TITLE: Title
Greene Tract Resolution Approving the Draft Recombination Plat and Conceptual Plan
PURPOSE: To consider approval of the Greene Tract Resolution Approving the Draft Recombination Plat and Conceptual Plan for the 60-acre Portion of the Greene Tract in County Ownership and the 104-acre Portion of the Greene Tract in Joint Ownership between Orange County, the Town of Chapel Hill, and the Town of Carrboro.
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DEPARTMENT: Planning Department
CONTACT INFORMATION: Patricia McGuire - 919-918-7327, pmcguire@townofcarrboro.org <mailto:pmcguire@townofcarrboro.org>; Martin Roupe - 919-918-7333, mroupe@townofcarrboro.org <mailto:mroupe@townofcarrboro.org>
INFORMATION: The Greene Tract is a 167 acre parcel of which 107 acres is jointly owned by Orange County/Chapel Hill/Carrboro and 60 acres owned by Orange County (Headwaters Preserve). The parcel is located east of the Rogers Road community within the Town of Chapel Hill’s ETJ (Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction) - see vicinity map in Attachment 2.
In May 2017, a joint staff work group began to examine the preservation and development potential of the Greene Tract. This process included specific elements and goals including, but not limited to:
§ Incorporate a future elementary school and park site,
§ Preserve valuable environmental features and corridors,
§ Protect historical and cultural resources,
§ Encourage cost effective infrastructure, and
§ Identify areas for future development.
In addition, the Managers, Mayors, and Chair (MMC) group recommended staff examine the reconfiguration of the joint-owned and County-owned tracts.
Greene Tract Resolution for a Path Forward
In January 2020, the Towns and County adopted the 2020 Greene Tract resolution. Not only did this resolution identify land use acreages for the Greene Tract and initiate an environmental assessment, but it also initiated the drafting of an Interlocal Agreement between the three jurisdictions.
Greene Tract Environmental Assessment
The Greene Tract Resolution for a Path Forward initiated the drafting of an environmental assessment in order to obtain site-specific information on environmental and cultural conditions present on the Greene Tract. Following a Request for Proposal (RFP) and bid process, SynTerra was selected to complete the Environmental Assessment. Beginning in May 2020, SynTerra reviewed background information, conducted fieldwork, and completed an environmental analysis of the Greene Tract. The final assessment was presented to the local governments in July 2020 and can be found at the following link: <https://www.orangecountync.gov/DocumentCenter/View/14103/2020-Greene-Tract-Environmental-Assessment>.
2021 Greene Tract Interlocal Agreement
The Interlocal Agreement Between Orange County and the Towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill Regarding the Current and Future Use of the Jointly Owned Greene Tract adopted by the three local governments in April 2021 provided a decision-making process for the three local governments and other key elements including:
§ Required that the parties act jointly in selecting professional services; entering into development agreements; engaging in public outreach; receiving public input; assigning the Mayors, Chair, and Managers to form a working group to negotiate ultimate uses of the Greene Tract before submitting their recommendations to the governing boards of the parties; and reaching final determinations of the ultimate uses of the property within 18 months of execution of the Agreement;
§ Agreed that the initial intent of the parties is for the property to include mixed use (e.g. residential and/or low intensity commercial, service uses, and maker/incubator space, which serve the needs of the surrounding neighborhoods) affordable housing, a school site with a public recreation component, a joint preserve area, and connectivity (pedestrian, vehicular, utility, transportation).
Modifications to the County-Owned (Headwaters Preserve) and Joint-Owned Tracts
Over the summer, planning, environmental, stormwater, transportation, surveying, and engineering staff met to review the findings of the Greene Tract Environmental Assessment and discuss other key elements (i.e. connectivity, green space, infrastructure, land use, transit, etc.) in order to assist in determining the modified parcel lines of the County-owned (60 acres) and Joint-owned (107 acres) tracts.
