or in
the neighborhood.
Golf courses- There is a golf course about a mile away, Chapel Hill
Country Club.
Playgrounds with play structure- At Ephesus Park there were 3 play
structures. At Burlington Park they had regular swings, baby swings, and 1
play structure.
Nature, skateboard, pocket, pet, water, or garden parks- There were
none of these parks in our neighborhood.
Which are publicly available? Both Ephesus and Burlington Park are
publicly available.
Which are accessible by foot, bike, or transportation? Both parks had
sidewalks to either walk or bike there as well as parking for cars.
Which seem to be used by the local residents? We observed people
using the facilities at Ephesus Park but no one at Burlington Park. # of people?
 Neighborhood parks, shared use paths/trails, and open spaces are connected
through a network of greenways, sidewalks or paths that enable most residents to
get to these by foot or bike.
Ephesus park had an entrance to a wooded trail that leads to Colony Woods.

Neighborhood offers many destinations (e.g., parks, playgrounds, stores, community

centers, and libraries) within easy walking distance (1/2 mile) from homes or public
transportation stops.
The neighborhood had numerous bus stops for the Chapel Hill Transit busses. There were
2 parks accessible from Colony Woods. The closest convenience store is 0.9 miles from
the western border of the neighborhood.

Other neighborhood assets:

9. Schools, public and private: Locations of all schools, public and private.
Names and locations
Ephesus Elementary School
1495 Ephesus Church Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
Public school
Accessibility by walking
There are sidewalks on Ephesus Church road that leads up to the elementary school.
Crosswalks
There were about 4 crosswalks that went across Ephesus Church Road
Safe routes to school; walking school buses
There were a lot of safety signs around the school. We did not observe the school
during school hours so were unsure if they had walking school busses or crossing
guards.

10. Churches, clubs, and membership organizations:

Names and locations
Ephesus Baptist Church
2025 Ephesus Church Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
This is approximately 0.6 miles from the eastern border of Colony Woods

Ephesus PTA
Located at Ephesus Elementary School

11. Places where people like to linger or hang out:

Describe the places and the people who linger there.
People were utilizing the tennis courts at Ephesus Park. People were walking or
biking throughout the neighborhood or doing yard work.

12. Community organizations, associations, and health and social service agencies:
 Names, locations, types of services offered.
There were signs of a Colony Woods Neighborhood Watch throughout the
neighborhood. There were no signs or notifications of where headquarters were
located. There was an American Legion about 1.5 miles away from the neighborhood.

13. Health care providers:

Names, locations, type of provider.
There were no health care facilities in our neighborhood.

14. Block by block description of types of housing

Describe (group housing, public housing complex, row homes, etc.)
There were well-maintained, 1 and 2 story middle class houses. Each home was
separated from the next home by at least 5 to 10 feet of space. Many people had
fences that in their backyards. Many homeowners renovated or were in the process of
renovating the exterior or interior of the homes based on the signs placed by the
construction company or with equipment left on the property by the builders. The
houses were built in the 1970s and according to one For Sale flyer the listing price
was $239,900.

15. Food stores:

Types (corner stores, supermarkets, ethnic and specialized markets, convenience
stores): There were no food stores located within our neighborhood.
Location: The closest convenience store was the Buy and Go which was
approximately 0.9 miles away from Colony Woods.
Availability of fresh vegetables and fruits of acceptable quality
At the Buy and Go they had fresh apples, bananas, and limes.

16. Farmers markets:

Location, available times, number of vendors
Chapel Hill Farmers Market
201 S Estes Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
The Chapel Hill Farmers market is the closest farmers market and is 1.4 miles away.
It is open on Saturdays 8am-12pm and Tuesdays 3pm-6pm. There are approximately
36 vendors that participate at this farmers market location.

17. Commercial enterprises:

Types, location, and ethnicity of management
There did not appear to be any commercial enterprises in our neighborhoods.

18. Historical sites, sites of particular social significance:

Name, location, description
The historical site that was closest to our neighborhood was the Ephesus Baptist
Church, which was built in 1891.
 The site that had the most social significance was Ephesus Elementary School.

Safety

19. Sidewalks, parks, and parking areas are well lit to enhance safety at night.
There were streetlights throughout the neighborhood that kept it well lit. The parks closed at
dusk to ensure safety.

20. Motor vehicle drivers obey the speed limit and yield for pedestrians to cross the
street.
While we were using the crosswalks, we did not have any problems with vehicles not
stopping. Drivers in the neighborhood appeared to follow the speed limit which was posted at
25mph. Many of the drivers were very cautious and accommodating of pedestrians and bicyclists
especially on roads that did not have any sidewalks.
21. Law enforcement officers at local parks.
We did not see any law enforcement officials in the neighborhoods or in the parks.
22. People who walk and bike during the day can feel free from traffic hazards or
threats to personal safety.
We saw people riding their bikes and walking their dogs or with strollers/children. There were
also a sign in someones yard that stated, Drive like your kids live here.

23. Locations of abandoned or vacant buildings, empty lots, etc. Do these pose a threat to
safety?
We saw one house/lot that could potentially be abandoned or just severely neglected. This
house may pose a threat due to squatters or possibly due to animal infestations.
24. Geographic barriers, natural and man-made, such as major thoroughfares,
waterways, etc.
According to one citizen we spoke with, he said that Ephesus Church Road is often a barrier to
residents who live on either the South or North side of the neighborhood due to the split of
Colony Woods in terms of two cities (Chapel Hill and Durham) and even two counties (Durham
and Orange County).