Agenda - 05-04-2006-9d - Laserfiche WebLink

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z 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 owned 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, County staff was asked to facilitate development of a conservation easement at same point in the future, Accordingly, staff has periodically discussed this possible easement with Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC), to assess that organization's interest in being the fourth- party/easement holder on the 86 acres of jointly held open space. There has been positive feedback from TLC, and in the last several months, these discussions have became more formalized with renewed discussions about the Greene Tract. Site visits have been held and the TLC Land Committee has recently recommended acceptance of this easement. The TLC Board of Directors could consider approval of the easement in July. The TLG Land Committee has also offered to hold an easement on the County's adjoining 60- acre tract, if desired, As one of the few local governments with a formal land conservation program in the Lands Legacy Program, the County could choose to enroll the 60 acres in that program, and/or allow for a separate two-party easement to be placed on it, if additional conservation limitations were desired,; Letters of March 24, 2000 from the BOCC to the Town governing boards stated that "it is the`intent of the current Board of Commissioners that this sixty acres remain undisturbed." While there was an assessment conducted of the property's physical attributes at the time the 60 acres was conveyed, the BOCC has held no further formal discussion of the County's plans for the 60 acres. The 1999 interlocal agreement explicitly provided that "any non System use of any portion of the remainder of the Greene Tract or any disposition of any portion of the remainder of the Greene Tract shall result in payment to the County of the Reimbursement Amount for deposit in the system enterprise fund", Arguably, a similar approach might be applied to any portion of the County's 60 acres that are ultimately used for other than solid waste system purposes, The calculation of the "Reimbursement Amount" is spelled out in the agreement, FINANCIAL IMPACT: The Greene Tract Work Group recommendations included a "triggering mechanism" for reimbursements to the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund based on the placement of former Greene Tract property under formal conservation easements, Estimated reimbursement shares based on proportional LOG ownership shares (Orange County-43%; Carrboro - 14%; Chapel Hill - 43%) of the original March 1984 Greene Tract acquisition cost of $608,823, are noted in the attached document estimating reimbursement amounts. This information has been distributed to the Town Managers of Carrboro and Chapel Hill. If conservation easement(s) are granted to another party (for either the joint 86 acres and/or the County's 60 acres), there would be transaction costs and potentially an endowment request from the easement holder, These costs are not yet known. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board discuss matters related to passible conservation easements on portions of the Greene Tract, and direct the Manager to coordinate with the Chapel Hill and Carrboro Town Managers to develop a proposed reimbursement schedule to the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund for discussion at the next Assembly of Governments meeting in September 2006.