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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 04-23-2015 APPROVED 6/16/2015 MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS HILLSBOROUGH BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS JOINT MEETING April 23, 2015 7:00 p.m. The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Joint Meeting with the Town of Hillsborough Commissioners on Thursday, April 23, 2015 at 7:00 p.m., in the Whitted Building, in Hillsborough, North Carolina. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Earl McKee and Commissioners Mia Burroughs, Mark Dorosin, Barry Jacobs, and Bernadette Pelissier COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Penny Rich and Renee Price COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: James Bryan, Staff Attorney COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley and Assistant County Manager Cheryl Young, and Clerk to the Board Donna S. Baker (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below) HILLSBOROUGH COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Mayor Tom Stevens and Kathleen Ferguson, Commissioners Eric Hallman, Brian Lowen, Evelyn Lloyd, and Jenn Weaver HILLSBOROUGH COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: HILLSBOROUGH STAFF PRESENT: Margaret Hauth, Planning Director HILLSBOROUGH TOWN STAFF ABSENT: Town Manager, Eric Peterson Chair McKee called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks Chair McKee said Commissioner Price is unable to attend due to a North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) meeting, and Commissioner Rich had a conflict. Mayor Stevens recognized the meeting room, its usefulness, and the County's generosity in allowing it to be used for community matters. He said Commissioner Lloyd would be late. He said Town Manager Eric Peterson would be unable to attend tonight, and Planning Director Margaret Hauth would be attending in his place. Transportation/Transit a) Bus Circulator Routes Peter Murphy, Orange County Public Transportation Administrator, said there have been some changes made on the Hillsborough bus circulator, as of March 2, 2015. He said the staff looked at the route, the difficulty of keeping it on time, and how to improve timeliness as well as how to serve other areas. He added the changes have been successful to date, with consistent timeliness. He said some of the changes involved getting the bus out from under 1-85. He said the bus now goes to the areas north of 1-85 and then works its way around, which has saved a significant amount of time. He added that all of the same stops are being served, just in a different order. He said the number of passengers has not changed, and about one thousand riders continued to be served per month. He said after leaving the Sportsplex, the bus now goes onto Route 70, serving neighborhoods and the Food Lion there. He said ridership has picked up at these locations, and as people are learning about the service he expects the number of riders to increase. Peter Murphy said staff had recommended changes for expansion routes, funded through the sales tax and other fees. He referenced several maps on the screen. He said a 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. service to the Highway 70 Corridor between Alamance and Orange Counties is being considered, to supplement the routes of Go Triangle. He said there will also be a commuter route operating down the Churton corridor, also going to Durham Tech and University of North Carolina (UNC) Hospitals. He said a route will regularly go to Cedar Grove and then down to Chapel Hill from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. He said the Circulator service will also be provided during the 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. period, which will be the first service improvement funded by the vehicle registration fee and sales tax revenues. The new Circulator alignment will tie into the other fixed-route bus service expansion services to be operated by Orange Public Transportation that will be funded by Orange County Bus and Rail Investment Plan (OCBRIP) revenues tentatively scheduled to begin this summer. Chair McKee asked if Route 3 and the mid day Circulator are using the same vehicles. Peter Murphy said all of the routes have been re-shuffled to make them more efficient, without adding any additional buses. b) Amtrak Station Margaret Hauth said the draft Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) includes funding for the Hillsborough station and also Orange Grove Road extension project. She said the extension project proposed to extend the Orange Grove Road from where it intersects now over to US 70A. She said the exact point of intersection of 70A is unknown, but it is expected that the road will go under the railroad rather than over. The draft TIP includes full construction funding for the Hillsborough station with construction beginning in 2019. The full scope and details of this funding are still unfolding as the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) continues to flesh out the draft TIP. The Town intends to prepare