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AGENDA#12
MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor and Town Council FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager SUBJECT: Acquisition of Open Space DATE: June 12, 2000 This memorandum discusses a method of focusing our land acquisition efforts, and the following resolution would authorize the Manager to pursue such a process. This memorandum responds directly to one of the Council’s goals for 2000, adopted in March 27, 2000: Goal: Make more effective use of the Town funds allocated for purchase of open space. Action: The Council has adopted a schedule of general priorities for purchase of open space using bond funds. The Manager will prepare a proposal for the Council’s consideration in the fourth quarter of 1999-2000 that would further clarify the Council’s priorities for open space acquisitions and propose engagement of a real estate professional to assist the Town in carrying out an acquisitions program. BACKGROUND History In November 1996, Chapel Hill voters approved $3,000,000 in general obligation bonds for the purchase of open space. To date $1,815,000 of the authorized bonds have been sold, with the remaining $1,850,000 scheduled for sale in early 2002. To date the following purchases and allocations of funds have been approved by the Council: $265,000 January, 1998: Residential lots totalling approximately 6 acres purchased adjacent to Cleland Road, Roberson and Oakwood Drives. $127,500 May, 1998: Approximately 9.7 acres purchased on Bennett Road and US 15-501 for $191,500, for use as a fire station site and open space. After annexation, funds will be transferred from the Open Space Bonds Fund to the General Fund to pay for the 6.7 acres not needed for the fire station. $50,000 May 26, 1998: Authorized for purchase of properties needed to complete the Lower Booker Creek Trail project from East Franklin Street to Booker Creek Road. $442,500 Total spent or allocated. In September 1999, a Council member petitioned the Council to consider options to purchase the Lloyd property, which lies to the north side of NC 54, adjacent to Meadowmont. In early 2000 the Council has considered two offers to sell land to the Town: one between Jay Street and Sykes Street, and the other at the corner of Bennett Road and Mt. Carmel Road. Discussions are moving slowly on these issues and there has been no agreement on a price for either. Thus, $2,557,500 of the $3,000,000 remains unallocated by the Council and available for use. Priorities On June 28, 1999, the Council adopted the attached resolution, setting out guidelines for the Manager to follow in recommending acquisition of particular parcels. The resolution states the Council’s goals of:
The resolution also authorizes the Manager to use the following as a basis to investigate and identify potential properties and easements for purchase.
The status of acquisition of the properties noted above is found in Appendix A. DISCUSSION Currently the staff time that would be needed for initiation of preliminary planning for the two greenway segments and study of land and easements needed is being used for the following projects: Booker Creek Linear Park: land acquisition and grant preparations Dog Park Committee: work identifying options Dry Creek Trail: land and easement acquisition (with grant moneys) and construction Homestead Park Batting Cage: construction and work with concessionaire Homestead Park Aquatics Center: conceptual plan Lower Booker Creek Trail: completion of construction of first phase, planning for construction of remainder Merritt Pasture access: work with committee on options Parks and Recreation Master Plan: work with committee, public and consultant Pritchard Park: conceptual plan Resurfacing of tennis and basketball courts We believe that time is becoming more of a significant issue in land acquisition than it has been. The increasing pace at which the limited number of undeveloped tracts in the planning jurisdiction are being bought and developed suggests that the Town will need to move quickly to secure open space, particularly open space of significant acreage. We believe that the time pressure on acquiring land and easements for greenways is considerably lower. Most of that land is not developable at all. In many cases, it is in the rear of a house lot, and often it is in the Resource Conservation District. Therefore, it might be advisable to spend funds first on open space and the remaining funds to complete the land and easement acquisitions needed for the greenways, rather than the opposite.
