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8 <br />52.8 percent for a home larger than 3800 square feet. Prior to its adoption of the step fee structure, " <br />OWASA's standard sewer availability fee for all size residences was approximately $1800, with acreage <br />surcharges applied to acreage in excess of one-half acre. <br />The situation in Efland is very dissimilar to that in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area. The number of <br />existing and particularly new homes in Efland is small compared to the numbers present in the OWASA <br />service area. The vast majority of the existing homes in Efland are much smaller than 1700 square feet <br />and there are very few homes that would fall into the 2400 to 3800 square feet. There may not be any <br />homes larger than 3800 square feet. As a rural community, however, there are a number of properties in <br />Efland that fall into a category where there are small or moderately sized homes on tracts with a sizable <br />amount of property that can be subdivided and developed. <br />At the present time, a database of statistics related to Efland's water/sewer use in relationship to .the size <br />of property tracts, housing values or house sizes have not been developed If it is the desire of the <br />BOCC, these statistics can be acquired and analyzed to determine if a correlation similar to that found <br />by OWASA can be detected. There are several caveats that must be noted about such an analysis. It is <br />possible that the number of older homes in Efland -there are very few new homes - with aged plumbing <br />and antiquated plumbing fixtures, will show an unrealistically high water use when compared to the size <br />of a home., The small ,sampling size available for new and existing homes of all sizes of homes in the <br />Efland area can. also lead to faulty or invalid results for an .analysis. However, if the BOCC wishes the <br />process of analysis to be initiated, specific uncertainties related to various sampling size inadequacies <br />can be noted and the validity of the analysis can be evaluated on that basis. <br />As the information necessary to evaluate a step fee structure is not currently available, staff recommends <br />that the Board of County Commissioners adopt - at least on an interim basis -the previously <br />recommended fee schedule (discussed by theBoard at its September 29~' meeting) which includes: a) a <br />$600 availability fee; b) a $1000 per acre acreage fee; c) a service tap installation fee determined on a <br />"cost-plus" basis; and d) a straight pass through of Hillsborough's- availability fees -as determined on a <br />case-by-case basis by the Town. It is not the intent of Orange County. to overcharge homeowners whose <br />homes are located on large lots or tracts of land. Owners of new or existing homes on large tracts may <br />avoid acreage fees (to both the County and Town) on undeveloped acreage by subdividing their property <br />such that a dwelling to be provided with sewer service is located on a smaller sized parcel. . <br />If I may provide additional information or input, please advise. <br />