Orange County NC Website
9. ITEMS FOR DECISION -REGULAR AGENDA <br />A. UPDATE OF MASTER RECREATION AND PARKS PLAN - CHARGE TO WORK GROUP <br />The Board considered a charge to the Master Recreation and Parks Plan Work Group and <br />the composition of this group which is included as an attachment to these minutes on page <br />The composition was changed by adding Duke University to the list, deleting the County <br />Manager from the list and specifying for the elected boards that their representative be "a person <br />authorized to represent that Board or jurisdiction". <br />Item #3 under the charge was changed to read as follows: Development of standards to be <br />used to determine recreation facility and acreage needs and standards for park design. Standards <br />should be developed for use by Orange County, as well as Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough. <br />The Board decided that this work group could replace rather than update the Master <br />Recreation and Parks Plan. <br />The Commissioners asked Mary Willis to add language to make it clear that standards for <br />payment-in-lieu and amount of land dedicated for parks would be included. <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Carey, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to <br />approve the charge and composition to the work group as stated above. <br />VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br />B. POWER EASEMENT - SOUTHERN HUMAN SERVICES CENTER <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Carey, second by Commissioner Halkiotis to approve <br />an easement as requested by Duke Power Company for underground power lines at the Southern <br />Human Services Center site and to authorize the Chair to sign on behalf of the Board. <br />VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br />10. REPORTS <br />A. SOUTHERN VILLAGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GYMNASIUM PROPOSAL <br />This proposal that a full-size gymnasium be included during construction of the Southern <br />Village Elementary School was presented for discussion by John Link. He noted that the Chapel Hill- <br />Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) superintendent had replied to our four questions about this proposal. <br />(Included as an attachment on pages of these minutes) The Town of Chapel Hill has allowed <br />for flexibility to build a gymnasium as part of the Special Use Permit. <br />Superintendent Neil Pedersen summarized where they are with their plans for this school. He <br />emphasized that their first priority is to build the school with the required programming, on time and <br />within budget. The issue of a full sized gym was raised by the Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation Board <br />as part of a School Board public hearing. The school system has not received a lot of direction from <br />anyone about what is meant by a community gymnasium or what size this gymnasium should be. He <br />wrote to the Town Manager in December indicating that if the Town of Chapel Hill wanted to pursue a full <br />sized gymnasium that would meet the needs of Parks and Recreation, the school system would need <br />some direction by the end of January 1997 to stay on schedule; they would be happy to try to <br />accommodate this expansion but had no funds for it. <br />In response to previous requests by the commissioners they have reoriented the soccer field <br />and provided a stub out which will allow a road connection through the Southern Community Park at a <br />later time. The park and ride lot will be connected by a pedestrian walkway to the school building and <br />soccer field. With regard to the gymnasium, Neil Pedersen said that they do not see the larger facility as <br />being advantageous to them as a school system. The smaller facility meets their needs. They do see <br />that there is some advantage perhaps to the larger community and they are happy to be partners in that <br />as long as it does not work against their children and staff. The multipurpose room does serve them