Process for Acquisition: We propose the following process that would allow the Town Council to take the initiative in acquiring land that comes closest to meeting the priorities established in June 1999. This summer we would review the undeveloped land within the Planning Jurisdiction and analyze it in terms of its suitability for promoting non-automobile community connectivity and/or preserving, entranceway corridors, scenic vistas, environmentally sensitive areas, Resource Conservation District land, community open space and neighborhood open space. We believe that, using our GIS system, we could prepare a map showing such parcels, in addition to other publicly owned land, and could present it to the Council by this fall. Then we would ask the Council to indicate some areas of prime interest for acquisition. We will talk with the County to see if the land acquisition specialist on the County staff could help us. If not we would prepare a proposal for Council consideration to engage a real estate professional to identify and acquire land. As parcels are located and preliminary prices negotiated, we would bring this information with our recommendations to the Council. In addition, as work on the Merritt Pasture access progresses, we would keep the Council informed of cost estimates. We would also keep the Council informed of firm offers of other land, such as the 8 acres at the corner of Bennett and Mt. Carmel Church Roads, and of another configuration of some of the Rogers land behind Sykes Street. We believe that this approach would have the advantage of being more pro-active than waiting for land to be offered to the Town, or of waiting until we have completed acquisition of the land and easements needed for the greenways. It would also use the money as soon as possible, during a time when land prices are steadily increasing. On the other hand, this approach would make it more difficult to respond to such unsolicited offers as those made by the owners of land on Bennett Road and near Sykes Street. It also runs the risk of not retaining enough money to complete the acquisitions necessary to complete the Bolin Creek and Morgan Creek Greenways segments. The following resolution would authorize the Manager to: 1. Prepare a map of undeveloped parcels and of publicly owned land to help the Council provide its guidance on primary areas of interest for acquisition. 2. Request the services of Orange County’s staff land acquisitions specialist. 3. If such services are not available, present a proposal to the Council to engage the services of a real estate professional. Keep the Council informed as better estimates are available for land and easements needed for access to Merritt Pasture, Bolin Creek and Morgan Creek Greenway, and of offers to sell such land as that on the corner of Bennett Road. ATTACHMENTS A. Status of Land Acquisition (p. 7) B. Resolution (99-6-28/R-16) (p. 8)
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MANAGER TO PREPARE AN ANALYSIS OF UNDEVELOPED LAND IN THE PLANNING JURISDICTION AND A PROPOSAL FOR ACQUIRING LAND IN THE AREAS OF HIGHEST PRIORITY (2000-06-12/R-18) WHEREAS, the Town Council adopted a set of guidelines in June 1999 as a basis for investigating and recommended land and easement purchases; and WHEREAS, this set of guidelines targeted community connectivity as the primary goal for acquisition of land with 1996 Open Space Bonds; and WHEREAS, the Council also noted its desire to preserve entranceway corridors, scenic vistas, environmentally sensitive areas, Resource Conservation District land, community open space and neighborhood open space; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Town Manager is authorized to prepare an analysis of undeveloped land in terms of its suitability for promoting non-automobile community connectivity and/or preserving, entranceway corridors, scenic vistas, environmentally sensitive areas, Resource Conservation District land, community open space and neighborhood open space. BE IT FUTHER RESOLVED that the Manager is authorized to prepare a proposal to acquire land, using the services of the County’s land acquisition specialist or those of a real estate professional. This is the 12th day of June, 2000.
Appendix A Status of Land Acquisition Status of acquisition of above: 1. Lower Booker Creek: Acquisition of easements has been completed. Although the Council allocated up to $50,000, costs were limited to appraisals, surveying and legal recording fees, and total about $10,000. 2. Merritt Pasture Access: The Merritt Pasture Committee has been working on a recommendation to the Council regarding public access for Merritt Pasture. The committee has rejected the option of buying a house lot between the pasture and Morgan Creek Road and is considering the use of two different Town-owned parcels. Both of these means of access would require a short easement over Duke Power property, a footbridge and probably a flood study. Both Town-owned parcels would need some public expenditure to make them accessible. Preliminary cost estimates are being developed now which will help the committee complete its recommendation to the Council. We anticipate the committee will be ready to make its preliminary report to the Council in September. We note that even though the wording of the 1996 referendum would allow bond funds to be spent for the improvements mentioned here, the Council’s official information to the voters before the election noted that the bond proceeds would be used to buy land “to be preserved as open space” and “for future greenways.” 3. Bolin Creek Trail: Most of the land and easements needed for the trail have already been acquired. However, several new easements will be necessary prior to construction of any trail. We have found that we need to have at least preliminary design work complete before we can delineate the area needed for the trail and its easements and whether it would be best to try to acquire the easement only or the entire parcel. Past experience has shown that easements acquired before design work is done can be insufficient for the trail, grading, drainage structures, etc. 4. Morgan Creek Trail: Although some easements have been acquired, no preliminary design work has been completed. The greenway along Morgan Creek between Smith Level Road and US 15-501 may require land on both sides of the creek, with a bridge needed at some point, its location depending on which parcels can be acquired. Parts of the banks east of the Merritt Pasture have been designated as environmentally sensitive, and are listed in the 1988 “Inventory of Natural Areas and Wildlife Habitats of Orange County, North Carolina,” a study prepared by the Triangle Land Conservancy. Because of the special qualities of some of this land, and because there may be some landlocked and undeveloped parcels, closer study may indicate the value of acquiring entire parcels, rather than simply easements where the trail would go. It may be possible to assemble some significant open space in the area of Frank Porter Graham School. 5. Large Tract: The parcel in northwest Chapel Hill, between Homestead Park and the Greene Tract, the Greenways Commission had in mind when it wrote this recommendation has been bought and is being prepared for development. |