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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 03-30-1995 - I 601 TRIANGLE LAND CONSERVANCY office 1100A Wake Forest Road Raleigh, NC 27604 mail PO Box 13031 February 22, 1995 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-3031 tel 919 833 3662 fax 919.755.9356 Mr. Moses Carey, Chair Board of Commissioners Orange County 200 South Cameron Street Hillsborough, NC 27278 Dear Mr. Carey: Pearson Stewart, Hildegard Ryals, Kate Dixon, and I appreciated the opportunity to discuss a land purchase proposal with you and John Link on January 31. The accompanying proposal reflects our discussion that day and some subsequent conversations. Having a ready source of funds has made land acquisition proceed much more quickly in Durham County. The Durham Board of County Commissioners has approved the use of $400,000 towards the purchase of up to 22 tracts totalling 480 acres. To date, they have negotiated three options for 112 acres using approximately $200,000. Because of all the activity in Durham County, TLC has focused its efforts on Orange County, particularly in the area along the Durham/Orange line. This is the wide floodplain that is envisioned in the master plan as a wildlife protection area with hiking trails. Recently three landowners in this area have expressed their willingness to negotiate with TLC. One of these, Max Isley, is ready to sell immediately. Because of land values in this area, TLC does not have the financial resources to purchase this land without government funding. We understand, however, that it can be difficult for Orange County to appropriate the amount of money needed on short notice. The attached proposal therefore requests that the county establish a fund for land purchase that it would contribute to annually. The balance in this fund would carry over from year to year. TLC could negotiate reasonable sales price and payment schedules with landowners and apply for money through this fund. This would establish a model public-private partnership to help protect this important area. ®recycled paper Booth to Carey February 22, 1995 Page 2 Approval of the New Hope Creek master plan by all four governmental jurisdictions represented a high point in cooperative community interaction and planning. We believe that citizens of all four governmental jurisdictions stand to gain immeasurably from the New Hope Creek greenway. We appreciate your leadership on the New Hope master plan and welcome participation of Orange County as a partner in preservation. We stand ready to offer our assistance in whatever way would be helpful. Sincerely, Audrey J. Booth Board Member cc: John Link I - PROPOSAL to ORANGE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS for AN ANNUAL APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS FOR LAND PURCHASE ON NEW HOPE CREEK February 1995 Prepared by: Triangle Land Conservancy 1100A Wake Forest Road Raleigh, NC 27604 833-3662 TLC Proposal to Orange County February 1995 Page 1 This proposal requests that Orange County appropriate $30,000 in the coming fiscal year and $50,000 annually thereafter for land purchase in the New Hope Creek corridor. This proposal is an addition to a TLC proposal submitted in November 1994 that requests $20,000 in the coming fiscal year for staff and expenses related to the landowner contact program that TLC is conducting on New Hope Creek. Having a ready source of funds has made land acquisition proceed much more quickly in Durham County. The Durham County Board of Commissioners has approved the use of $400,000 towards the purchase of up to 22 tracts totalling 480 acres. To date they have negotiated three options for 112 acres using approximately $200,000. In Orange County, TLC volunteers Audrey Booth, Bill Bracey, and Len Pardue have been contacting landowners all along New Hope Creek. These landowners have been acquainted with the goals of the master plan through letters, tapes, land materials, and one or more visits. The volunteers' efforts have paid off in the offer of three gift easements and two land donations. However, all but one of these offers of donated land have been in the upper portions of New Hope Creek above the officially designated New Hope Creek corridor. The area of the creek under the most immediate threat is the portion between the Hollow Rock store and the Durham County line. Landowners in that area have not been interested in donating their land, and many that own land bisected by the county line have been approached by Durham County about selling. TLC has become convinced that much of this land cannot be permanently protected unless it is purchased. In November, when TLC submitted its $20,000 proposal, we had not encountered any landowners who were interested in selling. In the last month that situation has changed, and two landowners have expressed willingness to sell. One of them, Max Isley, would like to sell immediately. His tract is on Mount Moriah Road and is shown in the New Hope master plan as a possible site for a trailhead into the wildlife protection area. Because of land values in this area, TLC does not have the financial resources to purchase this land without government funding. We understand, however, that it can be difficult for Orange County to appropriate the amount of money needed on short notice. This proposal therefore requests that the county establish a fund for land purchase that it would contribute to annually. TLC could negotiate reasonable sales price and payment schedules with landowners and apply TLC Proposal to Orange County February 1995 Page 1 This proposal requests that Orange County appropriate $30,000 in the coming fiscal year and $50,000 annually thereafter for land purchase in the New Hope Creek corridor. This proposal is an addition to a TLC proposal submitted in November 1994 that requests $20,000 in the coming fiscal year for staff and expenses related to the landowner contact program that TLC is conducting on New Hope Creek. Having a ready source of funds has made land acquisition proceed much more quickly in Durham County. The Durham County Board of Commissioners has approved the use of $400,000 towards the purchase of up to 22 tracts totalling 480 acres. To date they have negotiated three options for 112 acres using approximately $200,000. In Orange County, TLC volunteers Audrey Booth, Bill Bracey, and Len Pardue have been contacting landowners all along New Hope Creek. These landowners have been acquainted with the goals of the master plan through letters, tapes, land materials, and one or more visits. The volunteers' efforts have paid off in the offer of three gift easements and two land donations. However, all but one of these offers of donated land have