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Home My WebLink AboutAgenda - 01-22-2015 - 6iORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: January 22, 2015 Action Agenda Item No. 6 -i SUBJECT: Buckhorn Mebane Sewer Phase 2 Extension Project Easements & Pump Station Propertv DEPARTMENT: Planning ATTACHMENT(S): Maps Showing Approved Scope of Project 1 PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) NO INFORMATION CONTACT: Howard W. Fleming, Jr., PE, Engineering /Stormwater Supervisor, 245 -2586 Craig Benedict, Planning Director, 245- 2592 James Bryan, Staff Attorney, 245 -2319 PURPOSE: To consider authorizing County Staff to accept and acquire the private easements required to construct and maintain the Buckhorn Mebane Sewer Phase 2 Extension Project by negotiation, purchase or condemnation, if necessary, including purchase of real property for a pump station on the south side of West Ten Road (SR 1146), just west of Thompson Road. BACKGROUND: The County's engineering consultant, Hobbs Upchurch & Associates, P.A., has recently completed design of the subject project and submitted for agency permit reviews, in preparation for issuing construction documents for bids. The project base bid is a little over 5 miles long (26,725 LF). Only 7,287 lineal feet of this system is gravity sewer. The remainder is force main located within existing road right of way. There are three (3) add alternates designed into the project to allow the County to "adjust" the bid(s) to the project budget. An archaeological evaluation of the sewer project corridor has been performed, in accordance with BOCC policy. No archaeological sites were identified. Based upon the results of this investigation, construction of the sewer line in its currently proposed location will not impact any significant cultural resources. The County's consultant recommended to the State that cultural resources clearance to proceed be granted. Consistent with this phase of the project, now that the County is certain of the alignment, easements must be finalized for the sewer lines that need to be installed and a lot created and purchased for the associated pump station. Existing zoning for the pump station site requires a minimum 40,000 square -foot lot. The subdivision plat in process specifies a lot of 40,002 square feet. Orange County staff has contacted each property owner from whom easements are needed by letter to let them know why the County needs the easement, where the easement will be located on their property, how much the County is offering them for the easement and the value of the infrastructure being installed on their property. Over the last two months, County staff has been answering any questions property owners have and negotiating for voluntary acquisition of the needed easements. Many property owners are in favor of the project and several have indicated their intent to grant easements. However, it is anticipated that two or three of the necessary easements may need to be processed through legal acquisition proceedings. Easements are not property acquisitions. The property owner still retains ownership of the land; however, use of permanent easements is normally curtailed or limited. The easements are for two purposes - temporary construction and future maintenance access to the sewer lines. The easements do not take up the entire property, only allowing the County's contractor the right to construct the line and ultimately provide the City of Mebane the right to enter and maintain the sewer lines. All areas disturbed during construction will be reseeded to re- establish vegetation once construction in that area is complete. The attached maps show the entire project area and scope. In general, there will be a 30 -foot wide permanent sewer easement, centered on the sewer line, respectively, for all lines shown crossing parcels. Where the sewer line is deep or bore and jacking pits are needed, an additional zero to 20 -foot wide temporary construction easement will be acquired. When the line is constructed along an existing North Carolina Department of Transportation ( NCDOT) road, the easement, if needed, will only be the portion of the necessary construction or maintenance corridor which falls outside of the NCDOT road right -of- way. To complete the acquisition of the easements, the easement documents must be signed by the County (receipt of interest in property) and recorded. In most cases, the individual easement land area is only a fraction of an acre. The easement (temporary plus permanent) sizes range from approximately 0.03 acres to 3.0 acres in size and the compensation offered ranges from $139 to approximately $3,500. Any easements that must proceed to condemnation will require a deposit with the court of the appraised value of the easement. County staff will coordinate easement appraisals as needed with Brian Ferrell, Esq., title attorney, on an as needed basis. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The project budget has been previously authorized by BOCC. County staff has offered a standard monetary amount for each easement, based upon a percentage of appraised value — 20% for permanent and 10% for temporary. There are 13 properties on which easements are required, owned by 10 different owners. Total formula - projection of easement costs totals $11,106. The offer for the pump station property will be based upon a professional real estate appraisal yet to be obtained. Approximately $40,000 has been set aside in the project budget to cover these costs. In the event of condemnation, the County will have the easement appraised and will deposit an amount equal to the appraised value with the Court, upon filing of the condemnation complaint. If the easement and /or pump station site acquisition costs exceed the amount set aside, additional funds will be accessed from the Capital Investment Plan (CIP) appropriations. Financial flexibility has been designed into the construction documents through inclusion of add alternates totaling approximately $66,000. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board: 1. Authorize the Chair to sign easement and real estate offer /closing documents on behalf of the Board; 2. Authorize the payment of negotiated easement and real estate purchase value to individual property owners, LLC's, etc.; and 3. Authorize the County Attorney's office to proceed with legal acquisition of utility easements and /or real estate with court filing, if necessary. BOCC Exhibit - Buckhorn Mebane EDD, Efland Sewer to Mebane, Phase 2 Extension (Sheet 14of 2) Project Area Existing Force Main Proposed Gravity Sewer 8" � 8" 10" .■IIIIIIIIIIIII■ 12" FORREST Add Alt #1 85 40 Y P, :F1" Existing sewer force main o to be abandoned in place - Y east of connection 0 0 -'W Add Alt #2 A� Proposed West Ten Pump Station = Parcels Proposed Force Main .N 1 = 600 feet o zoo Feet Orange County Planning and Inspections Brian Carson (1/5/2015) Proposed West Ten Rd. force main connects to gravity sewer Rock Rd at Quarry o1 Existing Force Main Proposed Gravity Sewer 8" � 8" 10" .■IIIIIIIIIIIII■ 12" FORREST Add Alt #1 85 40 Y P, :F1" Existing sewer force main o to be abandoned in place - Y east of connection 0 0 -'W Add Alt #2 A� Proposed West Ten Pump Station = Parcels Proposed Force Main .N 1 = 600 feet o zoo Feet Orange County Planning and Inspections Brian Carson (1/5/2015) BOCC Exhibit - Buckhorn Mebane EDD, Efland Sewer to Mebane, Phase 2 Extension (Sheet 25of 2) Project Area tNDUS7RIAL DR APiz "r, _ V V h-�10*0N? Force Main connects to existing system. 85 40 Proposed Force Main (Approx. 3.57 Miles) Existing Gravelly Pump Station Parcels Proposed West Ten Pump Station c� z X Z N i r� 0 L� �IhL a aus F•J C W� �S RuN 'ti /}� o LNG �w W \ a 1 in 0 = 1,800 feet 1 ,000 Feet / Orange County Planning and Inspections < {I Brian Carson (1/5/2015)