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Update on the Legion Property Project
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Staff: |
Department: |
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Chris Blue, Interim Town Manager |
Town Manager’s Office |
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Ross Tompkins, Strategic Operations Manager |
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Overview: On December 7, 2022 <https://chapelhill.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=5955319&GUID=CDB54C4E-7E26-4DE1-84B0-3331C8D2E661&Options=&Search=> the Town Council approved the Legion Property Committee (LPC) recommendations and authorized the Town Manager to proceed with next steps. In doing so, the Council designated 8-9 acres along Legion Road for affordable housing, with the remainder of the Legion property combined with Ephesus Park for a Town park. Based on the LPC recommendations, next steps include developing refined recommendations for the pond and starting work on the park and affordable housing uses.
This item provides Council with an update on the project and proposed next steps. The Town hired Garrett & Moore to produce a preliminary engineering report on the dam and the consultant will review this report with the Council.
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Recommendation(s): |
That the Council receive this update and provide guidance on the proposed next steps.
Decision Points:
• Proceed with the affordable housing development partner selection process
• Proceed with pond recommendations
Key Issues:
• There is some risk associated with leaving the dam as-is.
• The question of whether an underground water source feeds the pond cannot be answered until the pond is drained. The existence of an underground water source will impact whether a stream (and what type of stream) might form if the pond is removed.
• A reduced-size pond on the same location would need to go through a regulatory approval process and could require other steps to be taken elsewhere on the site.
• The housing affordability gap continues to widen for the most vulnerable community members.
• Affordable housing along Legion Road is likely to be very competitive for outside funding.
• Park planning may be two years away.
Pond Options and Recommendations:
To apply for a dam maintenance permit, the Town will need to decide whether to pursue a dam repair project or a dam removal project. Staff’s recommendation is to continue evaluating options for the pond, begin the dam maintenance permit process, and move forward with a Request For Qualifications to select an engineering firm for the project. The goal of these steps is to select a project path that will address the dam while maintaining flexibility for future site uses until the Town can gather more information after the pond is drained.
Fiscal Impact/Resources: The Council allocated $540,000 to address the dam as part of their FY22 Excess Fund Balance allocation. Additional funding will need to be identified to complete the dam maintenance project.
Where is this item in its process?
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Attachments: |
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• Draft Staff Presentation |
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• Draft Consultant Presentation |
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• Consultant Report |
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The Agenda will reflect the text below and/or the motion text will be used during the meeting. |
presenter
PRESENTERS: Ross Tompkins, Strategic Operations Manager
Bernie Garrett, P.E., Garrett & Moore
Craig Fortner, P.E., Garrett & Moore
The purpose of this item is for the Council to receive this update and provide guidance on the proposed next steps.