a small area plan for the 250 acres bounded by the railroad, South Churton Street, and I-85 to reflect the advice and charette results from the Sustainable Cities Design Academy attended by the town and property owner representatives in October 2014. The charrette results were conceptual, but identified some critical connections and areas of joint agreement that should be documented and memorialized as development in this area may take years to come to pass. Commissioner Jacobs asked for the charette results that addressed the two hundred fifty acres. Margaret Hauth said a group looked at the acres and came back with the conclusion that it could be one project but also lent itself to being three projects: the area north of the power lines, the Daniel Boone properties and the remainder of the Collins properties. She said the group discussed how the larger block needs to connect to the existing transportation network. She said a new idea that arose was to run a road parallel to Churton Street and to explore the possibility of an overpass or underpass to run up the heart of the Collins property, even if just for bikes and pedestrians. Chair McKee asked if there is a potential timeline for the Collins property baseball fields. Margaret Hauth said other properties for the Hillsborough Youth Athletic Association (HYAA) ball fields have been considered, but a good match has yet to be found. She said the Town is committed to assisting HYAA in this process but has not defined what that help will be. 2. Economic Development/Tourism a.) County Economic Development Update Steve Brantley, Director of Orange County Economic Development, said it is a delight to do his job in Hillsborough, where there are many opportunities. He reviewed the following information from the agenda packet: Article 46's New Business & Agriculture Grant Programs Orange County has a new Agriculture Economic Development Grant program and a Business Investment Grant program which are now available to support growth by small agricultural and business firms. The two (2) new grant programs are funded by the "Article 46" one-quarter cent sales tax to support economic development, are about to "go live" in the next few weeks, and can assist Hillsborough's small farmers and businesses. More details will be released soon in an ad campaign to be placed in the local media. • Business Investment Grant (Small Grants up to $1,500, and, Large Grants from $1,501 - $10,000) • Agriculture Economic Development Grant (Small Grants up to $1,000, and Large Grants from $1,001-$10,000) Morinaga America Foods, Inc. • Construction of the company's initial 100,000 square foot candy manufacturing facility is proceeding, with completion planned for mid- 2015, and an Open House ceremony set for late October. Town of Hillsborough & County leadership and elected officials will be invited. • The company recently accepted 850 resumes from candidates during a job fair at the Waterstone campus of Durham Tech. 2015 Agriculture Summit • The annual Orange County Agriculture Summit was held on February 16th in Hillsborough at Orange County's newly renovated Whitted Building facility. Orange County Arts Commission • The Orange County Arts Commission, previously based in Chapel Hill, has relocated to Hillsborough and will be housed within the Economic Development Department. Martha Shannon is the Executive Director. Recent Staff Changes within Orange County Economic Development • Mike Ortosky is the County's new full-time "Agriculture Economic Developer" who assists County residents engaged in farming and food system initiatives. He is developing an Agriculture Economic Development Plan for the County and will also assist the formation of a proposed food council, serve as a liaison with tenants of the Piedmont Food and Agriculture Facility (PFAP), and pursue related food system goals that benefit farmers, businesses, and residents in Hillsborough and Orange County. • Yvonne Scarlett, a fifteen year staff member of the County agency and a Hillsborough resident, now fulfills the new "business retention" professional role created by the Board of Commissioners. The business retention economic developer assists existing businesses, large and small, to encourage their retention and expansion here in the County. • Amanda Garner assists the department director in "new business recruitment" regarding the attraction of new business prospects in manufacturing, commercial and retail development. • Tina Love is the new office administrator. Utility infrastructure progress in the Economic Development Districts • Over $4 million in water and sewer lines have been placed in the Buckhorn Economic Development District (EDD) to begin building a series of backbone infrastructure to serve the County's largest region zoned for business recruitment. The success to attract the Morinaga facility was enabled by the one-quarter cent sales tax for economic development that funded this initial water and sewer system. • Additional water and sewer line expenditures will be needed to serve priority sites in the Hillsborough Economic Development District (commercially zoned properties