ORD-2011-010 Budget Ordinance Amendment #7-C

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=VI- tic TRIANGLE LAND CONSERVANCY September 9, 2010. Commissioner Valerie Foushee Chair, Board of Orange County Commissioners 200 South Cameron Street PO Box 8181 Hillsborough, NC 27278. Dear Chairperson Fousheet I write to respectfidly request that Orange County award Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC) a grant of $50,000 from its Lands Legacy Progrurn to help cover some of the costs of TLC's May 2010 acquisition of the 613 -acre Brumley Forest at the intersection of New Hope Church Road and Old NC 10 (please see enclosed map). Triangle Lurid Conservancy raised $4,050,000 to purchase this tract which was identified as a prime forest area inA Landscape with. Mldl#k. Part Z (Haven, Ludington. and Hall, 1999} —from private donors, the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund, and the City of Raleigh through the UpperNeuse Clean Water Initiative. The $4;050,000 purchase pricewas an approximately 50% bargain sale of the.'appraised $8,890,000 value, which means that the seller (The Zeist Foundation) contributed $4,840,000 in, property value. Owned by George and Julia Brumley until their tragic deaths in a2003 airplane crash, title to the land transferred to the Brumley family's private foundation in Atlanta, and it was one of the county's largest privately -held properties. Triangle Land Conservancy %purchased it because of its conservation values, including protection of water quality (a major tributary of the Eno River runs through it), healthy outdoor recreation, and wildlife habitat. As with our other conservation lands, Triangle Land Conservancy will apply for property tax exemption in January 201 1, but we are faced with a pro -rated property tax liability of $50,000 for 2010 because the property was taken out of present use value taxation when the-owner sold to TLC. As a nonprofit conservation organiiation, Triangle Land Conservancy does not qualify for present use value. Although TLC cannot apply for present use value taxation, the land management for this 613 -acre tract'will not change undef TLC's ownership. We will keep it in 'trees, manage for wildlife, and eventually invite the public i6-visit and hike. So the property will not requi`.re more county services than it needed under the previous owner. In addition, ()range County received $216,000 in rollback property. taxes when TLC purchased the land. This is $216,000 that the .county would) not have collected if the property remained in present use value. Thank you very much for your consideration of TLC's grant request. Orange County's leadership in conservation is inspiring, and I am grateful for a long history of TLC and Orange County partnering to protect water quality, Wildlife habitat and healthy lifestyles. .l would be happy to discuss the matter more fully and to mane a presentation if it is helpful. Sincerely yours, Kevin Brice ' President - Cc: Frank Clifton, Orange County Manager P.S. I invite you and all county commissianers to a celebration of die Brumley Forest acquisition on Monday October I 1 at 1:30 at the property. We will recognize the project's funding partneis at this event 1101 Flaynes Street • Suite 205 • Raleigh NC 27604 T919.833.3662 F919.755.9356 www.tri ang leland, org