To the Orange County Community,
Thank you for engaging with us as Orange County, Carrboro and Chapel Hill collaborate to plan for the future of the 104-acre Greene Tract and the permanent preservation of a 60-acre Headwaters Preserve. As you may be aware, the three governments have joint ownership of the properties.
Since 2000, deliberate steps have been taken to explore and identify how these properties can enhance the Historic Rogers Road Neighborhood and the adjacent neighborhoods, while also serving our community as a whole. These steps have included: a “community-first” long-range planning process which culminated with the report, Mapping Our Community’s Future; planning efforts with the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School system to set aside land for a school; a market research study to evaluate retail and other neighborhood business opportunities; and, most recently, an environmental assessment.
Throughout this time, our top priorities have been affordable housing, environmental conservation, and a future school site. In 2020, our respective boards voted to utilize the remaining lands as follows:
- Approximately 66 acres housing/mixed-use
- Approximately 22 acres for joint preserve
- Approximately 16 acres for public school site and public recreational facility site
In addition, based on the environmental assessment, we have agreed to consider a realignment of the boundaries of the Headwaters Preserve in order to best preserve highly sensitive areas. All three jurisdictions will vote on the realignment of these two parcels this fiscal year, FY 2021-22.
The Greene Tract is a place of immense historical, cultural and natural resources, and all three governmental entities are committed to a thoughtful and inclusive site planning process that respects the people and resources of the area, while reflecting the shared goal of increasing affordable housing for our community.
Sincerely,
Renee Price – Chair, Orange County Board of Commissioners
Pam Hemminger – Mayor, Town of Chapel Hill
Lydia Lavelle – Mayor, Town of Carrboro