outside of the Waterstone development). General business recruitment activity throughout Orange County • Larger industrial sites in the Buckhorn Road and Hillsborough areas are being regularly proposed to active prospect leads generated by the State of N.C.'s business recruiters. Sites in the County are actively being visited by industries and developers seeking new business locations. • The County's total inventory of empty industrial, warehouse and office buildings available to attract new business prospects has notably increased, with most of this new inventory being located in Hillsborough. For the first time in many years, the County and Hillsborough now have available capacity to market large square footage facilities (Eno River Mill, & the Southern Season warehouse) to large business prospects. Comment Regarding "A Southern Season" Warehouse in Hillsborough • Facility owners Susan Green & Michael Falk have hired a major real estate brokerage firm, CBRE Industrial Triad, to market the 90,000 square foot building to new users. • Orange County Economic Development has generated two prospects that have recently toured the facility. Realtor CBRE Industrial has also generated several site visits by investor prospects & operating companies seeking warehouse space. • Orange County Economic Development office markets the building on the department web site, and with the State of N.C.'s industrial site selection consultants. • Orange County Economic Development worked for 2 years to meet with Southern Season's management in an to attempt to show available real estate sites in Hillsborough, and the County, and offer to quote potential financial incentives in order to retain the warehouse. However, despite the County and Hillsborough having suitably attractive and competitive site locations, the company showed little interest to consider the local options. The company recently selected a fully developed business park (N.C. Industrial Center) which has a 100,000 square foot shell building and 8-10 existing warehouse operations located in Mebane. Evelyn Lloyd arrived at 7:35pm Kathleen Ferguson asked what the Town of Hillsborough can do to support the County's economic development activities. Steve Brantley said to have patience as he trains his new staff, and to continue to be supportive of Orange County economic development. Eric Hallman asked if Steve Brantley sees incentive packages as being important to attract new businesses. Steve Brantley said yes, they are important. Opportunities for County/Town Economic Development Partnerships Steve Brantley read the following information from the abstract: Ongoing Business Prospect Activity in Hillsborough Orange County's Planning & Inspections Department, assisted by the Economic Development office, have a number of promising commercial and retail development activities that should bring new capital investment to the property tax base, add new jobs and payroll, and bring additional retail sales tax to the Town of Hillsborough and Orange County. Locations being considered for development include property improvements adjacent to Home Depot at the southeast quadrant of N.C. 86 and Interstate 85, and at the southwest quadrant of Old N.C. 85 and Interstate 40. Specific retail and commercial projects are at various stages of development, such as submitting site plans, negotiating with land owners and NCDOT, and meeting with Planning & Inspections. Ongoing discussions, some still confidential, include a major restaurant chain, and mixed use commercial office development. • Sheetz gas station & convenience store • Restaurant • Mixed use commercial office building Prospects Visits Made to Hillsborough Hillsborough has several desirable real estate buildings currently on the market that are all suitable for commercial, light industrial and warehouse users. These locations are attractive, competitively priced and together represent the County's single strongest grouping of available buildings with the potential to attract new businesses. The Economic Development office has presented each of these facilities to visiting industrial prospects during the previous year. With the departure of Southern Season's warehouse operations by October 2015, the County will suddenly have a large industrial/distribution facility of nearly 90,000 square feet that can be marketed to more large business prospects than was previously possible in past years, when almost no empty buildings existed. In most cases, the Economic Development office informs Hillsborough's Town Manager and/or Senior Planner regarding each prospect visit. • Eno River Mill — up to 90,000 sq. ft. is currently available • 505 Eno Street (A Southern Season's warehouse) — 89,834 sq. ft., (space will be available in October 2015, and is now being marketed and shown to numerous prospective tenants). • Elizabeth Brady Road —24,000 sq. ft. • Valley Forge Road - 2,500 to 3,000 sq. ft. (offices & warehouse) • Sinclair building (N. Churton Street) • N.C. 57 Business Park (located near the N.C. 57/N.C. 86 intersection) • Tryon Business Center II (5.3 acre site at Meadowlands) Orange County's Small