HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 10-09-2007-4gORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: October 9, 2007
Action Agenda
Item No. G}- -
SUBJECT: Granting of Sanitary Sewer Easements for CHCCS Elementary School #10
DEPARTMENT: County Attorney, ERCD PUBIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
ATTACHMENT INFORMATION CONTACT:
Geof Gledhill, 732-2196
1. Vicinity Map /Planned Sewer Line David Stancil, 245-2590
Pam Jones, 245-2650
PURPOSE: To consider approval of sanitary sewer easements and related documents for
the sewer line to serve Elementary School #10, and authorize representatives from Chapel
Hill Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) and Orange County to work with adjoining property
owners to the south to secure off-site easements.
BACKGROUND: Elementary School #10 received Town of Carrboro Conditional Use Permit
approval in early 2007, and construction began on the school at the County-owned Twin
Creeks site in the late spring of this year. Provision of sanitary sewer service to the school
requires extension of an existing Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) sewer outfall
from Glen Ridge Townhomes and the lake Hogan Farms area to the south. An extension of
this line has been designed and permitted by Corley, Redfoot and Zack, engineering firm for
CHCCS. The design has been approved and permitted by OWASA and the State.
In order to continue construction on the sewer line (a short segment appears to be under
construction), sewer easements need to be recorded that bring the line to the school. This
includes a long segment of gravity sewer on the west side of Jones Creek within the County's
Twin Creeks property (park and educational campus sections). The line also requires
easements be recorded and obtained from MI Homes (owner/developer of the recently-
approved Ballentine subdivision to the south), and from the Glen Ridge Townhomes
Homeowners Association (where an existing easement needs a minor modification).
The proposed easement on the Twin Creeks property follows the west side of Jones Creek
before crossing the creek near the point where the creek turns westward, and thence to the
2
new school. Staff and the County Attorney have noted one new component of the proposed
sewer easements - a proposed easement that wraps around the elementary school parcel on
the outside of the property. This would provide for potential future expansion of the sewer line
to serve additional properties within the OWASA service area to the north and east. It is not
clear what effect this location on the outside of the elementary school parcel may have on
future development of the residual portion of the educational campus that is located north of
Jones Creek and the Piedmont EMC power easement. Staff is seeking additional clarification
from the engineer and OWASA to determine potential impact and will report to the Board
when the easement is presented for consideration.
CHCCS administration indicates that the easements are needed at this time in order to keep
the elementary school on schedule. In order to accomplish this, conversations between
CHGCS and County representatives with the property owners to the south will be needed.
FINANCIAL IMPAGT: There is no projected financial impact with the granting of easements
on the County's Twin Creeks property, except for staff and attorney time involved in
addressing easement documents. The cost of the sewer line is included in the Elementary
#10 capital project budget. It is anticipated that there would be no impact for the acquisition
of off-site easements on the two properties to the south. The planned Ballentine subdivision
would benefit by the provision of a sewer easement, as this sewer outfall also helps serve
that development. The change on the Glen Ridge Homeowners Association property is a
small shift of an existing easement.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board:
1) Authorize staff and the County Attorney to pursue easements on the Twin Creeks site
as described and present them for Board approval as quickly as practicable; and
2) Authorize representatives from the County and CHCCS to discuss and secure
easements as shown from MI Homes and Glen Ridge Homeowners Association.
.:.~