Orange County NC Website
elsewhere and have been involved. But when a development is proposed in any existing <br />neighborhood, the Council has long encouraged a meaningful interchange between the <br />developer and those immediately affected by the proposed development." This is consistent <br />with Paragraph 3 of the Orange County development plan. Habitat must involve the <br />surrounding community of the development process. Until this occurs, dates will continue to <br />slip, costs will continue to go up, and the Town, County, State, and Federal money will be at <br />risk. The Coalition feels that no decision should be made to the development agreement until a <br />committee or subcommittee of Board members has an opportunity to meet with members of the <br />surrounding community. <br />Alan Lucier lives on Oak Hill Road, which runs off of Sunrise Road. He made reference <br />to his handout. The first page is a summary of the concerns of the neighbors. In brief, a high- <br />density project proposed in aloes-density neighborhood on a site with wetlands, steep slopes, <br />noise issues, and traffic issues does not make sense. He said that they needed the County <br />Commissioners' help to get this project back on track. The second page is the petition that the <br />neighbors signed opposing the concept plan that Habitat submitted to the Town of Chapel Hill. <br />He provided the Clerk with the signatures. He said that the neighbors do not feel that they have <br />been involved and they object to the plan because it does not make sense on this <br />environmentally sensitive site, which is in the headwaters of Jordan Lake. The last page of the <br />handout is page one of the development agreement that the County Commissioners have been <br />asked to modify. He made reference to two critical statements -one in which Habitat <br />expresses intent to build single-family dwellings on this site and the second in which Habitat <br />agrees to construct 25 dwelling units. The modification indicates duplexes, triplexes, and 50 <br />units on the same property. The statements are as follows: "Whereas, Habitat intends to <br />construct single family dwelling units available to first-time homebuyers earning up to 80°~ of <br />HUD area median income; and Whereas, Habitat agrees to utilize the funds provided by the <br />County for the purpose of acquiring Property for the purpose of constructing 25 dwelling units..." <br />He asked the Board of County Commissioners to defer action on this request and dig into the <br />issues. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis pointed out that Susan Levy, Executive Director of Habitat for <br />Humanity, was in the audience. He asked about the experience of Habitat with duplexes and <br />triplexes and how the maintenance is handled. Susan Levy said that in Orange County they <br />have not yet built duplexes and triplexes. Part of the plan was to work collaboratively with <br />Orange Community Housing, who has built town homes. The ownership is typically under a <br />homeowner's association that handles the maintenance. <br />Commissioner Jacobs asked Susan Levy to provide a cost breakdown of the <br />development. Susan Levy said that the engineering has not been done at this stage. She <br />could only give a broad estimate. <br />Commissioner Gordan asked how this development plan got from single-family to multi- <br />family. Housing and Community Development Director Tara Fikes said that the 25 units in the <br />development agreement are tied to the actual County dollars that were provided to Habitat for <br />the purchase of this property. The funds were tied to the 25 single-family units. <br />Commissioner Gordon asked who would be responsible for the other units. Tara Fikes <br />said that this is Habitat's determination. <br />Geof Gledhill said that this agreement does not require these single-family dwelling <br />units to be detached. He will look at this further with Tara Fikes. <br />Commissioner Jacobs asked about the County's policy regarding the transparency of <br />non-profits to which the County provides funding. Tara Fikes said that at this time the <br />agreements do not require that any documents be made available to the public. Certain <br />documents must be made available to the County, such as the annual audit. Commissioner <br />Jacobs pointed out that this makes the documents public since it would be made available to <br />the County. <br />