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Orange County Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks & Recreation <br />PO Box 8181, Hillsborough, NC 27278 <br />Phone: (919) 245-2510 <br /> <br /> <br />November 21, 2023 <br /> <br />Craig Nishimoto <br />1200 Hatch Road <br />Chapel Hill, NC 27516 <br /> <br /> <br />Mr. Nishimoto: <br /> <br />I am writing in follow-up to our prior conversation about your rezoning proposal <br />for the property that abuts the County’s Millhouse Road Park property. More <br />specifically, I believe this application is referenced as “MA23-0003, The Treeist, <br />ASE-CD Map Amendment” by the County Planning Department. The property is <br />PIN number 9871-50-3254, and an aerial photo of the vicinity may be found as <br />Attachment 1. <br /> <br />I thought it would be good to document the concerns we shared at that meeting <br />as your application proceeds. Thank you for taking the time to meet with our staff <br />regarding the existing access easement to the cellular tower on the lot that you <br />have acquired. <br /> <br />In looking at the site plan that has been shared with us by Planning, there are <br />concerns that we have regarding impacts of the proposal, namely making the <br />current access easement across our property a commercial driveway for your <br />operation. <br /> <br />As background, Orange County purchased 79 acres at 6823 Millhouse Road in <br />2005 (69 acres) and 2009 (10 acres) for a future park. At the time of these <br />purchases, and in subsequent Capital Investment Plans and other documents, <br />this property has been identified as a future soccer center, perhaps in <br />conjunction with the Town of Chapel Hill. The discussions and planning to date <br />anticipate a complex of soccer fields and associated infrastructure on the site, <br />with some other ancillary and buffer uses - such as trails and natural areas as <br />they property abuts Duke Forest to the west. <br /> <br /> <br />130