Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
15 <br /> WHEREAS, the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools in a letter dated May 22, 2019, have <br /> indicated the district's continued interest in designation of a school site to be located on the <br /> Greene Tract; and <br /> WHEREAS, on July 15, 2019 the Chapel Hill Town Council adopted a resolution to support <br /> adjusting the property lines on the Greene Tract, creating a jointly-owned preserve, and <br /> conceptually agreeing to consider development of the Greene Tract; and <br /> WHEREAS, at that time the Chapel Hill Town Council did not agree to designating the land <br /> uses indicated on the maps attached to the Carrboro and County's resolutions; and <br /> WHEREAS, the three jurisdictions agreed conceptually to the following land use designations: <br /> • Approximately 22 acres for joint preserve; <br /> • A minimum of 16 acres for public school site and public recreational site; <br /> • Approximately 66 acres for housing/mixed use; and <br /> WHEREAS, the Chapel Hill Town Council also adopted a resolution on July 15, 2019 <br /> committing to holding a series of community meetings, soliciting input from the public and <br /> respective advisory boards regarding land uses and densities, initiating environmental and <br /> connectivity assessment; and initiating steps to protect the jointly-owned preserve and the <br /> Headwaters Preserve in perpetuity; and <br /> WHEREAS, in January 2020, the three local governments adopted the 2020 Greene Tract <br /> Resolution for a Path Forward Process for Further Assessment of the Greene Tract, which <br /> consolidated the differences, superseded the resolutions adopted in 2019, and included the <br /> following: <br /> • Initiated an environmental assessment of the entire Greene Tract to consider designating <br /> the most environmentally sensitive area as the Headwaters Preserve with a cost share <br /> Interlocal Agreement; <br /> • Initiated the drafting of a Memorandum of Understanding between the three jurisdictions <br /> related to a decision making process; <br /> • Delayed public engagement efforts until agreement on a Memorandum of Understanding; <br /> and <br /> WHEREAS, analysis of the Greene Tract's past,present, and future identified the following <br /> land use needs and goals: <br /> • Promote mixed-income housing opportunities; development of housing that serves a <br /> range of incomes; <br /> • Preserve valuable environmental features including tree canopy, open space, stream <br /> buffers, and wildlife corridors; <br /> • Protect historical and cultural resources; <br /> • Promote cost effective infrastructure; <br /> • Incorporate school and recreation sites; <br /> • Earmark development areas for mixed income housing and mixed use potential; and <br /> WHEREAS,the Greene Tract Environmental Assessment was completed by SynTerra Inc. in <br /> July 2020 and corresponding video presentation was completed in April 2021 which included an <br /> environmental analysis on existing conditions on the Greene Tract, site specific information on <br /> environmental and cultural conditions present on the Greene Tract, suitability analysis, and four <br />