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Orange Water and Sewer Authority <br /> OWASA 400 Jones Ferry Road <br /> P.O. Box 366 <br /> Carrboro, NC 27510 <br /> (919) 968-4421 <br /> MEMORANDUM <br /> TO: Orange County Assembly of Governments <br /> FROM: Barry Jacobs <br /> DATE: February 29, 1996 <br /> SUBJECT: Update on Stone Quarry Expansion <br /> The purpose of this memorandum is to provide a brief update to the Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and <br /> Orange County governing boards on OWASA's efforts to gain the necessary approvals for <br /> expansion of the American Stone Quarry on Highway 54 west of Carrboro. <br /> Background <br /> OWASA first presented plans for expanding its Quarry Reservoir at a meeting with local elected <br /> officials in late 1988. If the American Stone Company were allowed to expand its active quarry <br /> operation onto OWASA-owned property east of Bethel-Hickory Grove Church Road, the <br /> company would deed the empty pit to OWASA at virtually no cost for use as a raw water <br /> reservoir with up to 3 billion gallons of additional storage capacity (equal to the volume of the <br /> Cane Creek Reservoir)by the year 2030. OWASA entered into the necessary contracts in 1990. <br /> These were contingent on the issuance of necessary governmental permits, including <br /> amendments to the Joint Land Use Planning Area Plan,which required approval by the elected <br /> boards of Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Orange County,plus other actions subject to Orange <br /> County approval. <br /> The first of three joint hearings and other public meetings was held in October 1991. Questions <br /> about the need for the project and concerns by neighbors were raised, and subsequently <br /> addressed during later hearings and meetings. The proposed Joint Planning amendments were <br /> ultimately presented for approval to Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Orange County in 1994. <br /> The Carrboro Board of Aldermen determined in August 1994 that they would take no further <br /> action until American Stone/OWASA and citizens opposed to the quarry expansion had <br /> undertaken a mediated dispute resolution process. Both American Stone and OWASA agreed to <br /> participate in mediated discussions, took steps to proceed, and agreed to pay the necessary costs. <br /> Mr. Andy Sachs, Program Director of the Carrboro Dispute Settlement Center, agreed to act as <br /> mediator and proposed a working outline for the process. During 1995 he met with <br /> representatives of American Stone and OWASA, as well as parties opposing the application, but <br /> after more than a year and a half, opponents to the project have not agreed to come to the table. <br /> An Equal Opportunity Employer <br />