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an error or omission in the Plan, and <br />in response to a change in policies or principles governing the plan. <br />The applicant's letter does not specifically address these reasons for amending the plan, and instead <br />notes the plans of Duke University to sell this property because it does not have significance to the forestry <br />program at Duke. This is consistent with a 1988 Duke University Study that classified the University's land <br />holdings into four categories. This parcel was identified as Class IV - Residual Endowment Land, which was <br />"'no longer to be considered part of Duke Forest" and should be used to generate financial return for the <br />University." Staff has evaluated this proposal against the locational criteria for both current and proposed <br />categories in the Plan (shown of pages 15-16 of the agenda). The property complies generally with the <br />criteria for both categories. Of particular note is the finding that this and adjacent properties were identified <br />in the Triangle Land Conservancy's 1988 Inventory of Natural Area and Wildlife Habitats as part of a <br />suggested wildlife corridor connecting the Eno River and other important natural areas. If this amendment <br />is approved, a request for rezoning to Agricultural Residential could be submitted. With the Upper Eno <br />Watershed Critical Area overlay remaining in place, AR zoning could allow residential lots of two acres in <br />size, along with ancillary uses such as greenhouses, some kennels and telecommunication towers (with a <br />special use permit). <br />Orange-Alamance Water Systems request that the County be aware of their interest in ensuring high quality <br />water from Corporation lake, and of plans to raise the lake dam four feet in the future, which might make <br />this property adjacent to the lake itself. The County Planning staff recommendation is that this amendment <br />be tabled. First of all, based on the locational criteria and reasons for amending the plan, there appears to <br />be no compelling reason for the amendment at this time - and a change in ownership is not a reason for <br />amending the plan. The property generally meets criteria for both Public Interest Area and Agricultural <br />Residential, and no changing conditions, errors in the plan or changes in land use policies are cited by the <br />applicant, nor is staff aware of any. Also, second, there is insufficient information from the applicant or <br />existing documentation to determine whether there are sites of natural, cultural or archaeological <br />significance, or whether there are viable forest research opportunities on the property. The 1988 Inventory <br />of Natural Area and Wildlife Habitats does not show a site on this property, but there is one on the adjacent <br />Duke University lands. The 1988 Inventory is incomplete, and it is possible this site may have been <br />overlooked. <br />Finally, while the Inventory of Natural Areas did not mention a site on the property, it does show the <br />proposed wildlife corridor containing this site as an important conduit to the Eno River to protect flora and <br />fauna. <br />Staff recommends that further research be undertaken to assess whether any sites of natural, cultural or <br />archaeological significance exist here. Since forest research is only one of the permitted uses in Public <br />Interest Areas, they also recommend that research be gathered in the following areas: <br />¦ Possible implications for the Eno River and Corporation Lake <br />¦ The strategic significance of the wildlife corridor on this property <br />¦ An assessment of any historic or archaeological sites <br />¦ An assessment of flora and fauna on the property <br />Finally, staff recommends tabling the proposed amendment because of insufficient information <br />currently available to evaluate the status of natural and cultural resources present on the site. Further <br />research into this question is recommended. <br />QUESTIONS AND/OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS: None. <br />QUESTIONS AND/OR COMMENTS FROM THE PLANNING BOARD: None. <br />QUESTIONS AND/OR COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS