Orange County NC Website
41 <br />2 <br />Tract 1: Orange County — 60 acres that "the County should consider protecting" by <br />conservation easement; <br />Tract 2: Joint Affordable Housing — 18.1 acres; <br />Tract 3: Joint Open Space — 85.9 acres. <br />The BOCC adopted the ILA on September 29, 1999; the ILA Amendment on March 14, 2000; <br />but there are no records to indicate that the Green Tract Work Group Resolution was ever <br />formally adopted by the BOCC. <br />Subcommittee of Elected Officials and Management <br />Discussion and development of the Greene Tract has come up regularly at the Assembly of <br />Governments (AOG). In spring 2007, however, the AOG agreed to use a subcommittee of the <br />Chair, Mayors, and Managers to examine more vigorously issues prerequisite and surrounding <br />the development and preservation of the Greene Tract. This was deemed especially important <br />since the Town of Chapel Hill was about to initiate its Small Area Plan of the Rogers Road <br />community whose boundaries embrace the Greene Tract. <br />Two meetings were convened by County and Town elected and management officials — October <br />3, 2007 and February 14, 2008 — to re- examine development feasibility options and <br />reimbursement to the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund. County, Town, and OWASA staff were <br />tasked with drafting various options and opportunities for locating the affordable housing on site <br />and providing road entry and sewer services as background to the work of the elected officials <br />and managers between meetings. <br />At the February meeting, County staff presented the results of joint staff discussions on land use <br />and ownership, environmental /natural features /preservation parameters, utilities — existing and <br />proposed, transportation and access, and affordable housing tract development alternatives. <br />Discussion arose on a proposed school site for the Chapel Hill Carrboro City School District and <br />its impact on acreage reserved for conservation and /or affordable housing. County staff was <br />asked to draft a set of guiding principles and parameters for enacting conservation easements in <br />anticipation of greater discussion on or before the AOG meeting on March 31, and what <br />limitations might prevail for affordable housing. After County staff review of the guiding <br />principles and parameters for conservation purposes, the County Attorney prepared a <br />memorandum to the BOCC stating that nothing in the language of the ILA contemplated or <br />provided for the Greene Tract portion under County ownership to be used for other than solid <br />waste system purposes. <br />There was insufficient time for consideration of the Greene Tract item and its component parts <br />at the AOG meeting on March 31, therefore it was agreed to schedule the topic for a previously <br />scheduled joint meeting set on April 29. <br />The BOCC, in preparation during a work session on April 8, reviewed the updated information <br />postponed from the AOG meeting, and began a preliminary discussion of the development and <br />conservation issues previously identified by the joint staffs. County staff was then asked to <br />research and provide additional information for the joint meeting on April 29. Those issues are <br />addressed in Attachments 5 -10. <br />County staff will provide a presentation on the development and conservation issues and <br />respond to any questions at the meeting on April 29. <br />