AGENDA #4i
MEMORANDUM
TO: Roger L. Stancil, Town Manager
FROM: Bill Webster, Interim Director of Parks & Recreation
SUBJECT: Process to Appoint Members to the Hollow Rock/Erwin Road Property Park Planning Advisory Committee
DATE: November 20, 2006
PURPOSE
Adoption of the attached resolution would authorize the Greenways and Parks & Recreation Commissions to appoint one person each to serve on the Hollow Rock/Erwin Road Property Park Planning Advisory Committee.
BACKGROUND
In 1988, Duke University identified the 42.83-acre Hollow Rock/Erwin Road Property as surplus and available to sell for income.
On January 24, 2005, the Council authorized the Town Manager to enter into negotiations with Durham County, the City of Durham, and Orange County managers to investigate the potential acquisition of the parcel.
On March 21, 2005, the Council pledged $100,000 to be used as the Town’s contribution to the purchase.
In 2005, the Penny family agreed to sell 23 adjacent acres to the Triangle Land Conservancy and Orange County purchased seven adjacent acres from Duke University.
In 2005, the County of Durham was awarded a Clean Water Management Trust Fund Grant in the amount of $1,112,000 dollars towards the acquisition of the Hollow Rock/Erwin Road Property and the adjacent Penny Tract. Under the agreement the award amount proportionally reduced the contributions of the participating jurisdictions. Chapel Hill’s total contribution was reduced from $100,000 to $36,639.
In June 2006, the Council authorized the Manger to execute an agreement with Durham County, the City of Durham, and Orange County to purchase the property.
DISCUSSION
Hollow Rock/Erwin Road Property: The property is located near New Hope Creek. The portion of the property in Orange County is included in the New Hope Creek Corridor Master Plan which was adopted by all four jurisdictions in 1991. The plan also calls for a public access point and trail head on approximately seven acres on the west side of Pickett Road that was purchased by Orange County. Once the process is complete, the Town will own a two-acre portion of the overall parcel, which is proportional to the Town’s investment in the project.
Master Park Planning: The Town of Chapel Hill, Durham County, the City of Durham and Orange County have agreed to jointly establish a Park Planning Advisory Committee for the property and surrounding area. The purpose of the committee is to develop recommendations for an overall plan for the property and adjoining properties that comprise the Hollow Rock/Erwin area portion of the New Hope Plan. The plan would include overall recommended uses and generalized locations for the proposed uses. The recommendations of the committee would be presented to the public and approved by the participating governing bodies.
The jurisdictions have agreed that the committee shall consist of eleven (11) members appointed as follows:
1. Four (4) members to be appointed by the Durham County Board of Commissioners
2. Four (4) members to be appointed by the Orange County Board of Commissioners.
3. Two (2) members to be appointed by the Chapel Hill Town Council.
4. One (1) member to be appointed by the City of Durham.
The terms of the agreement require that members reside within the jurisdiction of the appointing authority and that attempts would be made to appoint a cross section of the community. All members would have equal rights regardless of whether the matters at issue are located inside or outside the member’s jurisdiction. The committee would have the ability to recommend to the governing bodies individuals for appointment to the committee in the event that there are vacancies.
Selection of Committee Members: We believe that committee members could be selected in a number of different ways. The attached resolution would authorize the Greenways and Parks & Recreation Commissions to appoint one committee member each. The resolution would allow the Commissions to appoint one of its own members or a member of the public interested in either parks and/or greenway issues.
Alternatively, the Council could select other methods for making these appointments such as appoint members of the Council or develop an open selection process with appointments by the Council.
RECOMMENDATION
We recommend that the Council adopt the attached resolution, authorizing the Greenways and Parks & Recreation Commissions to appoint one Hollow Rock/Erwin Road Property Park Planning Advisory Committee member each. The resolution would allow the Commissions to appoint one of its own members or a member of the public interested in either parks and/or greenway issues.
ATTACHMENT
