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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: May 20, 2008 <br />Action Age ~a <br />Item No. <br />SUBJECT: Resolution Requesting the North Carolina Geodetic Survey to Proceed <br />to Survey the Orange/Alamance County Boundary <br />DEPARTMENT: Assessor PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Proposed Resolution <br />Map <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />John Smith, 919-245-2101 <br />Steve Averett, 919-245-2501 <br />PURPOSE: To adopt a resolution requesting the North Carolina Geodetic Survey to continue <br />its work surveying and setting monuments for the proposed preliminary plat that will lead to <br />resolving the uncertain Orange/Alamance county boundary. <br />BACKGROUND: A few months ago, the Boards of Commissioners of Alamance and Orange <br />counties approved separate but similar resolutions that requested assistance from the State of <br />North Carolina in resolving the uncertain boundary between the two counties. The North <br />Carolina Geodetic Survey (NCGS) section of the Department of Environment and Natural <br />Resources (NCDENR) is designated and funded to help counties survey ambiguous county <br />boundaries in accordance with the provisions of the North Carolina General Statutes (NCGS) § <br />153A-18 (a) and (c). The accompanying resolution would request NCGS to proceed with <br />surveying, monumenting, and developing a proposed preliminary plat of the county boundary <br />based on extensive field and office research conducted by NCGS during the past few months. <br />Historical Context <br />Orange County was formed in 1752 from a portion of Granville County (1746), Johnston <br />County (1746) and Bladen County (1734). However, no survey was made at that time. <br />The North Carolina General Assembly formed Alamance County in 1849 from Orange <br />County (session of 1848 & 1849). A dividing line was to be run north and south nine <br />miles west of the town of Hillsborough. The line was to begin at the Caswell County line <br />and run to the Haw River. In 1849, the General Assembly authorized a survey describing <br />the boundary between the two caunties. The resulting description of that boundary relies <br />on numerous geographical. and landmark references that either no longer exist, or <br />because of their lack of precision, are no longer particularly useful in accurately defining <br />the county line. <br />Results of NCGS Research <br />Recently, the North Carolina Geodetic Survey finished their initial site survey of the <br />Orange/Alamance County line and delivered ten points derived from United States <br />Geological Survey (USGS) quadrant maps and the 1849 historical survey. The original <br />USGS Quad maps were created around 'the beginning of the 20th century and were <br />