AGENDA #7
MEMORANDUM
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TO: |
Roger L. Stancil, Town Manager |
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FROM: |
Kenneth C. Pennoyer, Director of Business Management Butch Kisiah, Director of Parks & Recreation |
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SUBJECT: |
Response to a Petition Requesting Open Space Funds for Purchase of the Ivey property |
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DATE: |
April 28, 2008 |
PURPOSE
This report is in response to a petition requesting additional open space funds for the purchase of the Ivey property.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
At the February 11, 2008 Council meeting, Ms. Franklin Buchanan representing the Conservation Committee, Botanical Garden Foundation submitted a petition requesting that the Town pledge an additional $95,000 toward the purchase of the Ivey property, a 5.6 acre tract of property adjacent to the Stillhouse Bottom natural area. At the June 11, 2007 Council Meeting the Town committed to contributing $5,000 toward the purchase of the property in response to a previous petition that came before the board on April 23, 2007, asking that the Town participate in the purchase of property adjacent to the Botanical Garden Foundation’s Stillhouse Bottom Preserve.
Stillhouse Bottom is the largest north-facing ravine in Orange County. The ravine comprises over 60 acres, of which 23 acres are owned or controlled by the Botanical Garden Foundation, Inc. According to the Inventory of Natural Areas and Wildlife Habitats for Orange County, North Carolina, the area displays strikingly high plant diversity with over 100 species recorded.
The property is located north of Mt. Carmel Church Road, west of Arboretum Drive, and south of Morgan Creek in the Town’s Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ).
The Botanical Garden Foundation has an option to purchase a 5.6 acre tract (TM# 7.131..4A) at the uphill end of the Stillhouse Bottom ravine. Please see the attached map. The dark areas on the map are closely spaced topographic lines indicating the location of the Stillhouse Bottom ravine. The property owner has agreed to sell the property for $500,000, but the seller has also agreed to donate $100,000 to the Foundation. The Botanical Garden Foundation has raised approximately $25,000; $10,000 of which went toward purchasing an 18-month option that will expire in October, 2008. Representatives of the Foundation have informed us that they intend to request funds from Orange County and other potential funding sources.
Budget Issues: The Town currently has $30,000 remaining in the Open Space bond fund that could be used to assist in the purchase. Of that $30,000, $5,000 is already pledged for the Stillhouse Bottom purchase. While we appreciate the importance of the Stillhouse Bottom natural area, we also have many open space needs related to the Bolin Creek Trail project. We anticipate the need to secure open space and greenway easements over as many as 9 properties between Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Umstead Park. We believe the costs of securing these easements, currently planned to be paid from the remainder of the Open Space bond funds, preclude additional participation in the purchase of the Ivey property. We believe that Town involvement in this project is important. However, due to the limited availability of open space funds and the existing plans for the use of those funds, we believe that the Town should limit its participation to the existing $5,000 commitment.
Given the limited funds available for open space acquisition, we cannot recommend increasing the existing funding commitment of $5,000.