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Michael Talbert said it has been signed. <br /> b. Whitted Permanent Meeting Room Update <br /> The Board received an update on the bid award for the Whitted Permanent Meeting <br /> Room; and considered authorizing the County Manager to execute change orders for the <br /> project up to the project budget. <br /> Jeff Thompson reviewed the background information from the abstract. He said nine <br /> firms had submitted bids in December, and Lomax Construction was awarded the bid. He said <br /> Lomax is slightly ahead of schedule, even with the weather. He said this is a 120 day contract, <br /> pending good weather. He said this may get the Commissioners in by the time of the last <br /> meeting in June. <br /> Commissioner Dorosin said the tabulation sheet in the presentation denotes that the <br /> awarded bid was from Greensboro, and he would like to know where the rest of the bidders <br /> came from. He asked if the bidding process could include a preference for local contractors. <br /> John Roberts said this cannot be done. He said there is no statutory authority to do <br /> this, and the award has to be to the lowest responsible, responsive bidder. <br /> A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Dorosin to: <br /> 1) Receive an update on the bid award for the Whitted Permanent Meeting Room; and <br /> 2) Authorize the County Manager to execute change orders for the project up to the <br /> project budget. <br /> VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> c. Approval of Contract to Purchase Real Property— Triangle Land Conservancy <br /> The Board considered approval of a contract to purchase 2.6 acres at 686 Erwin Road <br /> from Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC) for the future Hollow Rock Access Area and New Hope <br /> Preserve and authorizing the Chair to sign, subject to final review by staff and County <br /> Attorney. <br /> Rich Shaw reviewed the following background information from the abstract: <br /> In 1992, Orange County, Chapel Hill, Durham County and the City of Durham adopted the <br /> New Hope Corridor Master Plan, which called for preservation of lands along the New Hope <br /> Creek corridor, from central Orange County to Jordan Lake. The master plan envisioned a <br /> public trail network with a number of"access areas" at strategic locations, including the Hollow <br /> Rock Access Area at the intersection of Erwin Road and Pickett Road. <br /> The planned Hollow Rock Access Area is a 75-acre site comprised of multiple land parcels <br /> owned separately by Orange County, Durham County, the Town of Chapel Hill and the <br /> Triangle <br /> Land Conservancy. The site straddles the Orange-Durham county line and New Hope Creek <br /> flows from north to south along the western boundary. <br /> The site was acquired in a series of separate land transactions from 2001 through 2008. The <br /> Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC) purchased the first two acres in 2002, and then advocated <br /> for further acquisitions by local government partners. Orange County purchased four parcels <br /> from different entities from 2005 through 2007 with the help of state grants made possible by <br /> TLC. The purchase of a 43-acre tract from Duke University by Durham and Orange counties <br />