HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 09-17-2002 - 5b ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: September 17, 2002
Action Agenda
Item No. 5-ifn
SUBJECT: Heritage Hills Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Completion
DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Resolution Rod Visser, 245-2300
Heritage Hills House Photcs Tara Fikes,2452492
Wilbert McAdoo, 245-2625
Dave Stanoil, 245-2598
TELEPHONE NUMBERS!
Hillsborough 732.8181
Chapel Hill 968-0501
Durham 688-7331
Mebane 336.227.2031
PURPOSE: To consider approving plans for the disposition of two lots and houses acquired
by Orange County under the federal and state funded Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
BACKGROUND: In Fail 2001, Orange County completed the purchase of two homes in the
Heritage HMIs subdivision that sustained flood damage (but were subsequently repaired and
reoccupied by their owners at the time)as a result of Hurricane Floyd in September 1999. The
acquisitions were accomplished through Hazard Mitigation Gram Program (HMGP)and related
grant fu rids provided through the Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA)and the
State of North Carolina. The concept of the program is to eliminate buildings from floodplains
under the assumption that the cost of voluntary acquisition will be less than the cost of repairs
from repeated floodings over the years. Using those grant funds, Orange County purchased
the properties from the homeowners, who have since relocated to other housing. Under the
HMGP agreement with the State, Orange County is obliged to remove the houses and restore
the two properties to an essentially natural state.
At the March 19, 2002 BOCC meeting, Commissioners received a report on options that can be
pursued regarding the disposition of the two homes that need to be removed. The four basic
options, in order of preference, included:
1. Removal and relocation
2. Deconstruction
3. Donation to an army willing to remove the homes at no cost to the County
4. Demolition
The Board indicated its preference for option 1, pending additional information and decisions
that needed to be resolved atthe staff level. Current plans call for the house a1611 Yorktown
Drive to be relocated to Little River Parkas a caretaker residence. Durham County, which has
partnered with Orange County in acquiring, developing, and operating Little River Park, has
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expressed a willingness to split the cost of moving and reusing this house. The house at 609
Yorktown is to be moved to the Pine Knolls mr-munity and reused as affordable housing, If the
Board confirms at this September 17 meeting its Intent to have the two houses moved, staff will
arrange for precautionary inspections of both houses for asbestos, mold, or other environmental
issues. There are no indications that there are any such problems with either house, but given
the flood damage sustained (even though it was subsequently repaired), it is prudent for the
County to have these inspections performed as assurance for subsequent occupants.
Staff will report to the Board on answers to questions outstanding from the March 2002 report
on this subject. Staff proposes to pursue removal and relocation of these two houses beginning
in mid-October 2002, when the County's preferred contractors (Pete and Robin Hendricks,who
performed the award-winning Orange Industries Building deconstruction project in 2001)will be
back in town and ready to take on the Heritage Hills relocation project.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The County has already received Federal and state funds of
approximately$30,000 that were included in the approved grant to the County to cover the mat
of demolition, landfllling of residual materials, and restoring the lots to a natural state. While
these funds are not intended to directly cover the mat of relocating either of the two houses,
staff expects that these grant funds will be utilized in their entirety (for activities related to
demnstiucting the houses, removing and Iandfilling chase construction and demolition (C&D)
materials that cannot be reused or recycled, and for restoring the residual property to a natural
state).
The estimated cost of carrying out the removal and relocation project is $170.000 -$100,000.
With a net mat to the County of roughly 3100,000 - $115,000. Considering the use of$15,000
in FEMAIState grant funds and a $35,000-$40,000 comm ution from Durham County,the net
mat to Orange County of the Little River Park house relocation project should be in the range of
$30,000 -$40,000. Staff recommends that this cost be funded with 2001 Recreation, Parks,
and Open Space (Lands Legacy) Bond money. With $15,000 in FEMAIState grant funds,the
net mat to the County of the Pine Knolls house relocation project should be in the range of
$70,000 -$75,000. Staff recommends that this cost be addressed either by appropriating 2001
Affordable Housing Bonds or Affordable Housing Trust Fund money.
Should the Board decline to puram option 1,the other three disposition options can be
accomplished almost entirely within the amount of grant funds earmarked for that purpose_
RECOMMENDA"I'l ): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the attached
resolution authorizing the project to proceed
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS TO RELOCATE AND REUSE
TWO HOMES DAMAGED BY HURRICANE FLOYD AND
SUBSEQUENTLY ACQUIRED BY ORANGE COUNTY
WHEREAS,we homes on Yorktown Drive in the Heritage Hills subdivision in southern Orange
County suffered significant flood damage as a result of Hurricane Floyd In September 1999;
and
WHEREAS, both houses were repaired and mended to Wable conditions; and
WHEREAS, the Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA)provides grant funding to
assist eligible applicants in refusals to other housing, consequently eliminating previously
occupied houses from floodplains under the assumption that he cost of voluntary acquisition
will be less than the cost of repairs from repeated Spacings over the yeare; and
WHEREAS, Orange Oou my acquired the two Heritage Hills properties in question in Fall 2001
following Me successful application by both homeowners to receive buyout and relocation
assistance through federal and state emergency management grant funds under FEMA'a
Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP); and
WHEREAS. HMGP administrators have indicated to County staff that instead of demolishing
and landfilling the demclitlon material from these houses, it is an acceptable alternative under
the grant program for the County to relocate and reuse these houses; and
WHEREAS, Orange County has determined Nat the relocation and reuse of these homes is
preferable to the other available disposition options; and
WHEREAS, County staff have call plans under which one home would be moved to Little
River Park as a caretaker residence and the other home would be moved m the Pine Knolls
Community and used for affordable housing purposes;
NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Orange County Board of Commissioners
does hereby direct Me Manager and staff to:
1j carry out the relocation and reuse plans outlined by staff to remove and relocate the two
Heritage HMIs houses;
2) use Affordable Housing Trust Fund money or 2001 AROrdable Housing bond proceeds and
2001 Parks, Recreation,and Open Space (Lands Legacy) bond pmceeds, as applicable, to
pay those pr i costs not covered by FEMAlState grant money and Durham Cal
share of the Little River Park house relocation;
3) take all administrative and financial steps necessary to carry out these plans; and
4) execute all documents associated with completion of the removal and relocation project
consistent with the previsions of the HMGP grant agreement previously executed between
the County and the State of North Carolina.
This, the 17m day of September,2002.
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