Orange County NC Website
0079,- <br /> J78 <br /> . . <br /> 5 <br /> County Commissioners are well aware that the pressure to close Horace Williams should <br /> not be equated with a rush by the county into the airport business. Furthermore, <br /> political pressure from Chapel Hill concerning the disposition of Horace Williams <br /> should also not cause the Planning Board or the County Commissioners to make a poor <br /> site selection for an airpert if it should be needed. The placement of such a <br /> n <br /> facility is a major undertaking, and should be examined carefully. <br /> 5. The county should also make inquiries as to whether it would be better <br /> off with a publicly owned or privately owned airport facility. Many experts believe <br /> that an airport properly managed by county government can be an effective revenue <br /> producing facility. By having the county own and operate the airport, the airport <br /> is accessible to all, and presumably is also subject to public scrutiny. Further- <br /> more, the power of eminent domain is possessed by the county to prevent encroach- <br /> ment upon its landing rights-of-way and a governmental owned facility is also <br /> eligible for federal funding. If the county should decide that the pressure on <br /> Horace Williams airport from the city of Chapel Hill is sufficient to force the <br /> county to build an airport, then the county should strike a deal with the university <br /> and the city of Chapel Hill for financing the future airport. Funds could be <br /> made available through federal monies as well as grants from the state. Further- <br /> more, the county should insist upon an equitable sharing of the huge sums of money <br /> which would become available from the sale of property of Horace Williams airport. <br /> This would provide the county with a ready source of revenue and the means for <br /> financing the airport without a bond issue. And, Chapel Hill and the university <br /> would help assume the financial burden of solving their own problems. <br /> 6. Finally, it is the stated intent of the Land Use Policy to stimulate <br /> infill development around the towns and in those areas where transportation facili- <br /> ties are already present. This is in response to the recognized problems of dealing <br /> with transportation in the times of dwindling energy in areas where sprawl develop- <br /> , ment is dominant. Furthermore, it also addresses the problems of building new <br /> transportation corridors into areas which are not already heavily transversed by <br /> : I \ <br />