Brushy Fork

Brushy Fork Nature Preserve

Welcome to the information page on the Brushy Fork Nature Preserve. This project is a collaboration between The Kenton Conservancy and the Banklick Watershed Council. The goal of the project is to protect a beautiful natural area along the Brushy Fork Creek that contains old-growth forests, a wetland, and over a mile of creek.

Public Park vs. Nature Preserve

The Kenton Conservancy is all about greenspaces and the natural environment. While technically, it is a park-like use, what is planned is much less 'developed' and less used than a park. Really, it's a nature preserve. We don't plan on any playgrounds, ball fields, or anything that draws large crowds at a time. We just want people to have a good way to get down to the trails to hike along the creek, wetland, and forest.

A Better Alternative

The original 2004 development plan for the Canberra Ridge Subdivision called for the hilltop removal and filling of the wetland valley. Had that plan been completed, there would have been an additional 100 homes off the back of Canberra Drive.

The purchase of the property by The Kenton Conservancy ensures that all 104 acres around Canberra Ridge will remain as green space in perpetuity.

The comparison maps below show the original neighborhood layout compared to the revised plan. In 2018, the developer reached out, recognizing the value of preserving the greenspace, and a compromise was reached. Instead of an additional 128 homes, they would finish the final phase of the development with only 27 new homes, and sell the remainder of the land for conservation.

Planned Improvements

While a vast majority of the site will remain in its natural condition, we realized the need to create an easier way to access the existing trails that doesn't involve scrambling down steep hillsides or trespassing on other's property. We worked with the developer, who agreed to split the land so that we could have the level area between the new homes and the railroad tracks, making it possible to install a trailhead and trail connector down to the valley with a reasonable slope. We named the trailhead area the Access 'Hub' and provided the following features (see maps at bottom of this page):

Entry Sign - The entry monument will be located off Canberra Drive, behind the sidewalk and out of the right-of-way.
Driveway - The paved concrete driveway will blend with Canberra and neighboring driveways and extend 35'. It will visually blend in with the rest of the new development. The driveway will then transition to more natural material (gravel) for the remainder of the drive and the parking area.
Gate - A gate or bollards is a security measure necessary to prevent unauthorized vehicles from entering the parking area. This will allow The Conservancy and/or City maintain control of opening/closing the area to prevent illicit activity. Initially, we plan for the gates to remain closed except upon request. If daily opening/closing of the gates is merited, we can reach out to the City or adjacent homeowners - as we do at another property.
Kiosk - An information kiosk will be constructed to provide information on the trails, environmental education, and bench seating.
Parking - A parking minimum of 8 spaces was determined based on the actual usage at the Conservancy's nearby Wolsing Woods Trails property, which sees 5-6 cars on peak (sunny, weekend) days. (Weekday use is minimal, with most usage being pedestrians coming down from the adjacent Meadow Glen subdivision). On special event days, the Wolsing Trails saw 10-12 cars, all of which were able to be accommodated in the parking area.
We anticipate similar usage at the Brushy Fork Nature Preserve, and designed scalable parking to minimize on-street parking along Canberra Dr:
- With the gates closed, 1-2 cars can pull off into the paved driveway.
- 8 gravel spaces are provided in the gravel parking area.
- Parking can be increased by utilizing the (future) parking area.
Buffer Plantings - The zoning permit requires that we provide landscaping buffers around the property. We proposed that a majority of the property has sufficient buffering with the existing native vegetation. In consideration of the neighbors surrounding the Access 'Hub' we plan to install native trees and shrubs to minimize the potential visual impact of The Conservancy's property.

2020 Construction Plan

We have been working closely with the developer as they finish the final phase of the subdivision. Our goal is to capitalize on the presence of the construction crews so that they can install our sidewalk/driveway at the same time they are there for installation of the streets. This will help to save costs and make sure the site blends nicely with the new street installation. Installing a entry sign, gate/bollards, kiosk and trail connector will help to make the Access 'Hub' an attractive addition to the new development.

Future Options

Our March 2020 zoning application required that we submit our vision for the ultimate build-out conditions for the property. While we don't have the funding or the need to construct any of these elements in the near-term, we left space for the possible future addition of:

Maintenance Building - This would allow the Conservancy to store equipment and supplies necessary for stewardship of the property. We've envisioned this being constructed with an awning to provide shade and rain shelter for hikers or small gatherings.
Outdoor 'Classroom' - This is nothing more than an open, level area where people can group in the case of a scouting, volunteer day, guided hike, or tree planting day. There maybe logs provided as seating for kids.
Native Gardens - This is an area reserved for possible future native or butterfly plantings.
Future Parking - This area was designated in case the parking demands exceeded the anticipated required minimum. This could be gravel or left as a mowed grassy area.

Layout for proposed Access 'Hub' off Canberra Dr. (See below for enlarged version)

Concept Sketch of a Steel and Native Rock Entry Sign. (Illustrative Purposes Only)

Concept Sketch of Kiosk. (Illustrative Purposes Only)

Concept Design of Kiosk. (For Illustrative Purposes Only).

Concept Sketch of Kiosk. (For Illustrative Purposes Only)

Kiosk and parking area at the Wolsing Woods Trails, located at 380 Webster Road, Independence.

Maps

Map of the entire Brushy Fork Nature Preserve showing property line (yellow) and the areas where vegetation buffer (green) is required by zoning. We are proposing leaving the existing vegetation as-is to fulfill this buffer requirement.

The original 2004 development plan for Canberra Ridge

Proposed layout of the public access 'Hub' off Canberra Drive. The first 35' of driveway will be paved so that it looks the same and blends in with surrounding residences. The drive will then transition to gravel.

The 2019 agreement reached with the developer will only add 27 of the planned 128 homes, leaving the remainder of the land for greenspace.

The development plan for the end of Canberra Drive, showing The Conservancy's new access parcel (lot 93A). The current access parcel near Hobart will be transferred back to the developer.

Map of the existing trail network that will be preserved and linked to the Access 'Hub'.

Additional Information

Zoning Application Packet