Orange County NC Website
33 <br /> <br />soils for sanitary septic compatibility, in addition to the wells and wetlands pose significant <br />challenges to the development of a manufactured home park on this site. Based on a <br />preliminary site evaluation by a licensed soil scientist, there is insufficient area of usable soils <br />for a subsurface wastewater treatment and disposal system of adequate capacity to support the <br />contemplated development. An on-site septic system, if possible, would include a containment <br />lagoon for either a surface drip or surface irrigation system. <br /> <br />Delineation of jurisdictional and isolated wetlands onsite introduces considerable site planning <br />challenges and preliminary site grading analysis requires some soil import for site balancing. <br /> <br />Although constructing (multiple) public water supply wells is theoretically possible on the site, <br />County environmental health representatives opine that obtaining the flow volume required for <br />the contemplated development (minimum of 7,000 gallons per day for a 28 lot manufactured <br />home park alone) is questionable. The only definitive method for measuring water flow volume <br />is to dig test wells at a cost of approximately $45,000. Moreover, the North Carolina Public <br />Water Supply Section, as well as the Orange County Environmental Health Services Division, <br />must permit public water supply wells. The close availability of Orange Water & Sewer Authority <br />(OWASA) public water (within an estimated 500 feet) may be a negative factor in obtaining the <br />required state permit(s). <br /> <br />Alternative Wastewater Treatment Options. Because of the lack of adequate subsurface soil <br />to support a sanitary septic system, pre-treatment surface drip or spray irrigation system with a <br />containment lagoon or a state-approved innovative package sewer system could be considered <br />for this site. Stream discharge, which is required for the innovative package sewer type system, <br />is physically possible, but requires an exhaustive permitting process by the North Carolina <br />Division of Water Resources (“NCDWR”). The proximity of existing sanitary sewer mains (within <br />an estimated 1,200 feet) at the Town of Chapel Hill Town Operations Center would likely be a <br />strong contributing factor against NCDWR issuing a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination <br />System (NPDES) discharge permit for a free-standing innovative package treatment facility on <br />this site. Significant ongoing operation, maintenance, and reporting are required for this type of <br />treatment facility, should such a permit be obtained. <br /> <br />Conceptual Land Planning. Attachment 3, ”Conceptual Land Plans”, illustrates two “bubble <br />plan” options for the layout of the site. These illustrations depict areas that would support <br />approximately 28 mobile home park lots, a soccer park area generally contemplated by the <br />Orange County-Town of Chapel Hill partnership, and required development features supporting <br />these uses. Note that the delineated wetlands in plan option 3b would reduce the acreage <br />available for soccer use by approximately 30%. <br /> <br />Availability of OWASA Water and Sewer Service. Adequate water and sewer capacity is <br />located on the adjacent parcel east of the County parcel assembly; however, current land use <br />and utility extension policies prohibit the extension of these facilities. <br /> <br />Land Use Considerations; Orange County Unified Development Ordinance (“UDO”); <br />Joint Planning Area Assessment. The parcels are located within the Rural Buffer as <br />designated in the Joint Planning Land Use Plan and on the County’s Future Land Use Map and <br />Zoning Atlas. <br />Site-built residential uses in the Rural Buffer must adhere to a minimum lot size of 2 acres per <br />unit. Housing units may be clustered while still adhering to a 2-acre per unit density requirement <br />which would yield up to 34 housing units on the site. Development of a home park will require a