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3 <br />Council Member Chilton agreed with Mayor Kinnaird. He mentioned that the Federal <br />Aviation Administration (FAA) advised the Town that much of the Greene Tract is too close to <br />the Horace Williams Airport to be used as a landfill. This is because of the turbo prop planes <br />using the airport. If no turbo prop planes or turbo helicopters were using the airport than the <br />FAA would reverse their ruling. <br />Jacki Gist stated that the beauty of using the Greene Tract for housing is that the L. O. <br />G. already owns the land. It is land that causes housing to be so expensive and this is an <br />opportunity for affordable housing to be created within the city limits. <br />Council Member Brown pointed out that this land is in joint public ownership and there <br />are many needs shared by all. She mentioned the need for meeting facilities. She also <br />mentioned that buildings are being torn down in Chapel Hill. Possibly they could be moved to <br />this site rather than being destroyed. <br />Galye Wilson stated that the FAA has new restrictions for development of landfills in <br />relation to airports. They are currently lobbying to extend that range. This covers airports that <br />receive both the turbo prop plane and helicopters. The State will not issue a permit for a <br />landfill at this site. The life cycle cost of a landfill is estimated to be approximately 200 million <br />dollars with the land acquisition ranging from 8 to 16 million dollars. <br />Commissioner Gordon mentioned that the Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />discussed the planning for this area at a recent meeting. The consensus was that it is <br />premature to discuss the Northwest Small Area Plan and the Greene Tract until the new landfill <br />site has been approved by the elected bodies. Other public uses could be accommodated by <br />this land, such as schools or parks This land is a landfill asset and can be sold if it is not used <br />as a landfill. <br />Commissioner Willhoit stated that the affordable housing potential of this site needs to <br />be discussed from the perspective that this land is an asset of the landfill. Landfill funds were <br />used to acquire the Greene Tract. If it is used and the money does not go into the landfill fund, <br />the elected bodies will need to cover additional landfill costs that would have been offset by <br />those funds. Also, it needs to be determined whether affordable housing needs to be clustered <br />or dispersed throughout the community. He commented that if OC17 is selected, one potential <br />use for the Greene Tract is that it could be traded with Duke if they wanted to do that. He said <br />that there is also a commitment to use the current landfill for recreational purposes when the <br />landfill is reclaimed. <br />Council Member Chilton pointed out that Federal laws hold the Landfill Owners Group <br />liable for this landfill even after it closes. He hoped that Chapel Hill, Orange County and <br />Carrboro would keep that liability in mind. <br />Mayor Broun suggested that through creative use of the Greene Tract, such as trading <br />land in that tract for other land within the community, it would be possible to have affordable <br />housing and not have it clustered on this one tract. <br />