Agenda - 12-07-2009 - 6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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meadows to the north and west that are scheduled for development as a County park. Orange County owns the subject tract and the surrounding land to the north, south, and west and does not currently use and does not intend to use the land for agricultural purposes. Therefore, it is determined that there are no prime or unique agricultural lands at the site or in the immediate surrounding area of the site that will be impacted by the transfer station operations. 3.6 Public Lands and Scenic, Recreational, and State Natural Areas As previously noted, the County plans to develop the tract of land immediately to the north of the subject site as a soccer field park. The 69 -acre property was purchased for use as a park, with the potential for a soccer complex with walking trails in the woods to the west. None of the facilities for the soccer fields have been developed to date and park development is scheduled to occur between the years 2014 to 2016 if funds are available. Both the County and the Town of Chapel Hill own substantial amounts of land in the immediate vicinity including the landfill facilities and the Town Operations Center. None of these lands are used for wildlife management or recreational purposes. There are several identified natural areas and wildlife corridors in the vicinity of the Paydarfar site as shown on Exhibit H. To the west and northwest are the Bald Mountain, Meadow Flats, Blackwood Mountain, and the Duke Forest Post Oak/Blackjack Oak Natural Areas. All of these natural areas are associated with the Wildlife Corridor that extends largely along the trace of New Hope Creek and its tributaries. The closest boundary of the wildlife corridor area is about 1,300 feet from the Paydarfar site. The edge of the Duke Forest Post Oak/Blackjack Oak Natural Area is about 1,600 feet from the Paydarfar site. The development of the Paydarfar site for the transfer station will not sever or interrupt any portion of the Wildlife Corridor. None of these natural areas or the Wildlife Corridor are downgradient from the Paydarfar site. According to the Inventory of Natural Areas and Wildlife Habitats for Orange County (December 2004 update), a 2002 re- survey of the Duke Forest Post Oak/Blackjack Oak Natural Area (previously named the Eubanks Road Xeric Hardpan Forest site) found no evidence of this forest type nor of cow -itch vine, blackjack oaks, or lichen. The area was described as third growth oak - hickory forest with abundant red maple and scattered red cedar, loblolly pine, and sourwood. The Henry J. Oosting Natural Area is located on Old Field Creek, about 3,700 feet in radial distance from the Paydarfar site and about 7,000 feet distance along the trace of the creek. This area is located to the east of highways I -40 and NC 86 from the site. The Natural Areas and Wildlife Habitats Inventory describes this area as consisting of bottomland and adjacent slopes of Environmental Assessment — Paydarfar Site 9 September 30, 2009