Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
2 <br /> 1 In 2017, the joint owners agreed to have the Managers, Mayors, and Chair (MMC) recommend <br /> 2 next steps by further considering preservation and development options. <br /> 3 Starting in May 2017, a joint staff work group began to examine the preservation and <br /> 4 development potential of the existing Greene Tract. That work culminated in the 2019 <br /> 5 Greene Tract Resolution and Conceptual Plan which recommended a reconfiguration of the <br /> 6 jointly owned 104 acres and the 60 acre Headwaters Preserve and designated areas of the <br /> 7 property for specific preservation and development purposes. <br /> 8 <br /> 9 In February of 2019, Orange County and the Town of Carrboro adopted identical 2019 Greene <br /> 10 Tract Resolution and Conceptual Plan documents. In July 2019, the Town of <br /> 11 Chapel Hill adopted a substantially similar resolution but modified the master plan map to <br /> 12 remove specific land use designations from the areas proposed for development. The <br /> 13 Town of Chapel Hill also adopted a companion resolution committing to hold a series of <br /> 14 community meetings, solicit input from the public and respective advisory boards regarding land <br /> 15 uses and densities, initiate environmental and connectivity assessment; <br /> 16 and initiate steps to protect the jointly-owned preserve and the Headwaters Preserve in <br /> 17 perpetuity. <br /> 18 <br /> 19 In an effort to reconcile differences between the adopted resolutions, each jurisdiction is <br /> 20 considering a 2020 Greene Tract Resolution to supersede the resolutions adopted in <br /> 21 February 2019 by the Carrboro Board of Aldermen and the Orange County <br /> 22 Commissioners and the resolution adopted in July 2019 by the Chapel Hill Town Council. <br /> 23 The 2020 Greene Tract Resolution is scheduled for consideration at the January 21 <br /> 24 Carrboro Town Council meeting, the January 21 Board of County Commissioners meeting, and <br /> 25 the January 22 Chapel Hill Town Council Meeting. <br /> 26 <br /> 27 The 2020 Greene Tract Resolution establishes the following next steps: <br /> 28 <br /> 29 1) Jointly pursue an environmental assessment of the entire 164 acres to consider <br /> 30 designating the most environmentally sensitive area as the Headwaters Preserve. <br /> 31 The cost of this analysis will be shared among the parties, 43% Orange County, 43% <br /> 32 Town of Chapel Hill, 14% Carrboro. <br /> 33 2) Jointly pursue a Memorandum of Understanding for future decision-making processes. <br /> 34 This document will be used to ensure the parties participate in good faith in the planning <br /> 35 process for potential development of the Greene Tract. The document will describe <br /> 36 community outreach efforts. <br /> 37 3) Jointly agree to not initiate formal public engagement until completion of the <br /> 38 Memorandum of Understanding document. <br /> 39 4) Jointly agree any potential developers of the Greene Tract may rely upon and utilize the <br /> 40 environmental assessment contemplated herein and shall not be required to conduct or <br /> 41 obtain a separate environmental assessment. <br /> 42 5) Jointly agree to a discussion of the Greene Tract at the 2020 Assembly of Governments <br /> 43 meeting on January 28, 2020. <br /> 44 Staff will provide any other information at the meeting, and the governing boards can <br /> 45 discuss issues and provide feedback to staff related to this item as necessary. <br /> 46 <br /> 47 Attachment 1a — Greene Tract Vicinity Map <br /> 48 Attachment lb— Proposed 2020 Resolution <br /> 49 <br /> 50 Travis Myren made the following PowerPoint presentation: <br />