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33 Ho/ %w Rock Area /New Hope Creek Opportunities and Constraints Duke Forest trail brings many visitors to this site -- especially in late spring when the rhododendron is in bloom., The New Hope Creek Corridor Advisory Committee (NHCCAC) was created in 1992 to advise the four local governments regarding implementation of the New Hope Corridor Open Space Master Plan. The committee continues to serve in that role and is supportive of establishing the Hollow Rock Access Area. Land Acquisition The project area was acquired in a series of transactions from 2001 -07. The Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC) purchased the first two acres in 2002, and then advocated for further acquisitions by local government partners. Orange County purchased a 7 -acre parcel from Duke University in 2006 and a 22 -acre parcel from Wade and Carolyn Penny in 2006. [TLC obtained a grant from the State of N.C. for the Penny tract.] The purchase of a 43 -acre tract from Duke University by Durham and Orange counties and the Town of Chapel Hill was committed to in April 2005, and will be purchased in April 2008. Additional funds for that purchase came from the City of Durham, the State of N.C., and the Erwin Area Neighborhood Group (EANG). The State awarded grants for the purchase of the 43 -acre Duke tract and the 22 -acre Penny tract. Both grants required that the sites be protected with permanent conservation easements. EANG raised $200,000 in private funds toward the local governments' purchase of the 43 -acre Duke tract. These privately pledged funds were collected and administered by TLC. Interlocal Agreement In September 2006, the four local governments signed an interlocal agreement for the acquisition, planning and operation of the Hollow Rock portion of the New Hope Creek master plan. The agreement also established a "Park Planning Advisory Committee" to develop recommendations for an overall plan for the Hollow Rock area property. An 11- member Hollow Rock master plan committee was appointed in late 2006 and charged with developing recommendations for the types and location of facilities within the Hollow Rock Access Area. It is expected that the future park will be designed in ways that will maintain the site's natural, cultural and scenic values. II. Planning and Zoning The subject property is split by the Orange - Durham county boundary (Figure B). The Orange County portion of the site is classified as Rural Buffer. According to the Comprehensive Plan, development in the Rural Buffer should avoid areas where it would have a detrimental effect on state or federally recognized historic - cultural sites or to unique or endangered plant and animal species. Permitted uses include parks, schools, and government facilities. Residential development is allowed at a maximum density of one dwelling per two acres. No public water or sewer services are permitted. Any streams in Orange County recognized by the Planning Department require 65 -foot- - South of Erwin Road, there is another interesting rock outcrop —the so- called "Hanging Rock," which extends out from the bank high over New Hope Creek. Hanging Rock is on the portion of Orange County's New Hope Preserve that was acquired from the Penny family in 2006. Page 2 of 8