Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: March 27, 2007 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 5-~_ <br />SUBJECT: County/Schools Collaboration Work Group School Site Land Banking Letter <br />DEPARTMENT: BOCC PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Draft Letter <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Moses Carey, Chair, 245-2130 <br />Barry Jacobs, Vice Chair, 245-2130 <br />PURPOSE: To review and comment on a proposed letter to be sent to municipalities by Chair <br />Moses Carey and the two School Board Chairs regarding cooperative research in school site <br />land banking. <br />BACKGROUND: The County/Schools Collaboration Work Group (a group composed of the <br />chair and vice chairs of Orange County and both school districts) is in the process of forwarding <br />a letter to the mayors of the county municipalities to begin a more formal. process of school site <br />collaboration. School site `land banking' includes identifying land and purchasing in advance, for <br />long-term school site needs. In this manner, all parties, local governments and the school <br />districts can employ `smart growth' locational and infrastructure criteria to proactively site future <br />schools. <br />The County, towns and school districts have for years been in agreement to coordinate site and <br />facilities for joint use. However, new considerations regarding planning, transit, green buildings <br />and the scarcity of available land create new found urgency to find strategic sites for the future. <br />A draft letter from the work group to the mayors is attached. It is staff's understanding that the <br />Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education has already reviewed the letter and asked the Board <br />Chair to proceed. The Orange County Schools Board of Education is scheduled to review the <br />draft letter at an upcoming meeting. Orange County Planning will organize the research effort. <br />FINANCIAL IMPACT: None at this time. Orange County Planning would use existing staff <br />and other interdepartmental staff to coordinate research with school and municipal staffs. <br />RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board review the draft letter, <br />provide any comments for the Board Chair and ask the Board Chair to proceed as necessary. <br />