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<br />ORANGE COUNTY PLANNING & INSPECTIONS DEPARTMENT <br />Craig N. Benedict, AICP, Director <br />Administration ®`~~ge g``'~P <br />(919) 245-2575 * ~' 131 W. Margeret Ln. <br />(919) 644-3002 (FAX) " ~. '2 P. O. Box 8181 <br />www.co.orange.nc.us ~. Hillsborough, NC 27278 <br />°''~4 ~atio`re <br />,..~^' <br />.t ..asf( <br />MEMORANDUM <br />TO: Orange County Board of County Commissioners <br />COPIES: Frank Clifton, County Manager <br />FROM: Craig Benedict, Planning and Inspections Director <br />Kevin Lindley, PE, Staff Engineer <br />DATE: April 14, 2010 <br />SUBJECT: Central Efland and Northern Buckhorn Sewer Expansion Project Update <br />Since the start of the year, steady progress has been made towards permitting of the Central <br />Efland and Northern Buckhorn sewer expansion project. The system's engineering plan and <br />environmental review was approved by the State and forwarded to the EPA for review in their <br />regional Atlanta office before Christmas. County staff recently received word from the EPA that <br />they will be granting the project a Categorical Exclusion based on their environmental review of <br />the project. This means that the project will not have to go through a costly and protracted <br />Environmental Assessment process. Now that the EPA has done their environmental review, <br />they can begin to process our application for the Special Appropriations (SPAP) grants that were <br />earmarked for the project back in 2003 and 2005. The application was sent to them in February. <br />We have been in contact with our EPA review officer, Artie Buff, since the application was sent. <br />We also met him at a workshop last September on the SPAP grant application and administration <br />process. <br />In addition to the permitting aspect, work has continued on gathering the necessary documents <br />and information to acquire easements where needed for the sewer line. For. the last month, <br />Dottie Schmitt, with the Economic Development office, has been assisting with the easement <br />process. At this stage, all the parcels which need easements have been identified; easement plats <br />are being completed by Coulter, Jewell & Thames, the engineering firm for the project; maps <br />have been created which show the location of the parcels from which easements are needed; and <br />some initial contacts have been made with citizens. Legal descriptions of the easements will be <br />created by our County Attorney's office from the plats, along with easement agreements and <br />utility connection agreements for new customers. <br />An information packet for potential new customers to the Efland sewer system is currently being <br />developed. This packet will have both general and specific information on the sewer expansion <br />project, the process of connecting to the sewer system and the costs involved. <br />Central Efland and Northern Buckhom Sewer Expansion Project Update 041410 <br />