Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: June 17, 2014 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 6 -k <br />SUBJECT: Resolution of Approval —Amendment to the Shy Conservation Easement <br />DEPARTMENT: Environment, Agriculture, PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) No <br />Parks and Recreation <br />(DEAPR) <br />ATTACHMENTS: <br />Resolution of Approval <br />Vicinity Map <br />Site Map <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />David Stancil, 919 - 245 -2510 <br />Rich Shaw, 919 - 245 -2514 <br />1 <br />PURPOSE: To consider a resolution to approve an amendment to a conservation easement <br />held by Orange County for property owned by Carl and Eve Shy. <br />BACKGROUND: In October 2002 Orange County accepted a permanent conservation <br />easement for 44.72 acres owned by Carl and Eve Shy. The land is comprised of two adjacent <br />parcels located east of Bradshaw Quarry Road (Bingham Township) and bordering land owned <br />by the Orange and Water Sewer Authority (OWASA) that helps protect Cane Creek Reservoir. <br />The Shys granted (donated) a permanent conservation easement to help protect the valuable <br />natural resources associated with their land, which includes prime farmland and mature <br />hardwood forest located within the '/2 -mile "critical area" of the Cane Creek Reservoir. The <br />forested area helps buffer a perennial stream that flows through the property and eventually <br />joins Tom's Creek, which drains into the reservoir. <br />The Shys are interested in trading a 0.96 -acre portion of their property with an equal -sized <br />portion of an adjoining property owned by Greg and Linda Smith. The proposed land swap <br />would transfer a section of an existing farm field to the Smiths and would transfer a section of <br />the forested stream corridor to the Shys. The proposed land transfer would be accomplished by <br />recording a recombination plat that would modify the property boundaries accordingly. <br />The proposed land swap requires an amendment to the Shy's conservation easement. The <br />amendment would modify the land area encumbered by the easement as shown in the attached <br />site map. The 0.96 -acre section of open field would be removed from the easement area; the <br />0.96 -acre forested area would be added to the easement area. <br />