Agenda - 06-04-1981 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Several factors may accouht for this loss of farmland. Some of the losses may have taken place as a direct consequence of the construction of 1-85 through the Township. Perhaps the more significant consequence of the construction of interstate has been greatly improved transportation access in the area which has stimulated competition for land by residential, commercial and industrial uses. Southern and eastern Eno Township are also in close proximity to a regional employment center which includes Duke Forest, Duke Medical Complex, downtown Durham and Research Triangle Park. This has made those areas of the Township an attractive place of residence for "exurbanll commuters. Eno Township is likely to continue to experience growth pressures due to its good access to employment centers in the City of Durham and the Research Triangle Park. Increases in land values due to such population growth will most likely increase the cost of farming and also stimulate the rate of farmland conversion. Natural Environmental Constraints Several areas in Eno Township contain natural environmental features which affect their suitability for certain kinds of land uses. These constraints include: floodplains, steep slopes and poor soil conditions. FLOODPLAINS. The Eno River is the major stream which drains Eno Township. The Eno and its tributaries are subject to flooding. The extent of that flooding for the 100-year storm has been determined by the Army Corps of Engineers. Because the streams in this area have steep cilit valleys, the maximum width of the floodplain does not generally exceed 500 feet. One exception is the north/south section of the Eno where flatter topography produces areas where the floodplain extends 1000 feet in width during the 100-year storm. STEEP SLOPES. Areas with slopes greater than 15% are generally concen- trated in the central portion of the Township along the Eno River and in the lower drainage basin of its tributary, Buckwater,Creek. SOIL. Eno Township has large areas of good soils north of St. Mary's Road which are suitable for development. South of St. Mary's Road less suitable soils begin to predominate. The areas of steep slopes in the central area of the County have a covering of thin soils underlain by hard rock which make them generally unsuitable for development. In many other areas of the Township where the topography is gentler, heavy clay soils present problems, especially for the operation of on-site sewage disposal systems. Eno State Park: A Special Township Issue A State Park has been established along the Eno River valley in Eno Town- ship. It is the first State Park in North Carolina that is linear in character. In Orange County, the State currently owns or has easements for these large parcels. Three are the Cate's Ford access, Cabe's Mill access and the Red Hill Farm. The Eno River State Park Master Plan calls for the development of the Park in two phases. In Orange County, the first phase calls for the