Agenda - 05-18-1999 - 9d - Laserfiche WebLink

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i •~- ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: May 18, 1999 Action Agenda Item No. q-d SUBJECT: Disposition of County Property on Markham Drive DEPARTMENT: County Manager/Purchasing PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): 4/12/99 CH Town Manager Memo w/Draft Resolution INFORMATION CONTACT: John Link, ext 2300; Pam Jones, ext 2650 4/22/99 CH Mayor Letter TELEPHONE NUMBERS• Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To consider the disposition of property on Markham Drive, Clark Hills Subdivision, Chapel Hill. BACKGROUND: Several months ago, a citizen contacted the County regazding the status of a County- owned lot on Markham Drive. The citizen expressed interest in purchasing the property upon which to construct a personal residence. The property was acquired by the County in February 1985 in conjunction with a tax forfeiture. The property is comprised of about 1.15 acres on the north side of Markham Drive, and was acquired at public auction at a price of $3,200. The lot contains a utility easement and resource conservation district (RCD) restrictions. There would be significant site development costs if someone wished to construct a building on this site because of the aforementioned constraints. The potential buyer has been made aware of the site limitations and has continued to express serious interest in acquiring the property. The County Assessor has visited the property and has estimated that the property's market value would be in the range of $40,000 - $70,000 (assuming a potential builder received a Town building permit, and depending on the extent of the development costs that would be required to render the property buildable). County Engineer Paul Thames and Housing and Community Development Director Taza Fikes have also visited the site and view it as impractical for affordable housing purposes because of the significant site development expenses that would be involved. The county has no identified present or future need for the property. The site occupies a low area that is surrounded on three sides by much higher ground, which drains diagonally across the site through a small creek. The site itself is a very flat and poorly drained floodplain for this creek.