Minutes 09-05-2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

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20 to Rural Buffer. However, because amending the "southern triangle" area would require a different process than extending the ETJ, it is not under consideration as part of the ETJ expansion request. Specifically, a change would have to be heard at a joint public hearing of Orange County and the Towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro and must be approved by all three local governments. The action requested tonight is for the BOCC to approve sending the letter in Attachment 2 to the Town of Chapel Hill. This letter supports the Town moving forward to a public hearing on the ETJ expansions. Subsequent to the public hearing, if the Town is still interested in pursuing the ETJ expansion, the BOCC will be asked to adopt a formal resolution of support. As the letter in Attachment 2 acknowledges, amendments to the Water and Sewer Management, Planning, and Boundary Agreement (WASMPBA) would be necessary in order to serve the parcels in the Millhouse Road area with public water and sewer; this includes the 1 Millhouse Road Park parcel owned by Orange County. The 66 acres in the vicinity of Sunrise Road are already designated as "primary service area" on the WASMPBA map. PUBLIC COMMENT: Mayor Pam Hemminger said her council is not interested in undoing the rural buffer, but are interested in changing the Sunrise Road parcel from Transition to ETJ, so that if a Habitat project came through it would not be submitted to two review processes. She said the Town would like to see Millhouse Road parcel become a park. She said this was the intent of this property upon its purchase, and playing fields were considered. She said to host a sports tournament on such a property requires bathrooms connected to water and sewer. She said it is her understanding from staff, that in order to achieve this, the designation must be changed from rural buffer to ETJ. She said she would prefer staffs to work together and achieve this goal under the "essential public services" definition to allow bathrooms in public park facilities. She said the Town has no interest in damaging or changing the rural buffer. She said there are five entities that need to agree in order to move forward, and there are public-private partnership opportunities for funding. Mayor Hemminger said the Town has had no discussions about the parcel on the southern end of the County. Commissioner McKee asked if there is a reason the letter in the packet cannot be sent anyway, or will it lock the Board in to something. John Roberts said he does not interpret the letter as an approval to expand the ETJ, and if the Board votes on the letter this evening, that will start the public hearing process, allowing Chapel Hill to gather more information. Commissioner Burroughs said the letter shows support for the Town in setting a public hearing for the extension. Mayor Hemminger said it was not the Town's intention to hold a public hearing on changing the terminology from rural buffer to ETJ. She said it would be nice for the BOCC to write a letter expressing support of County and Town staff working together on the issue, and to take this letter to the AOG. Commissioner Rich said the letter needs to be re-written to focus on a path forward for these properties. Mayor Hemminger said sending the letter as it stands would give the community reason to believe that the Town intends to hold a public hearing about whether or not to keep the rural buffer, which is not the Town's intent.