Business Loan Program &Actual Lending Activity that Support Small Businesses in Hillsborough The County's Small Business Loan Program has granted seven (7) loans totaling $271,848.00 to small businesses located here in Hillsborough. This activity represents 58% of the total number of all loans extended, and 63% of all funds loaned to area businesses. The Hillsborough-based borrowers are as follows: • Orange County Gymnastics Tim Baker • The Depot Meleah Coleman • Phd Productions, LLC Patrick Groft • The Accidental Baker Kevin Mason • Mystery Brewing Company Erik Myers • MasterPeace Barber Mark Holt • Skram Furniture Jacob Marks (loan is now repaid) Steve Brantley said the Visitation Program has visited several dozen local businesses. He said these visits allow for feedback from the businesses, and for passing out loan and grant applications and forms. Steve Brantley said that for the first time, the Economic Development Office (EDO) has formally joined the Hillsborough Chamber of Commerce. He said this membership had previously been a gratis one given by the Chamber. He said the EDO also paid for the County's membership. He said on May 20, 2015, the EDO will be the presenting sponsor at the Chamber's member breakfast. Kathleen Ferguson asked if there will be any marketing done for the Highway 70 corridor. Steve Brantley said his office needs to seriously think about marketing the Highway 70 corridor in support of Hillsborough. He said the tourism division has a very successful branding and marking element. He said, as they now have the staff and the funds, the Economic Development Office needs to do the same. Kathleen Ferguson asked if Steve Brantley has taken any business prospects to this area. Steve Brantley said yes. He said the area is very different from the Waterstone area, but it does have water and sewer and it is zoned so the EDO will be marketing more aggressively going forward. Steve Brantley said his office does not have any current prospects for the Waterstone development, but this area is being marketed as well. Commissioner Dorosin said that the location of water and sewer lines being connected to Homeland Security, and therefore needing to be protected, is nonsensical. He said this information is part of public record and should be made easily available. Steve Brantley said staff is being cautious. Commissioner Dorosin said some communities refuse to give sewer and water information due to security concerns. He asked if Hillsborough takes this position. Margaret Hauth said no, Hillsborough does not take that position. She said the only concern is that information be properly interpreted prior to being shared. She said the information is released by the engineer on a case by case basis, depending on the request. Orange County Arts Commission's Funding Support of the Town of Hillsborough's Artists, Arts Organizations and Schools Martha Shannon, Orange County Arts Commission, referred to the following information from the abstract: • Six arts grants were awarded to Hillsborough artists in the spring 2014 grant cycle (out of 23 total arts grants funded), totaling $8,500 in state funds awarded to the Hillsborough Arts Council and Cedar Ridge High School. • Three arts grants were awarded to Hillsborough artists in the fall 2014 grant cycle (out of 21 total arts grants funded), totaling $3,000 in County funds awarded to the Hillsborough Arts Council, Cedar Ridge High School and The Expedition School. • In these 2 grant cycles, 9 out of the 10 grant applications received from Hillsborough artist applicants were funded in full. • These arts grants helped fund the following events and projects in Hillsborough: Last Friday Arts Walk, Hillsborough Jazz Festival, Hillsborough Handmade Parade, Free Spirit Freedom, updated equipment for Cedar Ridge High School's Creative Woodturning Program, Orange County artist Patrick Dougherty's Stickwork Sculpture (slated for November 2015), and a needed upgrade of the audio and recording system for Cedar Ridge High School's Band Room. • Hillsborough-based speculative fiction (science fiction) author James Maxey was selected as the 2015 Piedmont Laureate for the Triangle area (Durham, Orange, and Wake). Mr. Maxey will receive an honorarium of$5,500 ($1,350 of which is paid from Orange County funds) to present public readings and workshops, participate at select public functions and create at least one original activity to expand appreciation of speculative fiction. • Hillsborough artists Alice Levinson (craft), Amy Fletcher (painting) and Damian Starner (painting) have been awarded $1,500 each in 2015 Emerging Artists Grants by the Durham Arts Council. The Orange County Arts Commission participates in this program (for artists living in Chatham, Durham, Granville, Orange and Person counties) contributing $1,500 annually, most recently paid from County funds. Martha Shannon said she wanted to add one thing to the information included on the abstract. She said on Tuesday April 21, 2015, artwork from two Hillsborough artists was selected from entries received for the Arts Commission's two recent art competitions. She said the two individuals