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Schools

School System Requests Budget Increase
Orange County Schools Superintendent Patrick Rhodes recommended a $1.8 million increase, or 8.35 percent increase compared to last year’s budget figure to the school board March17. Rhodes' budget recommendation would add 1.39 cents to the tax rate.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools recommended to its board a $6.8 million increase next year which could be funded in part by increasing the county's per-pupil spending, adding 2.62 cents per $100 valuation to the county tax rate. An increase in budget funds would go mostly toward expected state increases in teacher pay and benefits and a change in the state's requirements for the number of exceptional children's program positions.

The board will hold public hearings on both the operational and capital budget proposals at 6 p.m. April 7 and 7 p.m. April 10 in the auditorium of A.L. Stanback Middle School, 3700 N.C. 86 South, Hillsborough. The Orange County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to adopt its budget in June. For the full story, click here.

Two New School Sites Selected
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro School District’s next elementary school could be located in a historically black neighborhood. Two sites are being examined; one in the Northside neighborhood on the border between Chapel Hill and Carrboro, the other is in the Rogers Road neighborhood off of Purefoy Road. Both pieces of property are owned by Orange County and the elementary school is slated to open in August of 2011. For the full story, click here.

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Orange County

Chapel Hill Tax Hike Estimated at Five Cents
Mayor Kevin Foy announced at a Town budget public hearing in late March that property owners should expect around a five cent per $100 valuation property tax increase. Foy reminded those in attendance that Chapel Hill has a high quality of life and that there are costs associated with maintaining that quality. Two items having a major toll on the budget are the Town’s new Operations Center and the Aquatics Center. The construction of both centers doubled the Town’s debt load from $32 million to $70 million. A five cent increase in property tax amounts to $100 per year for a $200,000 home. The next budget work session is scheduled for April 16 and the budget is expected to be adopted on June 9. For the full story, click here.

Chapel Hill Trust Fund may Benefit Hillsborough Housing Options
As Hillsborough begins to consider a new approach to providing and ensuring affordable housing, Chapel Hill's decades-old housing loan trust fund may potentially be a valuable resource. The Hillsborough town board recently heard a report from Chapel Hill community development planner Loryn Clark on the town's housing trust fund. Using revenue-sharing funds to assist low-income families with the purchases of new homes or renovations to existing homes, the Chapel Hill Town Council established its housing loan trust fund in 1973. The Chapel Hill Town Council works through the county's land trust operation, Orange Community Housing and Land Trust, which offers affordable housing for residents including school teachers, police officers, nurses and others who provide basic services to the community but cannot afford to live in the county. The nonprofit developer's properties include single-family homes, townhouses and condominiums.

According to the organization, a typical three-bedroom, two-bath land trust townhouse in Chapel Hill with an appraised value of $165,000 would sell for around $105,000, a reduction made possible by housing subsidies and because ownership of the land itself remains with the land trust. A resident buying a home through the land trust model receives a 99-year ground lease and purchases the home at a lower price than it was appraised for. Homes stay in the trust, so a homeowner can sell it back to the organization, but not for its market value. Following the discussion, town board member Eric Hallman requested the board receive more information on how to move forward with the issue.
From the Herald Sun

Dispute over Permit Condition in Carrboro Development Project
Attorneys for Northwest Properties and the Town of Carrboro presented evidence in front of Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour concerning a dispute over a permit for a 77,000-square-foot center on Jones Ferry Road. The argument was over a condition for the permit which prohibited an entrance to the center from Barnes Street. The Shoppes at Jones Ferry is planned to include a 50,000-square-foot Harris Teeter grocery store and other retail space along Jones Ferry Road and Barnes Street. Without the disputed Barnes Street entrance to The Shoppes there would be one entrance into the center. Northwest Properties says its client, Harris Teeter, will pull out of the project unless there are two public driveways into the property. The Town of Carrboro is arguing that this entrance would increase traffic flow into a residential area and could cause safety problems for those residents who live on Barnes Street.

Northwest Properties is asking Baddour to strike the condition that restricts access to the shopping center from Barnes Street. The judge said he would read all of the evidence before making a decision. He will most likely make a decision out of term and out of session.
From the Herald Sun

OWASA Votes to Return to Stage 1, Urges Continued Conservation
At their meeting on Thursday, April 10, the OWASA Board heard from a number of business owners and Chamber representatives supporting the OWASA staff recommendation to return to Stage 1 water restrictions. After some discussion, the OWASA Board voted unanimously to rescind Stage 3 and reinstate Stage 1. On Monday and Tuesday of this week, OWASA staff presented a water update to the Chapel Hill Town Council and Carrboro Board of Aldermen and heard a number of concerns from elected officials over the move to Stage 1. In the end, both Mayors signed the OWASA Stage 1 proclamation and will hear another update in 30 days. For the full story, click here.

Downtown Chapel Hill Parking Solution Request Expedited
Members of the Chapel Hill Town Council and the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership have agreed to expedite the request of property owner P.H. Craig to rezone parking areas behind The Courtyard shopping center. Since Courtyard owner Spencer Young purchased the property in 2005, Craig and Young have yet to reach a lease agreement and Craig closed his parking lot property to Courtyard use over the summer. As a result, Courtyard tenants have complained that the struggle between the business owners has reduced the already limited parking. Although the Council has agreed to expedite the request, Craig has not been given an indication of when the spaces would be available if the changes were approved. For the full story, click here.

