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7 b) Millhouse Road Property Analysis - Travis Myren 1 2 Travis Myren reviewed the following information: 3 The Board of Orange County Commissioners has allocated $2 million in the County’s Capital 4 Budget to address preservation and retention of manufactured homes parks and/or to assist in 5 the acquisition of property and land banking for future residential development as an affordable 6 housing alternative. Following the establishment of the land banking program, local housing 7 partners, including Orange County and the Town of Chapel Hill, began evaluating opportunities 8 and obstacles in redeveloping an existing manufactured home park or developing new 9 affordable housing units to address the needs of park residents at risk. A summary of the 10 results from the Mobile Home Park Survey Report were presented to County and Town elected 11 officials during the Assembly of Governments meeting in January. 12 13 Due to the potential redevelopment of existing manufactured home communities in the Town of 14 Chapel Hill, Orange County is exploring the opportunity to locate displaced manufactured home 15 park residents on County-owned property near the town. One site identified for a potential 16 manufactured home park is the Millhouse Road Park site. This 78-acre site, comprised of two 17 parcels, is zoned RB (Rural Buffer). 18 19 On January 23, 2018, the Board of Orange County Commissioners authorized staff to proceed 20 with a rezoning process as well as appropriate site investigations to determine whether this 21 property is able to accommodate affordable housing for displaced residents. Because of the 22 property’s location in the Rural Buffer, it is bound by density limitations detailed within the Joint 23 Planning Land Use Plan. These density regulations limit residential development to one 24 dwelling unit per two acres of property. As part of the rezoning effort, Orange County will 25 pursue the recombination of the two parcels which make up the 78-acre Millhouse Road Park 26 site which would allow for clustering home sites and allowing the balance of the property to be 27 used for park purposes. The County is also exploring community water and sewer solutions that 28 could be used as an alternative to extending public lines to the site since it is outside of the area 29 where public water and sewer service may be installed. 30 31 The Millhouse Road Park site is within the “Joint Courtesy Review Area”, as designated by the 32 Joint Planning Agreement. As such, both the Towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill will have an 33 opportunity to review the rezoning proposal and offer recommendations. The County may not 34 formally adopt the proposed zoning amendment until the Towns have made recommendations 35 or until the expiration of forty-five (45) days following the referral of the rezoning proposal, 36 whichever occurs first. The County also recognizes that access to public transportation will be 37 important to the viability of this site as an affordable housing community. The County is 38 committed to working with the Town of Chapel Hill to establish safe and effective public transit 39 access to the site. 40 41 The County has retained site consultants to complete the site examination and development 42 cost estimates. The results of these studies will be presented to the Board of Orange County 43 Commissioners for direction prior to the summer break. 44 45 Council Member Buansi asked if the number of acres in the joint planning review area 46 could be identified. 47 Craig Benedict said there are over 30,000 acres in the joint planning area, but only 48 about 70-80 acres in the Carrboro-Chapel Hill joint planning courtesy review area. 49