Welcome to the The Steele Creek Greenways Committee Web Site!
A Community Partnership between the Steele Creek Greenways Committee and the
Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department

  Along the Walkers Branch Greenway Trail on its Grand Opening, October 14, 2006. Click HERE for additional photographs.

 

Contact the Steele Creek Greenways Committee
Please e-mail SCRA.Greenways@gmail.com
if you have questions.
 

Imagine...
being able to safely walk or ride your bike to the library, stores, parks, workplaces, schools, restaurants, and your neighbors in the Steele Creek community.

A committee of community volunteers is working with government agencies, landowners, developers, homeowner associations, and businesses to connect our community with a network of trails and bikeways that will follow greenways, utility easements, road rights-of-way, and neighborhood common areas. Our objective is to promote a sense of community and a healthy lifestyle.

Ultimately, we would like the trail to connect to the town of Tega Cay and a greenway and trail system planned for the Fort Mill and Rock Hill areas. The Committee has chosen to focus initially on the Steele Creek and Walkers Branch trails because these are on the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department's Master Greenway Plan.

We could use your support for this community project and welcome your thoughts, ideas, and participation. 
 
Donate to the Steele Creek Community Trail through
    Partners for Parks
    PO Box 411371
    Charlotte, NC 28241
Be sure to designate "Steele Creek Community Trail" with your donation.

 
News items:
 è County Receives More Greenway Donations
è Two Easements Donated for Walkers Branch Greenway Trail
è Three Easements Donated for Steele Creek Greenway Trail
è Support Steele Creek Trails at RiverGate Grand Opening May 5
è Grand Opening for Walkers Branch Greenway Trail at RiverGate is October 14
è Trail Update Presented at Residents Association Meeting
è Public Gives Input to Park Needs in Southwest
è Progress is being Made to Acquire Land for Steele Creek Greenways

Steele Creek
Community Trail
Q and A

 

Thanks to RiverGate
Shopping Center, Cognis, and Polypore for contributions

Want to help?
Please contact us at SCRA.Greenways@gmail.com for more information on how you can help. The following are some of the tasks we need help with:

  • Petition signature collection
  • Grant writing
  • Distributing literature
  • Fund raising
  • Trail adoption volunteers
  • Neighborhood communication representatives
  • Local business communication representatives
  • Public relations and media coordinators
  • Detail and follow-up representatives to work on land acquisition
  • Detail and follow-up representatives to work with local government, especially the Department of Transportation
  • Detail and follow-up representatives for general project work
  • Promotional activities coordinator
  • Trail maintenance coordinator

The Trail Committee participated in the RiverGate
Grand Opening Celebration on May 5, 2007
(Photo courtesy of K104.7 Cool Songs Radio)

  Click on the map to the left to view a larger map showing potential trails within Steele Creek.

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this PDF image.

Download free Acrobat Reader

 

  

Riding the Steele Creek Community Trail:

Advice for a healthy lifestyle:
 
Vision:

A community connected by trails and common values.

Mission Goals:

  • To create approximately 50 miles of walking and biking trails for people to enjoy in the Steele Creek community. 
  • To connect the planned communities of Berewick, Island Pointe/ Sanctuary, and Palisades with McDowell Nature Preserve, schools, the new library, existing subdivisions, business parks and the Steele Creek Town Center at Hwy 49 and 160. 
  • To promote an active, healthy and eco-friendly lifestyle.

History:

Karl Froelich, an active Steele Creek neighbor, became aware of the staggering growth in the Steele Creek community. He shared his concerns and vision with a group of like-minded residents. What started as neighborly “chit-chat” turned into a labor of love and passion to get in front of the development and lay the groundwork to make an active lifestyle easy for the community. The group began regular meetings to take a proactive approach with developers and local government. The group is determined block the trap that many communities fall into, allowing development to dictate the lifestyle of the community. The group is excited about the growth and simply wants to maintain healthy values as the area grows.
   
Strategy:
  • Obtain Land and Right-of-Way for the Trail
  • Develop Trail & Bikeway
  • Market and Fund the Trail
  • Measure Progress
Benefits to the community:
  • Raises property values
  • Safe walking and biking
  • Increases healthy lifestyles
  • Increases social bonds
  • Preserves natural habitat and water quality
  • Connects historical and cultural elements
  • Sets a good example for our children and others
  • Increases revenue

Endorsements & Supporters:

Local Government
Parks & Recreation Council
Greenway Council
Stewardship Council
Planning Commission

Neighborhoods and Organizations
Steele Creek Residents
        Association
Steele Creek YMCA
Steele Creek Athletic Association

Please email us at the address below if you have questions or want to find out how to get involved.

 SCRA.Greenways@gmail.com.