been in the upper portions of New Hope Creek above the officially designated New Hope Creek corridor. The area of the creek under the most immediate threat is the portion between the Hollow Rock store and the Durham County line. Landowners in that area have not been interested in donating their land, and many that own land bisected by the county line have been approached by Durham County about selling. TLC has become convinced that much of this land cannot be permanently protected unless it is purchased. In November, when TLC submitted its $20,000 proposal, we had not encountered any landowners who were interested in selling. In the last month that situation has changed, and two landowners have expressed willingness to sell. One of them, Max Isley, would like to sell immediately. His tract is on Mount Moriah Road and is shown in the New Hope master plan as a possible site for a trailhead into the wildlife protection area Because of land values in this area, TLC does not have the financial resources to purchase this land without government funding. We understand, however, that it can be difficult for Orange County to appropriate the amount of money needed on short notice. This proposal therefore requests that the county establish a fund for land purchase that it would contribute to annually. TLC could negotiate reasonable sales price and payment schedules with landowners and apply TLC Proposal to Orange County February 1995 Page 2 for money through this fund. This would establish a model public-private partnership to help protect this important area. The fund might work like this: 1) The county would appropriate money every year. 2) The balance in the fund would carry over from year to year. 3) The funds would be available to help purchase property on New Hope Creek by the county, TLC, or other appropriate organizations. THE MAX ISLEY TRACT The tract that has just been offered for sale is owned by Max Isley of Durham. The property is shaped like a lightening bolt that shoots 2346 feet from Mount Moriah Road down to New Hope Creek. It is 12.3 acres in size with 2.4 acres in Orange County (Tax Map #9890-94-99-49) and 9.9 acres in Durham County (Tax Map #476-01-001B). There is a 358-foot road frontage on Mount Moriah approximately 350 feet north of the Orange/Durham county line maker (Map 1). Approximately 7 acres of the Durham County land are in the floodplain/ floodfringe. Most of the upland portion of the tract is located in Orange County, and there are also approximately 2 acres of uplands in Durham County (Map 2). The New Hope master plan calls for acquiring a site along the east side of Mount Moriah Road (component 4, entrance site E2) for a public access site and trailhead (Map 3). There are only four parcels near area E2 which could provide such an access. The owners of the other three parcels have declined to participate in the master plan at this time. Mr. Isley is the first landowner in Orange County willing to sell property in an area crucial to the success of the master plan. Max Isley has had the land appraised at $300,000. TLC suspects that this value is too high given the amount of floodplain on the tract. Durham County estimates that its portion of the tract is worth about $90,000. If Orange County were to participate in purchasing this tract, the process might go like this: TLC Proposal to Orange County February 1995 Page 3 1) Reappraise the tract. (Durham County will probably pay for the appraisal.) 2) Negotiate a price and payment plan with Mr. Isley. 3) Durham County would purchase its portion of the tract. (Durham County may be willing to purchase the entire tract if Orange County will repay it over time.) 4) If Durham is not able to purchase the entire tract, Orange County would itself or through TLC purchase an access easement to the Durham County land and secure an option that would allow purchase of the remainder of the tract over time. 5) Apply for matching funds for this purchase and/or future purchases through the new state parks legislation (SB 733) or the Natural Heritage Trust Fund. 6) If TLC purchased the land with funds provided by Orange County, the title would need to be transferred to Orange County before trails could be opened through the tract. TLC does not believe that a volunteer organization like ours can properly care for lands with the level of hiking and biking use that are projected for the New Hope corridor. Since the approval of the master plan by the four cooperating governmental jurisdictions, the goal has been to secure lands on both sides of New Hope Creek from "the western reaches of Orange County east and south to the waters of Jordan Lake." TLC respectfully requests the participation of Orange County in acquisition of the Isley tract and of subsequent tracts as they present themselves. TLC Proposal to Orange County February 1995 Page 3 1) Reappraise the tract. (Durham County will probably pay for the appraisal.) 2) Negotiate a price and payment plan with Mr. Isley. 3) Durham County would purchase its portion of the tract. (Durham County may be willing to purchase the entire tract if Orange County will repay it over time.) 4) If Durham is not able to purchase the entire tract, Orange County would itself or through TLC purchase an access easement to the Durham County land and secure an option that would allow purchase of the remainder of the tract over time. 5) Apply for matching funds for this purchase and/or future purchases through the new state parks legislation (SB 733) or the Natural Heritage Trust Fund. 6) If TLC purchased the land with funds provided by Orange County, the title would need to be transferred to Orange County before trails could be opened through the tract. TLC does not believe that a volunteer organization like ours can properly care for lands with the level of hiking and biking use that are projected for the New Hope corridor. Since the approval of the master plan by the four cooperating governmental jurisdictions, the goal has been to secure lands on both sides of New Hope Creek from "the western reaches of Orange County east and south to the waters of Jordan Lake." TLC respectfully requests the participation of Orange County in acquisition of the Isley tract and of subsequent tracts as they present themselves. i I i \ I i D r N >y I \ t b to .,y OA a V Y �wR 0 • • f � Z j r' I • f O• 1 J i � • 300 . �� __--- �- j Substa v Q O . 3 / ,15 / 300 Ilk ■ -127 �� Mao GOMpONsN'C 4 V�+ N �ApE� v ARC D'U 'RW�N RO A •ttt.t ,� ++..; lt;,,'�rt;••. •eMtK ��,,, jt• OO . 0. . WHIT .� 1 °0 J y'.�°°( ' ry Ny • w« ll.tt • �. • '• lad t•� r ', r• � ;,•,,: „• . . r: .,r ,...rte; �� fi14 ,• r' _• • Its V • `. t ak, r ... i 1..'rM �,,i'•• ;1: •ft.• •f t . 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