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Work group urges local governments to ' lan&bank' (9/3 / 1999 , CHN) httpw//www . chapelhillnews . com/Issues/ 1999/09/03 /news03 . html <br /> 0 3 � <br /> AV <br /> 1 <br /> Y� <br /> ff <br /> News .: <br /> Home Classifieds News sports Opinion Around Town <br /> Arts Calendar Chapel Hill News Real Estate Section Search Contact Us <br /> Work group urges local governments to <br /> ' land - bank' <br /> With available land being snapped up for development, county looks to $ 8 <br /> million bond to acquire space for parks and facilities . <br /> By DAVE HART, Staff Writer <br /> CARRBORO - - As new homes and subdivisions pop up on one plot of land <br /> after another in Orange County, the amount of land available for soccer fields , <br /> bike paths , hiking trails and playgrounds shrinks in proportion . <br /> And as the demand for land grows , the cost of land grows as well . <br /> That' s why a work group composed of officials , staff and citizens is urging the <br /> local governments to raise funds and purchase park land as quickly as possible , <br /> while there ' s still land to buy . <br /> " The current critical need is to begin long -term land acquisition, " says a report <br /> compiled by the Orange County Master Recreation and Parks Work Group . <br /> " Simultaneous with the population increase , land in Orange County is rapidly <br /> increasing in value . Large tracts are being subdivided, and options for <br /> geographic locations of park land in every township are diminishing . <br /> " A priority for use of future funds clearly must be land acquisition for <br /> long-term park needs , rather than simply developing recreational facilities <br /> (which can be developed over time as population increases) . " <br /> The report calls that plan " land banking . " <br /> " It essentially establishes a ' savings account' of land, " the report says . " Once the <br /> saving account has been fully funded, land can be withdrawn and developed for <br /> specific parks and recreation needs . " <br /> " I hope people understand the concept, " said Margaret Brown of the Orange <br /> County Commissioners , who chaired the group . " It' s crucial . The emergency is <br /> that land is disappearing rapidly . We have to buy it first, while we still can . <br /> Then, later, we can go back and put facilities on it . " <br /> The group identified a total of 1 , 385 acres of park land in Orange County . <br /> Based on the county' s estimated year 2000 population of 112 , 000 , the county <br /> and towns will have an overall deficit of 645 acres of parks and recreation land <br /> 1 of 3 9/3 /99 12@36 PM <br />