Orange County NC Website
■ job and skills training Lease vs Own? <br /> ■ Visitor's Center location -Future Southern Campus Programming <br /> -Proposed conversation with Chapel Hill on <br /> collaborating for mutually beneficial <br /> outcome <br /> Commissioner Jacobs said he proposed the Skills Development Center as a possible <br /> branch library site. <br /> Commissioner Rich said she understood that the Skills Development Center is planned <br /> to be completely re-purposed. She said it is currently being used by some small incubator <br /> spaces and other businesses. <br /> Jeff Thompson said Terra Dotta is a private company that rents space in the building. <br /> He said the Guardian Ad Litem program rents space as well. <br /> Commissioner Rich said current tenants should be kept informed of possible plans for <br /> the building. <br /> Nancy Coston, Director, Orange County Social Services, said the Skills Development <br /> Center has a lot of partners that use the space and they may have immediate questions if any <br /> changes are to be made. <br /> Commissioner Rich asked if the site had ever previously been considered as a possible <br /> library. <br /> Commissioner Jacobs said he had proposed it once before. <br /> Commissioner Burroughs asked the anticipated value of the property. <br /> Jeff Thompson said the property is currently assessed at $2.7 million tax value. He <br /> added it has not been appraised for market value. <br /> Jeff Thompson said an analysis regarding the buy or lease of the former pollar Tree <br /> property will be reported, hopefully, before the summer break. <br /> Jeff Thompson resumed the PowerPoint presentation: <br /> Southern Campus Subqroup <br /> Constraints Opportunities <br /> -Senior Center Programming Space -Room for Expansion <br /> -Inadequate Infrastructure for Growth -Proposed CIP Project <br /> -Lack of a defined timeline -25 year vested development right <br /> ■ 5 years for 1 st project Long range vision planning <br /> -Other County Departmental Needs -Redundant IT hub, 911 Center <br /> Court, Human Services facilities <br /> Educational/multi-purpose facilities <br /> Roger Walden, of Clarion Associates, applauded the County for its foresight in <br /> purchasing a piece of land as big as this one. He reviewed that a master plan has been <br /> approved by the BOCC and shared with the Town of Chapel Hill to secure a Special Use <br /> Permit (SUP), which provides an entitlement for the County to build up to 300,000 square feet <br /> of additional floor area over twenty five (25) years. He said in considering the site, and <br /> potential projects there, to look at low hanging fruit first. He said the following topics have <br /> been considered closely: <br /> 1) Phasing: determining the timing of projects; <br />