Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: June 7, 2011 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 8 - <br />SUBJECT: Central Efland -Phase 2/Northern Buckhorn Easement Condemnation <br />DEPARTMENT: Planning PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) 0 <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />1. Map Showing Easement Parcels for <br />Central Efland <br />2. Map Showing Easement Parcels for <br />Northern Buckhorn <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Craig Benedict, Planning Director, 245- <br />2592 <br />Kevin Lindley, PE, Staff Engineer, 245- <br />2583 <br />John Roberts, County Attorney, 245-2318 <br />PURPOSE: To consider authorizing County Staff to initiate condemnation of the private <br />easements required to construct and maintain the Central Efland and Northern Buckhorn sewer <br />extensions if these easements cannot be procured voluntarily. <br />BACKGROUND: The County has been working towards construction of an extension to the <br />Efland sewer system and an extension of the City of Mebane's sewer system into the Northern <br />Buckhorn community for several years. The County has obtained the permit for the project and <br />has begun advertising the project for construction bids. The County still needs to secure <br />several construction and maintenance easements for the sewer lines that need to be installed <br />as part of this project. This needs to happen before the project can be authorized by the State <br />to award the construction contract. <br />Because the County is applying for a State Revolving Fund (SRF) Loan from the Construction <br />Grants & Loans division of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural <br />Resources (DENR), staff is operating on a regimented schedule for permit approval, easement <br />acquisition, bidding, etc. Orange County has to receive the Authorization to Award the contract <br />for this project from the State by August 1, 2011. As part of the application for the Authorization <br />to Award, the County must submit a document stating that all of the easements and rights-of- <br />way have been obtained, or are in the process of being condemned. <br />Orange County staff has had a series of community meetings with explanatory handout <br />materials tailored to each property owner. Staff has met in the field with property owners as <br />well as responded to phone call inquiries. Unfortunately, many properties are within the control <br />of estates or extended families so communication has been more difficult. Local church <br />representatives have helped to the degree they could to locate contacts in the communities. <br />Even with the authorization by the BOCC to offer connection incentives to easement holders <br />