Minutes - 20040623 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Commissioner Gordan asked what is to be bid out and what is included in the pre- grading. Mike Hammersley said that pre-grading is what they do in preparation for the building contractor to come onto the site. They do clearing, grubbing, and earthwork. They put in storm drainage and erosion control. They then stabilize the entire area. This also includes building the road. This would cost about $750,OQ0 to $1 million. Commissioner Gordon said that the Board approved the purchase of this property for a soccer complex before they adopted the Soccer Superfund guidelines. She said that there has been no public input on the location of the soccer complex. Since the major economic benefits proposed have been from food sales and hotel accommodations, associated with tournaments, she predicts that this will not be a successful economic development project. She has been told that there were multiple fields in Burlington where a soccer tournament might be held. Her problem is that this process went too fast and there was no public input. Commissioner Halkiotis said that he thinks this will have a positive impact an economic development on northern and central Orange County. He talks to a lot of people that are excited that this is happening and excited that people realize that people in northern and central Orange know how to play soccer. He is asking to make sure that Gayle Wilson looks at the downed debris that was left behind and see if it can be incorporated in any mulching operations and composting operations that can be used on the field complex. Also, he asked that Dianne Reid be an integral part of this planning process as it moves along. Commissioner Brown made reference to the environmental report and said that there seems to be some complexity to the school site. She asked the consultant haw he responded to the environmental assessment regarding the forestlands. Mike Hammersley said that the ones that did the environmental assessment emphasized that they were concerned about maintaining the area with the vernal pools as it is now because it is a special habitat. He said that they were preserving the areas that were the most important on the site and had not been affected by man. Commissioner Brown said that she saw a huge amount of destruction in the pine forest area. Mike Hammersley said that the trees all came down on each other in one of the storms. Commissioner Gordon said that she has no objection to building a soccer facility in this area, but she objects to using a large amount of the soccer superfund money without public input as to the location. Rod Visser said that the next step is the public input process over the next few weeks. They are using this timeline to stay an track with the middle school development. He said that the bids for the pre-grading work are likely to be out in late summer or early fall. He thanked the staff that worked on this. Chair Jacobs said that he hopes to name the road for Alonzo P. Corliss, who was the handicapped reconstruction teacher who was tortured by the clan for teaching black students. He lived near here. This would be a historical reference. Commissioner Halkiotis agreed with this. Geof Gledhill said that in doing the title research, they uncovered some other historically significant activities related to these properties. He asked the Board to withhold this naming aspect until they can report on this. Chair Jacobs said that all of that could be put into the public input meeting. Commissioner Brown said that every group has another use that they want for a type of playing and no one wants the same thing. The fields in Chapel Hill and Carrbora are in bad shape. She said that this discussion about soccer fields in not going to have one solution and will not serve everyone's purpose all the time. It is a good thing to have in the community. She would rather have the conversation about how it is going to serve the purposes for many people and not the services that are lacking for some groups. She feels that this is a good step forward in providing a good place for soccer or other multi-purposes.