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ORANGE COUNTY PLANNING & INSPECTIONS DEPARTMENT
Craig N. Benedict, AICP, Director
Administration ®`~~ge g``'~P
(919) 245-2575 * ~' 131 W. Margeret Ln.
(919) 644-3002 (FAX) " ~. '2 P. O. Box 8181
www.co.orange.nc.us ~. Hillsborough, NC 27278
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MEMORANDUM
TO: Orange County Board of County Commissioners
COPIES: Frank Clifton, County Manager
FROM: Craig Benedict, Planning and Inspections Director
Kevin Lindley, PE, Staff Engineer
DATE: April 14, 2010
SUBJECT: Central Efland and Northern Buckhorn Sewer Expansion Project Update
Since the start of the year, steady progress has been made towards permitting of the Central
Efland and Northern Buckhorn sewer expansion project. The system's engineering plan and
environmental review was approved by the State and forwarded to the EPA for review in their
regional Atlanta office before Christmas. County staff recently received word from the EPA that
they will be granting the project a Categorical Exclusion based on their environmental review of
the project. This means that the project will not have to go through a costly and protracted
Environmental Assessment process. Now that the EPA has done their environmental review,
they can begin to process our application for the Special Appropriations (SPAP) grants that were
earmarked for the project back in 2003 and 2005. The application was sent to them in February.
We have been in contact with our EPA review officer, Artie Buff, since the application was sent.
We also met him at a workshop last September on the SPAP grant application and administration
process.
In addition to the permitting aspect, work has continued on gathering the necessary documents
and information to acquire easements where needed for the sewer line. For. the last month,
Dottie Schmitt, with the Economic Development office, has been assisting with the easement
process. At this stage, all the parcels which need easements have been identified; easement plats
are being completed by Coulter, Jewell & Thames, the engineering firm for the project; maps
have been created which show the location of the parcels from which easements are needed; and
some initial contacts have been made with citizens. Legal descriptions of the easements will be
created by our County Attorney's office from the plats, along with easement agreements and
utility connection agreements for new customers.
An information packet for potential new customers to the Efland sewer system is currently being
developed. This packet will have both general and specific information on the sewer expansion
project, the process of connecting to the sewer system and the costs involved.
Central Efland and Northern Buckhom Sewer Expansion Project Update 041410
The process of obtaining licenses to install a portion of the sewer line in the railroad right-of--way
is underway. Our license application for occupancy in the Northern Buckhorn section of the
project has been accepted, pending payment of the required fees and provision of insurance
information. Review of our application for occupancy in the Efland portion of the project is
currently underway.
Moving forward, once the EPA has approved our SPAP grant application, the completed
construction plans and specifications can be submitted to the State's Construction Grants and
Loans division. for review. Once reviewed by the State, the plans are sent to the EPA for a
second review. Concurrent with these reviews, County staff will be working to acquire
easements and railroad occupancy licenses. Also during the plan review phase, the Construction
Grants and Loans division can begin processing our application for State Revolving Loan Funds,
which will be used to finance the construction portion of the sewer expansion.
Central Efland and Northern Buckhom Sewer Expansion Project Update 041410