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19 <br />MEMORANDUM <br />TO: Karen Lincoln, Planner III <br />FROM: Paul Thames, PE, County Engineer <br />DATE: November 9, 1998 <br />SUBJECT: Water and sewer plans for the Buckhorn Road Economic Development District <br />In response to your query regarding plans for the Buckhorn Road EDD, I can advise you that <br />there are no specific plans in existence at this time for the construction or provision of water or <br />sewer utilities to the EDD. There has been, of course, a great deal of discussion about the <br />potential for the eventual extension of utilities to this area, but such an extension is not likely to <br />take place without the certainty that some group of businesses or at least one major business is <br />going to locate in the EDD. At this time, it is not clear what utility provider would be extending <br />utilities to the area or how the costs of such an extension would be paid. <br />It is my believe that both the BOCC and the Planning Board were well aware of the uncertain <br />nature of utility extension to the EDD when the EDD was approved. Likewise, I believe that it <br />was understood that the creation of any utility infrastructure or capacity in the EDD would occur <br />by one of the following means: 1) an industial or commercial venture in the EDD could pay the <br />cost of obtaining utility service by means of developing its own individual on -site utility <br />capacity; 2) an industial or commercial venture in the EDD could pay the cost of obtaining utility <br />service by means of extending municipal -type utilities for the Town of Mebane or from a <br />combination of the Orange- Alamance and Orange County water and sewer utilities; or 3) an <br />industrial or commercial venture in the EDD would guarantee that it would employ a sufficiently <br />large number of individuals at a pay scale that would qualify for economic development CDBG <br />funded utility extension. To date no commercial venture has, to the best of my knowledge, <br />expressed an interest or shown the ability to develop in the EDD under any of these conditions. <br />However, given the location of the EDD with respect to the interstate system and the rail system, <br />a commercial venture meeting these criteria could show up on the horizon tomorrow. <br />If I may provide additional information, please advise. <br />