IPRWG memo 012401 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

33 Orange County and Carrboro have recreation and open space dedication provisions in their respective ordinances . The County , Chapel Hill and Carrboro also have an alternative to land dedication where dedication is not desired or warranted . In these cases , a payment- in - lieu of dedication is allowed . To date , the following money has been raised from this funding source . ✓ Carrboro - $ 574, 000 ✓ Chapel Hill - $ 611 , 000 ✓ Orange County- $ 603 , 000 In the 1999 JMRP report, a number of problems were outlined with the existing payment- in - lieu programs . While the payment- in - lieu program has raised money for parks projects , the amount has often been insufficient to provide for needed recreation land or facilities . Principal among the. limitations of payment- in - lieu cited in the JMRP report were : • Payment- in - lieu is not intended to fund facilities of countywide significance • Fees must be geographically earmarked and spent within the area • Time limitations Fees must be supplemented with matching funds for use H . Potential for Impact Fees Orange County has special legislation' allowing impact fees to be levied on new development for a variety of purposes . Specifically, the County may "provide by ordinance for a system of impact fees to be paid by developers to help defray the cost of the County constructing certain capital improvements " . These improvements include " the acquisition of land. for open space and greenways, capita ! improvements to public streets , schools , bridges , sidewalks , bikeways , or and off- street surface water . drainage ditches, pipes, culverts , other drainage facilities , water and sewer facilities and public recreation facilities . Currently , the only impact fees enacted under this legislation are for public school facilities in both school systems . However, as shown above, the legislation also provides for impact fees for open space, greenways and recreation . The potential for application of a recreation and open space impact fee was examined in 1996 . In order to implement such a fee , the County ( and the Towns ) would need to 1 ) establish a current baseline of parks and open space provision , 2 ) develop a schedule of parks needs over a specified timeframe ( 20 years has been suggested ) , and 3 ) identify a clear expectation of the cost of those recreation and open space needs . This cost might then be extrapolated to a cost per new dwelling unit and collected along with the public school impact fees at the time a building permit is issued for new residential units .