Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
8 <br /> <br />Margaret Hauth said the Town does not have a policy for affordable housing, but it 1 <br />negotiates case by case with each developer. She said there is no overall percentage, and it is 2 <br />different for each development with some providing acreage and others provide payment in lieu. 3 <br />Sherrill Hampton said one of the topics that came up in the collaborative meeting were 4 <br />standards of requirements for affordable housing throughout the jurisdictions, as well as transit 5 <br />as it relates to affordable housing. 6 <br />Commissioner McKee said it is encouraging to hear that all are working collaboratively, 7 <br />as this makes more sense and should lead to greater results. 8 <br />Mayor Stevens said his board values affordable housing, but Hillsborough only has a 9 <br />major development every 6 years or so, and it has seemed better to take each development as 10 <br />it comes, as opposed to setting a particular standard. 11 <br />Mayor Stevens said affordability is one of the issues that will be the Town’s greatest 12 <br />challenges going forward. 13 <br />Commissioner Rich asked if the Town’s affordable housing negotiations include the 14 <br />requirement of the same amenities as regular housing receives. 15 <br />Margaret Hauth said yes, as much as possible. 16 <br />Commissioner Rich asked if the Town’s affordable housing include some units that are 17 <br />ADA compliant. 18 <br />Margaret Hauth said that is more from the provider’s viewpoint, and the Town does not 19 <br />have any specifics like that in its ordinance. 20 <br /> 21 <br />e) Parks 22 <br /> 23 <br />Margaret Hauth reviewed the following information: 24 <br />Background: 25 <br />Orange County has expressed an interest in forging partnerships with Town governments to 26 <br />leverage investments in park creation. The Town is interested in acquiring an existing private 27 <br />facility and expanding the scope of services available to the whole community. A partnership 28 <br />with the County may help this project occur on a quicker schedule. 29 <br />Margaret Hauth said the Exchange Club approached the Town two years ago, and 30 <br />expressed some interest in transferring ownership of the park to the Town. She said a financial 31 <br />agreement has yet to be reached. She said the park has some significant needs, but would be 32 <br />a good location for basketball courts, a skate park, and disc golf. She said the Town does not 33 <br />have the resources for this acquisition, and hopes there may be some way to share the 34 <br />financial burden of building this park with the County. 35 <br />Chair Dorosin asked if more specifics could be provided about the park. 36 <br />Stephanie Trueblood said the pool is a separate parcel, and the Hillsborough Youth 37 <br />Athletic Association (HYAA) leases the baseball fields. She said the Town is talking about the 38 <br />green space between the pool and the building, which includes: a parking lot, restrooms, picnic 39 <br />shelter, and a run down play structure, totaling about 6 acres. She said there may be more 40 <br />space on the other side of a creek, which would lend itself to a disc golf area, mountain biking 41 <br />trails, or natural trails. She said the Town’s Parks and Recreation board has been interested in 42 <br />a skate park for some time, and after evaluating several sites, the Exchange Club site is at the 43 <br />top of the list. She said adolescents are underserved in Orange County as a whole, not just in 44 <br />Hillsborough. 45 <br />Town Commissioner Bell said he is a member of the Town’s Parks and Rec board, and 46 <br />at a recent meeting several families came to speak in favor of areas to serve adolescents. He 47 <br />said it was very compelling. 48 <br />Commissioner Burroughs said park needs would need to be prioritized, to determine 49 <br />what the County can afford. 50