Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
11 <br /> becoming bedroom communities for the Wake, Orange, and Durham counties. She said there <br /> is some logic to the prosperity zone map. <br /> Nancy Coston said that she would send more information to the Board after the meeting <br /> with the Department of Commerce. <br /> 2. Efland Area Water and Sewer Presentation with Status Report on Interstate Properties <br /> in the Efland Area and Possibilities for Development/Economic Development <br /> The Board received information on the existing land use pattern and supporting public <br /> infrastructure agreements, plans and capacities in the Efland/Buckhorn/Mebane interstate <br /> corridor; and received an update on the status of economic development activity for this area. <br /> BACKGROUND: Efland Area Infrastructure and Agreements <br /> Orange County has had a land use map for this general area since 1981 since the importance <br /> of the interstate proximity was acknowledged (both 1-85 and eventually 1-40 extension through <br /> Orange County). A 2,000-acre area was originally designated as Commercial Industrial <br /> Transition Activity Node (CITAN), but most was later changed to Economic Development (ED) <br /> land use in 1994. Along with land use, zoning was changed upfront (AKA pre-zoning) at that <br /> time coupled with development standards. <br /> In the early 2000's, Orange County and the City of Mebane formed an agreement to implement <br /> utility construction and maintenance. Concurrently, an Efland-Mebane Small Area Plan was <br /> commissioned by the BOCC and Mebane including elected officials, planning boards and <br /> community leaders to address the growth potential of the area and an implementation plan. <br /> Recommendations were processed over the subsequent years that were included in the major <br /> 2008 Comprehensive Plan and zoning updates in 2011. <br /> The largest impetus for economic development was the 2012 referendum for Article 46 which <br /> provided monies for utility extensions. A multi-year phased infrastructure plan and Capital <br /> Investment Plan (CIP) was developed to slowly create a `backbone' of utilities in a <br /> comprehensive manner. <br /> Agreements were amended with Mebane in 2012 and additional agreements made with the <br /> Town of Hillsborough and the City of Durham for other Economic zones. <br /> The comprehensive public water and sewer system was sized to accommodate land use <br /> demands based on existing and possible land use. These engineered utility systems are <br /> designed to accommodate early-stage lower flows and upgradable as additional development <br /> occurred. So as development such as the Medline Industries facility occurs, along with the <br /> needs of the middle school and soccer complex, the nearby sewer lift station can be upgraded <br /> as noted in prior CIP's. <br /> The interstate corridor watershed flows east and west from Buckhorn Road and engineering is <br /> designed accordingly. However, due to the Town of Hillsborough disinterest in expanding <br /> sewer demand, Orange County engineered a cost-effective solution for Efland residents and <br /> economic development opportunities by redirecting all flows to the City of Mebane. This work <br /> has been accomplished. <br />