Links:

Steele Creek Residents Association news stories:
County Receives More Greenway Donations April 1, 2008
Two Easements Donated for Walkers Branch Greenway Trail October 6, 2007
Three Easements Donated for Steele Creek Greenway Trail June 19, 2007
Support Steele Creek Trails at RiverGate Grand Opening May 5 April 28, 2007
Big Sweep on Walkers Branch and Copperhead Island is October 7 September 29, 2006
Grand Opening for Walkers Branch Greenway Trail at RiverGate is October 14 September 16, 2006
Read about New Walkers Branch Trail August 31, 2006
Read about New Walkers Branch Trail in the Lake Wylie Pilot June 20, 2006
Trail Update Presented at Residents Association Meeting February 20, 2006
Steele Creek Community Trail Questions and Answers - February 4, 2006
Public Gives Input to Park Needs in Southwest - December 16, 2005
Progress is being Made to Acquire Land for Steele Creek Greenways - August 20, 2005
Steele Creek Community Trail Questions and Answers - November 30, 2004
Residents Association Forms Steele Creek Community Trail Committee - June 3, 2004
Schools, Community Issues, and Development Highlighted at Annual Association Meeting - February 29, 2004
You Can Help Bring Greenway Trails to Steele Creek - August 23, 2003
 

Lake Wylie Pilot news stories:
 More land needed for trail - November 20, 2007
Meck's greenway growing - November 28, 2006
Going green around the lake (opinion) - November 28, 2006
Steele Creek forging new path - June 20, 2006
Public to vote on Steele Creek Trail Thursday - December 6, 2005
Steele Creek trail gets new logo to raise awareness - September 20, 2005
Steele Creek going green as voters pave way for trails - November 9, 2004
Trail slowly makes progress - December 9, 2003
Steele Creek greenway needs support (Opinions) - September 9, 2003
Steele Creek greenway planned - September 2, 2003

Charlotte Observer news stories:
 Developer donates 18 acres for southwest Meck greenway - December 2, 2006
Community petitions for more trails - October 26, 2006
First portion of greenway open - August 31, 2006
Residents take trail in own hands - September 7, 2004 (No longer available.)
(You will need to register with the Observer to view archived articles. Links should remain active for several months.)

Factors related to the trail:

Greenway trails – The Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department has developed a Master Greenway Plan that identifies routes for future greenways along stream corridors throughout the county. Two greenways on the master plan follow

  • Steele Creek from Brown-Grier Road south to the South Carolina state line
  • Walkers Branch from Steele Creek Road south to the South Carolina state line
These routes have been approved on the master Greenway Plan. As land is developed along the stream corridors, SCCT members will work with developers to ensure land is set aside for trails.

Bikeways along roadways - SCCT members met with Charlotte DOT and NCDOT officials about trails and bike lanes along roadways. Standard sidewalks are unsuitable for bicycles. Ten-foot wide asphalt trails are preferable but do not meet city standards. Future roadway improvements will incorporate bicycle-friendly facilities into the plans. Possibilities include bicycle lanes and tunnels or bridges across roadways.

Utility easements – Trails are intended to follow easements along sewer and power lines. Efforts are underway to work with utility companies for use of these easements.

Major developments – Three major, new developments in the Steele Creek area are underway: Berewick, Palisades and The Sanctuary. Palisades and The Sanctuary will have trail systems within their borders. SCCT has contacted all three developers about connectivity between their development and the Steele Creek Community Trail.

Neighborhood associations – Trails will run through and nearby many Steele Creek neighborhoods. Participation by homeowners associations and other neighborhood groups will help the overall trail effort. Neighborhood groups may adopt a segment of trail to build or maintain.

South Carolina Trails – An extensive trail system is being developed in Tega Cay, Fort Mill and Rock Hill. Connecting SCCT to the South Carolina system will create a powerful trail network available to users from both sides of the state line. The mayor and town manager of Tega Cay have endorsed the SCCT concept.

Other parkland – Community trails would connect Mc Dowell Nature Preserve, Thomas McCallister Winget Park and the new district park on the north side of the Berewick development. This creates a wealth of resources and park facilities to the community.

Steele Creek Greenways Committee
is a committee of the
Steele Creek Residents Association
Please e-mail comments or questions to us at
SCRA.Greenways@gmail.com


 

Active Living by Design is a national program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and was established to create and promote environments that make it safe and convenient for people to be more physically active. In most communities throughout the United States it is difficult to walk or bicycle to work, school, and other important destinations. Opportunities for these routine physical activities have been engineered out of our daily lives.

The goal of Active Living by Design is to encourage changes in design, transportation, and policies to cultivate and support active living, a way of life that integrates physical activity into daily routines. Active living approaches such as walking or bicycling for transportation or pleasure, playing in the park, taking the stairs, and using recreation facilities will help people achieve the Surgeon General's recommendation of 30 minutes of moderately intense physical activity at least five days a week.

For more information, visit the Active Living by Design website.