received grants and they were: 1.) Michael Brady, $1,200.00, Artist for 30th Anniversary Poster Design 2.) Jennifer E. Miller, $1,500.00, Oil on Canvas, for the new Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh. Chair McKee said Commissioner Jacobs had suggested displaying local artwork in County buildings. Martha Shannon said this idea is on the Art Commission's radar and is being worked on. Chair McKee said it would be beneficial for the artist and spruce up the County facilities. Mayor Stevens said congratulations to both artists. c.) Hillsborough Economic Development &Affordable Housing Update Margaret Hauth said work on the Bank of America parking lot has begun in the downtown area. She added that hopefully the concrete will be set to allow traffic to go through the lot starting tomorrow. She said the work would be on hold during Mother's Day weekend and the Garden Tour weekend. She said there is ongoing communication with area businesses, trying to coordinate with their schedules as much as possible. Margaret Hauth reviewed the updates from the abstract below: Downtown - Construction will soon begin on a series of parking and street improvements in downtown. The town and NCDOT have coordinated closely with local merchants to fit the construction components around event schedules. The Bank of America parking lot construction will begin as soon as asphalt plants begin working this spring. Work on the west side of Churton Street could begin as soon as May and will start at Tryon Street, working south to Nash and Kollock Street. Work will progress block by block to limit disruptions to merchants and traffic. Resurfacing of the street is expected in either fall 2015 or early 2016, which is when the stamped crosswalks will be installed and work complete. Waterstone —About 50 active permits for houses and townhomes have been issued. The apartment complex should begin construction in the next few months. The developer is finalizing the dedication paperwork for Cates Creek Park and Cates Creek Parkway. The town is not aware of any contracts on other tracts. South Churton & Cornelius Streets — No specific development activity. The town is applying for a technical assistance grant from an economic development firm to assist in the implementation of the Cornelius Street Plan (also see Item 3- c below). Affordable Housing —Two Town Commissioners and two Town Planning Board members are working with staff to develop a local policy to strengthen and formalize the mandated "conversation" about affordable housing during the Special Use Permit process. Margaret Hauth said they are wading in cautiously and carefully as a process for affordable housing is developed for Hillsborough. Commissioner Jacobs mentioned the 1000 housing units that are coming on line and asked for comment regarding a potential additional 700 housing units being considered on the Collins property. He asked if part of Town's strategy was to be overrun. Margaret Hauth said the land is in their jurisdiction and is primed for development. She said Caruso Homes has expressed interest in the Collins property. She said the company has been encouraged to hold a neighborhood meeting prior to submitting a proposal, and that is scheduled for next week. She said if an application is received, it will be shared with the County for review and comments. She said the environmental and economic impact studies have not yet been done, as more information is needed. She said it is understood that this project will be a mixed use development over 137 acres. Commissioner Jacobs said the Collins property would be a great opportunity for economic development. He said it could make up for the lost opportunity of economic development at Waterstone. He said he would hope that the Town would be cautious in entertaining this housing proposal. Eric Hallman said the Town is being cautious, and this is not sprawl. He said there has been a lull while they tried to refine their UDO and better understand growth. Mayor Stevens said caution is well placed. He said the Town is looking for both residential and commercial opportunities. Eric Hallman said for years it has been explained that without the residential component, commercial aspects could not be attracted. d.) County and Town Tourism Activities Updates Visitor's Bureau Director, Laurie Paolicelli, said that Hillsborough is enjoying a great deal of positive press in the realm of tourism. She said most visitors come for a day, and this trend is mostly due to the lack of local hotel rooms. She distributed a hand out on the Bureau's activities. Laurie Paolicelli said in February 2015, the Bureau made a presentation to the Chamber of Commerce. She said the Chamber of Commerce requested to know how the 1,623 hotel rooms in Orange County, and the 1,000 hotel rooms in the pipeline in Durham, impacted the economy in Hillsborough. She commented on AirBnB and their negative impact. She said the State of North Carolina will be seeking to regulate usage of AirBnB. She said Hillsborough has 427 private homeowners that rent their homes out to visitors. She said these private homes erode both the Bed