Agenda 12-09-2025; 8-a - Minutes for November 6, 2025 Business Meeting and November 11, 2025 Work Session

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24 1 2. Options for Sale of Property at 6823 Millhouse Road 2 The Board considered options for the sale of all or a portion of 79.05 acres of County-owned land 3 at 6823 Millhouse Road for the purpose of a future soccer-oriented active recreation facility. 4 5 BACKGROUND: In November 2004, Orange County acquired 69 acres of land at 6823 Millhouse 6 Road, located north of Chapel Hill, from the late Mrs. Julia Blackwood for a future park site, 7 planned to be a soccer center for southern Orange County. The County subsequently purchased 8 an adjoining 10 acres in 2007 for a total of 79.05 acres. This land is located just north of the old 9 County landfill (north), and is across the North Carolina Railroad "J Line" spur from the Town of 10 Chapel Hill Operations Center. The property is in the Rural Buffer land use and zoning district— 11 adjoining the Orange Water&Sewer Authority(OWASA) urban services boundary on its southern 12 and eastern borders. 13 14 The concept for a future soccer-oriented park at this location has been listed in previous County 15 Capital Investment Plans (CIPs) dating back to the 2000's, known as the "Millhouse Road Park" 16 project. The planned focus for park is for a soccer field complex, with low-impact recreation on 17 the western portion of the property adjacent to Duke Forest. The northwest corner of the site 18 contains a portion of a State-listed Natural Heritage site, and is in proximity to Blackwood 19 Mountain, located within Duke Forest. The property contains two (2) access easements on the 20 northern and southern boundary lines, the latter of which was the subject of a future realignment 21 plan as part of a 2024 rezoning of an adjacent property owned by Acer, LLC (The Treeist). The 22 Blackwood Division of Duke Forest is located to the west and southwest of the property, and a 23 portion of the original Julia Blackwood property was acquired by Duke in 2004 as part of the 24 negotiations for the County's acquisition. This land is now a part of Duke Forest. 25 26 Preliminary design work was undertaken around 2008 for a six-field soccer complex and 27 approximately 25-30 acre wooded preserve adjacent to Duke Forest, but the project was deferred 28 after the economic recession of 2009. In 2015, the County began discussions with the Town of 29 Chapel Hill regarding a joint partnership for the soccer complex, which was reflected in both the 30 County and Town parks and recreation master plans and CIPs (the project was subsequently 31 pushed beyond the 10-year County CIP in June 2025). In 2022, discussions expanded to include 32 a potential third party for the soccer complex. However, the project timetable was such that the 33 creation of the facility was still several years out. 34 35 In 2024, parties approached the County about purchase of the land for the purpose of constructing 36 a privately-owned soccer center. An appraisal was conducted in March 2025 which found the 37 value of the 79.05 acre property at $1,976,000 (or $24,997 per acre). Approximately 30 acres of 38 the western part of the site (see attached map) is proposed to be retained by the County to protect 39 the natural resources present on the property, which includes a North Carolina Natural Heritage 40 site and a tributary of Old Field Creek. This section of the property also includes steep slopes and 41 is beyond the area of the site that was planned for soccer fields and related amenities. Preliminary 42 discussions between County staff and Duke Forest have been held regarding this area, as it abuts 43 the Forest on two (2) sides. 44 45 North Carolina law generally prohibits a governmental entity from conveying property with 46 restrictions or conditions unless the property is conveyed to another governmental entity or to a 47 nonprofit entity that will use the property for a public purpose. 48 49 Interests that the County might wish to address in the sale might include: 50