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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: June 1, 2010 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. g -4 <br />SUBJECT: Report - Update on the UNC Bingham Facility <br />DEPARTMENT: Environment, Agriculture, Parks PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) No <br />& Recreation (DEAPR); <br />Health /Environmental Health; <br />Planning & Inspections <br />ATTACHMENTS <br />1. Bingham Facility Fact Sheet <br />2. Site Plan — Existing and Proposed <br />3. Letter from Planning & Inspections <br />4. DEAPR Memo re CFE Involvement <br />5. Letters Submitted by UNC re <br />Violations <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />David Stancil, DEAPR, 245 -2510 <br />Craig Benedict, Planning & Inspections <br />245 -2585 <br />Rosemary Summers, Health, 245 -2400 <br />Tom Konsler, Environmental Health, <br />245 -2360 <br />Tom Davis, DEAPR, 960 -3878 <br />PURPOSE: To update the Board on various issues pertaining to University of North <br />Carolina's Bingham Facility, and to receive information from university representatives. <br />BACKGROUND: On March 2, members of the citizen group, Preserve Rural Orange, <br />asked the Board to provide staff assistance in addressing environmental concerns <br />associated with the University of North Carolina's "Bingham Facility." The facility is <br />located at 1907 Orange Chapel Clover Garden Road (TMBL 6.33..12 / PIN 9728 -93- <br />1820). The property is approximately fifty -six (56) acres in area, is wooded in areas, with <br />limited pasture areas, and with numerous streams. The property is currently zoned <br />Agricultural Residential (AR). <br />The current land use operating on the property is classified as a 'University, College, <br />Institute' per Section 4.3 Table of Permitted Uses of the Orange County Zoning <br />Ordinance. <br />The facility has operated since the early 1970s, and at various times it has also been <br />known as The Farm, the Animal Resource Center (ARC) and the Research Resource <br />Facility (RRF). <br />The University was recently awarded a $14.5 million grant from the National Institutes of <br />Health (stimulus funds) to facilitate a planned expansion of the facility. <br />During the past six months, the Bingham Facility has received coverage and attention from <br />Preserve Rural Orange, State and Orange County government, county advisory boards <br />and the media. The University has received three notices of violation from the N.C. <br />Division of Water Quality (DWQ) and was also notified by the County Planning and <br />