and Breakfast and traditional hotel markets. She said on May 7th, the Chapel Hill Chamber of Commerce is bringing in the President of the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Issue to discuss the impact on Orange County. She said AirBnB has eradicated the need for traditional Bed and Breakfasts. Laurie Paolicelli mentioned the following projects on which the Bureau is currently working: • Prototype for Hillsborough — an app and brochure being created with Annie Baggett around a "handmade and homegrown" tourism marketing campaign. • How and where to put a visitor kiosk at the new UNC Hospital in Hillsborough. She said there is currently no visitor information there and this will be a new point of entry to Hillsborough. • Working closely with Ayr Mount and Moorefields and the rich history offered within Hillsborough. • Genealogy series interviewing locals on the history of Orange County. Laurie Paolicelli said Hillsborough will be seen in many state ads and other state tourism magazines. She added overall press is very positive at this time. She expressed the Bureau's desire to be an ongoing partner to the Town and the County. Jenn Weaver said she understands how AirBnB could hurt the local Bed and Breakfast and the traditional hotel community, but wonders if AirBnB can also bring in people that may not be able come here otherwise by lowering the cost of a trip. Laurie Paolicelli said this argument is made every day. She said with the current lack of hotels in Hillsborough, AirBnB certainly does bring people to the area. She added that there are also some very scary stories surrounding AirBnB and the difficulty of removing tenants or damage done to homes. She said in this regards, it hurts the community and hurts businesses that follow the rules regarding health, safety and ADA guidelines. Mayor Stevens said he had an opportunity to work with a group called the Mayor's Innovation Project, including Mayors from around the Country. He said this group has taken up the issues of Uber and AirBnB, both of which are national issues. He said there is growing consensus about bringing these businesses into the regulatory body to insure appropriate taxation and safety measures. Kathleen Ferguson asked if the impact of AirBnB, on local hotels, is known. Laurie Paolicelli said in towns with small hotels, or solely Bed and Breakfast establishments, Airbnb have practically killed the industry. She said in Orange County there are full service hoteliers. She said these hoteliers report small erosion at this time, but this may change in the future. Eric Hallman said Laurie Paolicelli is to thank for any success within the realm of Hillsborough tourism. He said the 1 percent food and beverage tax as well as the 3 percent occupancy tax are both being managed by volunteer boards. He said there is no Town staffing to those boards. He said the upcoming budget includes a proposal to add Town staff that will staff those Boards and give a more professional strategy to tourism. He said tourism in Hillsborough has been overwhelming in the past year, and it is time to take advantage of the attention the Town is now enjoying. Eric Hallman handed out materials and shared some information on the North Carolina Mountains to Sea Trail. He said this trail is extremely popular. He said one can get on the trail in Clayton in Johnston County, walk on the trail through Wake and Durham Counties; but when one arrives in Orange County, one must get off the trail and go out on the road. He said to the west, in Alamance County, more trail miles are being added than in any other County in the State. He said Hillsborough currently has three miles of trail. He said the Eno River Association and the Friends of the Mountain to Sea Trail are working hard to connect the trail so that it is complete. He encouraged all to support the "bridging the gap" in this trail. He added it is important to Hillsborough because it will be one of the few trail towns offering potential revenue. He said Durham did a before and after study of the completion of the American Tobacco Trail Bridge over 1-40. He passed out a handout reviewing this study which showed the results of finishing the trail and the staggering economic impact of doing so. Kathleen Ferguson asked if there is an impediment to Orange County completing this gap in the trail. David Stancil said the trail completion is in the master plan and the Capital Investment Plan (CIP). He said the biggest issue is that once the trail corridor leaves Hillsborough going southwest, there is a stretch that connects into the Seven Mile Creek Preserves Lands. He said the trail then enters into its most complex stretch in the State going to Cane Creek and the Haw River. He said this is one of the very few places that the trail goes completely cross country on private land. He said there will be at least 100 to 120 trail easements to negotiate with property owners. Kathleen Ferguson said she appreciated hearing the background and bigger picture of the issue. Commissioner Jacobs said there is a series of public hearings regarding the Mountain to Seas Trail coming up; with one being in