Agenda - 11-09-2005-0 - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: November 9, 2005 Action Agenda Item No. - SUBJECT• Gravelly Hill Middle School and West Ten Soccer Park Electric Service DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): 11/03/05 NCDOT Letter Map of Proposed Route Capital Project Ordinance INFORMATION CONTACT: John Link, County Manager, 245-2300 Donna Dean, Budget Director, 245-2151 Craig Benedict, Planning Director, 245- 2592 Paul Thames, County Engineer,245-2303 PURPOSE: To explain a more workable electric service route to service Gravelly Middle School and West Ten Soccer Park and to appropriate funds to accommodate the preferred route. BACKGROUND: The Orange County Board of Education plans to open Gravelly Hill Middle School in August 2006. The new school is immediately adjacent to the County's West Ten Soccer Park, which is likewise under development. Construction of the school building has been underway far approximately six months. Originally there was a question of which electrical service company would supply the site because it is on the border of Duke Power and Piedmont Electric service areas. Duke Power became the service provider and developed 1) a system plan on haw to service the area, since there was no adjacent service and 2) some estimates for underground electric to the school and park. Underground on-site electrical service to buildings is a requirement of the Economic Development District Design Guidelines. When original estimates were prepared for all underground service, the cost was mare than $250,000. Alternatives were sought, but most involved adding overhead electrical service in some manner that would have caused a critical delay due to change of the Special lJse Permit which regulates the school approval. An alternative was thought to have been feasible using I-85/I-40 NCDOT right-of-way and circling offsite Gravelly Hill Middle School site using the above right-of-way and the park property to the east (which is not subject to the Special Use Permit), The Board of Oounty Commissioners' actions to cause this route were approved on October 18, 2005, However, on November 3, 2005, NCDOT sent aletter/fax (see attached~to County Administration explaining the limitations and exclusions pertaining to the October 18~ I-85/I-40 route. These exclusions caused the I-85/I-40 route to be shifted back to school property into a position where more extensive environmental impacts may have occurred, Concurrently a field meeting was being held the same day to evaluate the I-85 option, However, with this situation in mind, noted in the NCDOT fax, afollow-up meeting was held on November 4~h with parties including