One of the main goals of this process was to encompass the most environmentally sensitive features of the Greene Tract within the County-owned (Headwaters Preserve) or future Greene Tract Preserve areas. The purpose of this was to protect and preserve these areas in the future while balancing development goals of the Greene Tract related to affordable and mixed income housing (housing which is affordable to residents at different income levels) needs and the public school and recreational site. In order to achieve this, environmental staff reviewed preservation plans from 2019 and the Environmental Assessment, completed fieldwork, and drafted new parcel lines for the County-owned and Joint-owned tracts. The proposed parcel lines were presented to the MMC for their review. Based on comments received from the MMC, land use acreages designated in the 2020 Resolution, and additional analysis and fieldwork, modified parcel lines for the County- and Joint-owned tracts were drafted (Attachment 3). The final draft of the proposed County-owned and Joint-owned parcels was utilized in preparing the draft recombination plat and conceptual plan contained in Attachment 1.
September 30 and October 21 Managers, Mayors, and Chair (MMC) Meetings
The Greene Tract staff work group presented the draft Resolution and conceptual plan for review and comment. In addition, the group reviewed and outlined next steps including community outreach meetings.
November 2021 Community Open House and Virtual Meeting
Local government staff members conducted two outreach events in order to update the community on the status of the Greene Tract, present the draft resolution and conceptual plan, review next steps, and receive any questions or comments.
§ Sunday, November 7 - In-person Open House at RENA
§ Monday, November 8 - Virtual Engagement Session
Information regarding these events, including comments and questions received at both events, can be found at the following link: <https://www.orangecountync.gov/2127/Greene-Tract>. A summary of key themes and comments received at these events will be shared at the meeting.
Greene Tract Resolution Approving the Draft Recombination Plat and Conceptual Plan
The proposed Resolution (Attachment 1) continues efforts outlined in the 2020 Greene Tract Resolution for a Path Forward and the 2021 Interlocal Agreement. Furthermore, this resolution includes a culmination of work and contribution including the community, planning, environmental, surveying, transportation, and engineering staff, and the Managers, Mayors, and Chair (MMC) group. The main elements of the resolution include the following:
1. Approve the draft recombination plat contained in Exhibit 1 of Attachment 1.
§ This will allow for modifications to the County-owned tract (60 acres) and Joint-owned tract (approximately 107 acres). Additional maps illustrating the modifications to the existing Greene Tract parcel lines are contained in Attachments 3 and 4. Attachment 4 illustrates the exchange of acreage from Joint ownership to County ownership and County ownership to Joint ownership. This map is related to land owner and transfer changes, which may occur through the recombination process.
2. Approve the Greene Tract Conceptual Plan contained in Exhibit 2 of Attachment 1.
§ This will allow for land uses and acreages, originally designated in the 2020 Greene Tract Resolution, to be identified and located on a conceptual plan. Please note the proposed land uses identified and sited on the Joint-owned portion of the Greene Tract contains net acreage totaling approximately 104 acres. This total excludes approximately 3 acres which is contained within the railway right of way.
§ The Greene Tract Conceptual Plan is a proposed schematic for future planning purposes and shall not be considered a development plan or application. The following land uses and acreages are designated on the plan:
- Headwaters Preserve - 60 acres
- Greene Tract Preserve - 22 acres
- Development - 66 acres
- Public School and Recreational site - 16 acres
3. Authorize Managers to sign the final recombination plat as the property owners for the three local governments.
§ Once the draft recombination plat is approved as part of this Resolution, Town of Chapel Hill Surveying staff will move forward with completing the final recombination plat. This action will allow for the County and Town Managers to sign the recombination plat as owners. Once signed, the final recombination plat will be reviewed by the Town of Chapel Hill Planning staff before final recordation at the Orange County Register of Deeds Office.
4. Continue to solicit input from the public, governing boards, specialized staff, and housing partners, during the master plan and development agreement process.
The Joint Resolution is planned for adoption consideration at the November 16 Carrboro Town Council meeting and Orange County Board of Commissioners meeting and the November 17 Chapel Hill Town Council meeting. Any amendments to the Joint Resolution by Orange County or the Town of Chapel Hill would prompt a return to the Town of Carrboro for consideration.
Greene Tract Update
Additional information on the Greene Tract is contained in Attachment 5. Staff will not present the update at the meeting, but will be available to address any questions. Additional background information related to the Greene Tract, including the 2020 Resolution and 2021 Interlocal Agreement, can be found at this link: <https://www.orangecountync.gov/2127/Greene-Tract>.
FISCAL & STAFF IMPACT: There is no direct fiscal impact associated with this item.
RECOMMENDATION:r Staff recommends that the Carrboro Town Council receive the information, discuss, and approve the resolution included as Attachment 1.