Burlington, NC. David Stancil confirmed this meeting and said it will occur on May 6, 2015 from 3:00- 5:00 p.m. He said the State is working on a Mountain to Seas Trail Master Plan. He said the draft is due out around May 1, 2015. David Stancil said awaiting the completion of the State's master plan has delayed Orange County's progress. He said there is currently a "swath" on the master plan, showing a corridor that goes from Hillsborough down to the Cane Creek Reservoir and Haw River. He said the challenge is to determine where the line goes within the "swath"; using roads or going cross country. He said a lot of those decisions will be made using the State's master plan. Commissioner Jacobs asked if that will include southwest Orange County. David Stancil said yes. Commissioner Pelissier said her property is on that red "swath". She said many of her neighbors are in opposition to the trail while she is very supportive of it. Mayor Stevens said this trail is very important to Hillsborough and the Town is very supportive of it. He encourages the County to be persistent in their pursuit of bridging this gap in the trail. 3. Planning/Development pj Hillsborough Vision 2030 Plan Margaret Hauth reviewed the updates below: • Efforts have continued on work begun in 2013, and the town has adopted Vision 2030 to replace the Vision 2010 policy document. The plan is available at http://www.ci.hillsborough.nc.us/sites/default/files/Vision2030.pdf The Town received comments from Orange County Planning staff and considered them during development. The plan was adopted on March 9, 2015. b) Town Development Updates • UNC Hospital —The hospital is proceeding with the plan to be open in July. Construction has begun on the water tank needed to have sufficient pressure in the vicinity as development continues. Durham Technical Community College —The town is not aware of any activity related to the Community College. • Historic Mills —The town designated both the Bellevue and Eno Cotton Mills (aka Hillsborough Business Center) as local historic landmarks at the end of 2014 to allow the owners the local landmark tax reduction. There is an active contract to purchase the Bellevue Mill and implement its conversion to apartments with the state mill tax credit still available to this site. The Eno Cotton Mill continues its efforts to renovate its spaces and make them available for a wider variety of uses. • Former Colonial Inn —The town has contracted with the Development Finance Initiative (DFI) through the UNC School of Government for technical assistance and advice regarding tools available to incentivize or encourage the renovation of this property. The report is expected back in mid-March. • Highway 70 Corridor Update and Opportunities- The town submitted a grant request, supported by the County Economic Development staff, to seek technical assistance from an economic development consulting firm to help the town better understand its options to participate in and incentivize the redevelopment of the Cornelius Street corridor. As the town does not have specialized economic development staff, the hope was to develop an understanding of key data or programs that can be collected, monitored or implemented to assist with limited oversight. A number of key properties in the corridor are available for sale. Unfortunately the town was not selected to receive the grant. Commissioner Dorosin asked for clarification about the update regarding the Colonial Inn. Margaret Hauth reiterated that the report from the DFI had yet to be received. She said the report will be received at the May meeting. Commissioner Dorosin asked if the report is expected to have a set of alternatives for the Town to consider. Margaret Hauth said yes. Mayor Stevens said the report will be a financial package. He said the owner has been cooperative in allowing access to the building, which has been helpful. Eric Hallman said the results will probably show that the ultimate value of the Inn will be less than the cost to renovate. He said funding would likely be part public and part private. He said the Town Board is interested in seeing if getting involved makes economic sense for the Town. Commissioner Dorosin asked if the expected scenario is such due to the poor condition and deterioration of the structure. Eric Hallman said UNC has had the building accessed and what the renovations costs will be. He said possible usage options and potential rents were considered. He said it was a very thorough analysis. He said there is a window to do something as there is a parallel process occurring where an interested party has made contact with mortgage holder. County Development Updates Detention Facility Jeff Thompson said the Detention Facility is replacing a 90 year old jail located in the center of town. He said the proposed location for the new facility is near the Orange Correctional Facility across from McDonalds on 6.8 acres of State land that has been leased for fifty years. He said designers for the facility are being interviewed in the coming months. He added construction will begin in the fall of 2016 and be completed in the fall