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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: December 14, 2010 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. ~- Q <br />SUBJECT• Proposal for Soccer Superfund Partnership with the Town of Chapel Hill <br />DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No <br />Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />A. Draft Interlocal Agreement <br />B. Project Plan Map <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />David Stancil, 245-2510 <br />Lori Taft, 245-2660 <br />PURPOSE: To consider an Interlocal Agreement (attachment A) between Orange County and <br />the Town of Chapel Hill that would establish parameters under which 2001 Soccer Superfund <br />monies appropriated for Twin Creeks (Moniese Nomp) Park would be re-allocated to support an <br />artificial turf soccer field installation project at the Town of Chapel Hill's Cedar Falls Park. <br />BACKGROUND: In 2001, Orange County voters approved a Parks and Open Space Bond, <br />including an allocation fora "Soccer Superfund" (SSF) to locate and construct new soccer fields <br />in the County. In May 2005, the Board appropriated $650,000 of SSF funds for the soccer field <br />portion of the planned Phase I of Twin Creeks Park, located north of Carrboro. A design firm <br />was retained for this project and preliminary work conducted. However, it was eventually <br />determined that the funding allocated would not be sufficient to complete the planned Phase I <br />of the park due to high construction costs and infrastructure requirements. Currently, $623,000 <br />remains of the SSF appropriation to Twin Creeks. A new Phase I of Twin Creeks Park was <br />approved by the Board in late 2009 and is moving forward as a greenway trail, without the SSF <br />monies. <br />One of the Board's FY 2009-10 Priorities, adopted in September 2009, was Priority P-12 "Fulfill <br />remainder of bond issuance approved by voters in 2001 for soccer and Twin Creeks." Toward <br />this end, and consistent with prior informal ideas and proposals, a letter was sent from the <br />County Manager to his counterparts in Chapel Hill and Carrboro indicating the County's interest <br />in exploring a partnership to facilitate ashort-term soccer field project. A response was received <br />from the Town of Chapel Hill, and a subsequent meeting between town and County staffs was <br />held. Carrboro did not respond with interest in pursuing this potential funding. <br />The Town of Chapel Hill would use the funding as a match for a NC Parks and Recreation Trust <br />(PARTF) fund application to reconfigure an existing damaged youth baseball field at Cedar <br />Falls Park, located on Weaver Dairy Road across from East Chapel Hill High School. The <br />additional funding would allow the installation of a 315 X 375 foot artificial turf field in place of <br />the existing field, as well as improvements to infrastructure at Cedar Falls Park. Staff finds that <br />