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11 <br /> 1 <br /> 2 <br /> 3 2. Efland Area Water and Sewer Presentation with Status Report on Interstate Properties <br /> 4 in the Efland Area and Possibilities for Development/Economic Development <br /> 5 <br /> 6 The Board received information on the existing land use pattern and supporting public <br /> 7 infrastructure agreements, plans and capacities in the Efland/Buckhorn/Mebane interstate <br /> 8 corridor; and received an update on the status of economic development activity for this area. <br /> 9 <br /> 10 BACKGROUND: Efland Area Infrastructure and Agreements <br /> 11 <br /> 12 Orange County has had a land use map for this general area since 1981 since the importance <br /> 13 of the interstate proximity was acknowledged (both 1-85 and eventually 1-40 extension through <br /> 14 Orange County). A 2,000-acre area was originally designated as Commercial Industrial <br /> 15 Transition Activity Node (CITAN), but most was later changed to Economic Development (ED) <br /> 16 land use in 1994. Along with land use, zoning was changed upfront (AKA pre-zoning) at that <br /> 17 time coupled with development standards. <br /> 18 <br /> 19 In the early 2000's, Orange County and the City of Mebane formed an agreement to implement <br /> 20 utility construction and maintenance. Concurrently, an Efland-Mebane Small Area Plan was <br /> 21 commissioned by the BOCC and Mebane including elected officials, planning boards and <br /> 22 community leaders to address the growth potential of the area and an implementation plan. <br /> 23 Recommendations were processed over the subsequent years that were included in the major <br /> 24 2008 Comprehensive Plan and zoning updates in 2011. <br /> 25 <br /> 26 The largest impetus for economic development was the 2012 referendum for Article 46 which <br /> 27 provided monies for utility extensions. A multi-year phased infrastructure plan and Capital <br /> 28 Investment Plan (CIP) was developed to slowly create a `backbone' of utilities in a <br /> 29 comprehensive manner. <br /> 30 <br /> 31 Agreements were amended with Mebane in 2012 and additional agreements made with the <br /> 32 Town of Hillsborough and the City of Durham for other Economic zones. <br /> 33 <br /> 34 The comprehensive public water and sewer system was sized to accommodate land use <br /> 35 demands based on existing and possible land use. These engineered utility systems are <br /> 36 designed to accommodate early-stage lower flows and upgradable as additional development <br /> 37 occurred. So as development such as the Medline Industries facility occurs, along with the <br /> 38 needs of the middle school and soccer complex, the nearby sewer lift station can be upgraded <br /> 39 as noted in prior CIP's. <br /> 40 <br /> 41 The interstate corridor watershed flows east and west from Buckhorn Road and engineering is <br /> 42 designed accordingly. However, due to the Town of Hillsborough disinterest in expanding <br /> 43 sewer demand, Orange County engineered a cost-effective solution for Efland residents and <br /> 44 economic development opportunities by redirecting all flows to the City of Mebane. This work <br /> 45 has been accomplished. <br /> 46 <br /> 47 Please also note the Upper Eno Watershed Map which was jointly approved by the State and <br /> 48 Orange County in 1996 that designated this eastern zone as protected, State law and Orange <br /> 49 County zoning allows up to 10% of the protected acreage to be 70% impervious cover to <br /> 50 accommodate the economic development and residential transition zones. <br /> 51 <br />