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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: September 19, 2006 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. ~ ~° ct <br />SUBJECT: Consideration of Uses for County-Owned Portion of the Greene Tract <br />DEPARTMENT: County Manager/ ERCD PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Greene Tract Concept Plan <br />March 24, 2000 BOCC Letter <br />Greene Tract Repayment Chart <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Rod Visser, 919-245-2300 <br />David Stancil, 919-245-2590 <br />PURPOSE: To receive a staff report on the 60-acre portion of the former Greene Tract, owned <br />by Orange County. <br />BACKGROUND: In 2000, as part of the "Agreement for Solid Waste Management" between <br />Orange County, Chapel Hill and Carrboro transferring solid waste responsibilities to Orange <br />County, the title to a 60-acre portion of the 164-acre Greene Tract was identified and conveyed <br />to Orange County. The remaining 104 acres continue to be held in common ownership by the <br />Towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro and Orange County, <br />In 2001-2002, a work group of elected officials created a Greene Tract Concept Plan to identify <br />uses for the 104 acres of jointly-owned land. This work resulted in a June 2002 concept plan <br />map and resolution that was adopted by each of the jurisdictions. This map and resolution <br />identify areas far open space and affordable housing. As part of the deliberations involved in this <br />project, the County was asked about its intentions for its adjoining 60 acres.. <br />The County's only statement on the potential future uses of the 60-acres came in a <br />memorandum to Chapel Hill Mayor Rosemary Waldorf dated March 24, 2000. This memo <br />predates the Greene Tract work group and concept plan of 2001-2002.. The memorandum <br />contains the following statement: <br />"With regard to the 60~acre Greene Tract designation,,,This area was selected after <br />considerable discussion and review of the site characteristics, and offers an opportunity to <br />preserve important hardwood forest areas on the tract while also providing for possible rail line <br />access to the southeast.: It is the intent of the current Board of Commissioners that this sixty <br />acres remain undisturbed," <br />During the Greene Tract Work Group, the question of the County's plans for its 60 acres arose, <br />and on each occasion the above citation was referenced as the County's only official statement <br />on the topic, <br />