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Vi' N V ORANGE GOUNTY ENVIRONivIENT AND RESOURCE CONSERVATION C~EPARTt'~€ENT MENIORANC3Ui'VI To: Eddie Kirk, Orange County Planner From: Rich Shaw, Land Conservation Manager Date: April 20, 2006 Re: Westhampton Subdivision Proposal Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on the proposed Westhampton Subdivision. The proposal is to create 19 lots on 1.30 acres located adjacent to Phil's Creek south of Hatch Road in Chapel Hill Township. ERCD comments on subdivisions are generally to a) address any concerns with respect to potential impacts on important natural or cultural resources, and b) identify any areas that might be desirable for possible dedication to the County for public recreation/open space pursuant to Section IV-B-7-b of the Orange County Subdivision Ordinance. The Po!/owing comments updaEe ERCD's ear/ier comments on phis subdivision proposa/ in a memo dated ilroarember7_Z, ,2005, ~ copy of that memo is attached. The current site plan (3/2Z/06) shows over 52 acres of open space, or 41% of the site (far more than the required 3.3%). Included in that open space are fairly large areas of mixed hardwood forest adjacent to Phil's Creek. in both the southwest and southeast corners of the property. This forest would provide a small wildlife refuge and provide residents of the subdivision with woodlands for walking and nature study. Open space is also provided along the western property boundary, adjacent to an unnamed tributary of Phil's Creek. Most of that perimeter open space would provide forested buffers of 200-3D0 feet wide, far more than the required 100-foot stream buffer, Two nearby Orange County-owned properties should be considered in the review of this subdivision proposal. Both were dedicated to the County for recreation and open space. A 0,49-acre strip (0,4 mile long) was dedicated to the County in 1992 as part of the Shenandoah subdivision approval for a future public recreational trail, The 10-foot-wide corridor runs through the floodplain portion of four residential lots within the subdivision, The Triangle Land Conservancy holds a conservation easement on the entire floodplain portion of those four lots, A O,Z5-acre parcel was dedicated to the County in 1988 as part of the Turf€edove subd€vision approval. That small property is also adjacent to Phil's Creek, The deed states this property was to be part of a "network of public open space and recreation lands that Orange County intends to establish and of vahich this land is intended to become a part." Environment and Resource Conservation PO Box 8181 / 306-A Revere Road Hillsborough, NC 27278 (919) 245-2590