Agenda - 04-18-2006-10b - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: April 18, 2006 Action Agenda Item No. ID--b SUBJECT: Possible Conservation Easements for Greene Tract DEPARTMENT: ERCD/Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No ATTACHMENT(S): 6/26/02 Greene Tract Work Group Resolution 6/25/02 Concept Map 1999 Solid Waste Interlocal Agreement INFORMATION CONTACT: David Stancil, 919~~245-2590 Rod Visser, 919-245-2300 Excerpt Estimated Greene Tract Reimbursement Amounts (under separate cover) PURPOSE: To discuss matters related to the passible recording of conservation easements on portions of the Greene Tract to permanently protect those areas as open space. BACKGROUND: The Greene Tract was acquired by the Landfill Owners Group (LOG) in 1984 as a possible future landfill site, pending further study. The Landfill Owners Group was an entity with elected representatives of the three jurisdictions -Orange County, Chapel Hill and Carrboro -that awned the landfill and the Greene Tract prior to 1999. In 1999, the County and Towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Hillsborough entered into an interlocal agreement governing the future management of solid waste throughout Orange County. The agreement provided far the transfer of solid waste management and recycling operations from the Town of Chapel Hill to Orange County. A significant element of the agreement covered the disposition of the Greene Tract (which was explicitly designated by the agreement as a landfill asset) and the conditions under which reimbursement would be due to the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund (which was the source of funding for the $608,823 purchase price of the property in 1984). 60 acres of the Greene Tract were deeded outright to Orange County to be reserved for solid waste management purposes. The remainder of the property (104 acres, as subsequently determined by survey, compared to the 109 acre balance assumed in the agreement) is still in joint ownership by the County, Carrboro, and Chapel Hill. In 2001-02, a Greene Tract Work Group comprised of elected representatives from each of the LOG member jurisdictions began meeting to develop a concept plan for the remaining jointly awned 104 acres of the Greene Tract. In .June 2002, the Work Group approved a resolution, subsequently affirmed by all three jurisdictions, detailing recommendations that the three parties agree to place a conservation easement on the 85.9-acre portion of the jointly held property that was to be retained as open space, to ensure that future conservation would be achieved. The other 18.1 acres of jointly owned property was targeted for future affordable housing.