of 2019. Brian Lowen said what will happen with the existing jail. Jeff Thompson said uses for the existing facility are being considered. He said there may be no need for detention purposes here. He added it is a prime property and the highest and best use for it is being considered. Sportsplex (aerial view) Jeff Thompson showed an aerial view of the complex. He said the complex has experienced tremendous growth over the last ten years which places pressure on the facilities to provide for its membership. He said it is one of the most travelled facilities in Orange County, rivaling the Dean Smith Center and Kenan Memorial Stadium for turnstile count. He said a lobby renovation has been completed, adding about 2500 square feet of programmable space to feed the members and their interests. He said a second mezzanine above the pool is being designed currently. He said this mezzanine would add about 5000 to 6000 square feet of programmable exercise and equipment space. He said the property to the northeast of the facility has been acquired and a field house, indoor turf and track and court complex is proposed to support the growth. These items have not yet been voted upon by the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC). Eric Hallman asked if there is any concern about the traffic intersection given the great deal of activity happening at the Sportsplex. Staff answered no. 4. Potential 2016 County Bond Referendum Update Chair McKee said the BOCC passed a motion on April 21, 2015 to go forward with a bond referendum on November 2016 for $125 million for school capital needs. Bonnie Hammersley said when the agenda went to press, the BOCC had not had the regular meeting yet where some decisions were made on this issue. She said the bond was approved as stated by the Chair and in addition the BOCC supported the concept of a bond education committee. She said the bond is scheduled 18 months from now, and there will be a lot of opportunity for discussion going forward. Chair McKee said the BOCC is limited as to when a bond can be placed on a referendum, which is in even numbered years. 5. INFORMATION ITEMS (Written Updates - Not for Specific Discussion) a) Update on Eno Mountain/Mayo Street- Margaret Hauth b) Update on Interstates 40/85 Improvements-Craig Benedict and Margaret Hauth c) Update on Solid Waste/Recycling-Bonnie Hammersley d) Update on Recreation/Amenities-Margaret Hauth and Dave Stancil e) Update on Water Infrastructure/City & County Overlap-Craig Benedict and Margaret Hauth Commissioner Jacobs asked for an update regarding a curb in West End where the parking lot feeds directly into the street. He recalled there may be some Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program (CMAQ) funding that the Town could use to put in a curb. Margaret Hauth said the project is moving forward and it is CMAQ funded. She said she does not have a final date of completion. She said some complications have arisen involving the railroad, which has caused delay. She said the project is still on-going and may not be completed before end of year. Kathleen Ferguson asked for an update regarding Fairview Park. She said the neighbors have submitted a request for a monitor position this summer, but the needs at the Park are present during more than just the summer months. She asked how the park would be monitored beyond the summer months. David Stancil said the Fairview Community Watch has submitted a request for funding for a summer monitor program, which has been in place for the past few years. He said this outside agency request will be coming to the Board later this spring as part of the budget. He said security cameras will soon be installed at the site. He said this park is served by a mobile crew and does not have a full time staff person assigned to it. He said the summer monitoring service has been funded in the past by a grant. He added this grant has now expired, and therefore the Community Watch has submitted their request for funding to the Board. Kathleen Ferguson said there is need for the calendar year not the fiscal year. She asked if the County is considering a full time monitor at this park. She said the park impacts the viability of the surrounding economic development corridor. David Stancil said for now the proposal is only for summer monitors. He said there is not a proposal for full time staff at the park. He said during weekdays there is little activity, but this changes dramatically closer to sunset and on the weekends. He said any change in coverage would be a matter of resource allocation, and would be discussed as part of future budgets. Chair McKee asked Bonnie Hammersley to look into this issue and to see what options are available. Commissioner Dorosin expressed appreciation to all of his Hillsborough colleagues for their courageous stand on the marital equality resolution and especially to Jenn Weaver. A motion was made by Commissioner Burroughs, seconded by Commissioner Pelissier to adjourn the meeting at 8:48 p.m. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Earl McKee, Chair Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board