Church’s Expansion Proposal Could Bring Park-and-Ride Lot
The Orange United Methodist Church at 1220 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. brought expansion plans before the Chapel Hill Town Council during its February 18 meeting. The church, almost 180 years old, is proposing to build a 57,000-square-foot addition and 188 extra parking spaces on the 16-acre site. The construction will include a new worship space, classrooms, a youth facility and administrative offices. Currently, the sanctuary has a capacity of 240 seats and the campus has 110 parking spaces. The Planning Board requested the council to encourage the church to consider a park-and-ride facility at the site. The board reasoned that it's a good location for one because, among other reasons, it is on the bus line and a park-and-ride lot would help the town meet its goal of increasing the number of residents who take advantage of the bus service. For the full story, click here.

Major Projects Come to Fruition in Hillsborough
Several Orange County services, including the register of deeds, land records, tax assessor and tax collector offices, will move into the Gateway Center, scheduled to open April 30. Pam Jones, the county’s purchasing director, said the offices will close March 14 at 5 p.m. and reopen the morning of March 19 on the building’s second and third floors. The Gateway parking deck will open to the public in mid-April. Of the deck's 400 parking spots, 200 will be occupied by county employees and 200 will be available for pay-by-the-hour parking. County employees will temporarily use the Weaver Street Market parking lot until the lot is opened to the public.

David Stancil, environmental resource and conservation director, said plans for Fairview Park, located on Rainey Avenue, appear to be on schedule and could move into the construction process "probably before Thanksgiving." Lori Taft, director of parks and recreation, said the town is optimistic about its application for a $500,000 grant to the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund for Fairview Park.
From the Herald Sun

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The Triangle

Chatham County Approves Water Rules
Chatham County commissioners adopted new rules February 19 to promote year-round water conservation. The revisions allow about 5,000 households in northeastern Chatham served by the Jordan Lake Treatment Plant to apply a total of 1 inch of water on two specified days a week. Residents who get water service from Cary and county water customers outside the northeast are not included in the new rules. Irrigation systems must have automatic controllers and moisture sensors and watering landscaping or using water to clean vehicles, equipment or hard surfaces to the extent that water pools or runs onto adjacent property or public right-of-way is prohibited. Losing water through plumbing leaks that can be readily identified and repaired is also prohibited and all leaks must be repaired within 10 days of being detected. For the full story, click here.

Chatham County to Receive Aid Following Plant’s Closing
Chatham County commissioners will consider a resolution telling lawmakers how they can help the county deal with the closing of Siler City’s Pilgrim's Pride poultry plant. County Manager Charlie Horne said he is already working with Dianne Reid, director of the county's Economic Development Corporation, on various actions related to the plant's closing, which affects more than 800 jobs and 40 farms in Chatham County. For the full story, click here.

Durham Impact Fees Approved
Beginning July 1, impact fees, those paid by developers upon completion of new construction, will go up. Downtown Durham will see a 24 percent increase, southern Durham 30 percent, and northern Durham will see a 55 percent decrease. The Durham City Council voted on the fee revisions during its March 17 meeting, with a 4-3 vote. The fees will help pay for streets, parks and open space. For the full story, click here.

Durham County Commissioners Approve School Project
A unanimous vote among Durham County commissioners recently authorized the school district to use county money to fund 10 of the 14 items from the schools' 2007 general obligation bond offering. Expected costs on those projects total about $127 million, nearly two-thirds of the entire $194.2 million bond offering. Projects include building a 600-student elementary school in northeast Durham and an 850-student middle school in northern Durham, building a new facility by Durham Regional Hospital for the 400-student City of Medicine Academy, acquiring land for a future elementary school and a future high school at locations to be determined, renovating Neal Middle School, upgrading playgrounds at several schools expanding the cafeteria at Hillside High School and expanding the driveway at Jordan High School.
From the Herald Sun

Cary Developers to See Raised Impact Fees
Beginning July 1, developers in the town of Cary will pay 21.7 percent more in water and sewer fees on an average, 2,500-square-foot home, totaling $5,261. Water and sewer fees for a 150,000-square-foot office building would total $130,230, an increase of 20.6 percent. The town says that according to consultant studies, the fees are now at 75 percent of the "maximum" cost of providing water and sewer infrastructure to new developments. For the full story, click here.

Corps Cuts Water Flow from Lake to Help Raleigh
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to cut nearly in half the amount of water that flows out of drought-ravaged Falls Lake to extend water supplies for the city of Raleigh. Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker lobbied congressmen for help. The lake is about 8 feet below normal level and the city has implemented mandatory water conservation. Meeker told WRAL-TV the reduction of 17 million gallons a day would last at least through March and retain as much as 500 million gallons of water in the lake. The reduction could be extended for up to a year. Rep. David Price told The News & Observer of Raleigh that the Corps acted unusually fast.
From the Herald Sun

Triangle Most Expensive Place to Live in N.C.
According to a recent report by the N.C. Justice Center, the Triangle is the most expensive place to live in the state. For a two-parent, two-child family to live a basic life in the Triangle, it would cost $49,937. By county, Wake was the most expensive at $51,856, followed by Orange at $50,180. The state average for a family is $42,841. For the full story, click here.

Census Estimates Released, Big Growth in Wake County
The Census Bureau released its annual population growth estimates last Thursday for counties nationwide. Wake County led the Triangle in 2007 adding 38,841 people. This jump made it the seventh fastest growing county in the nation for 2007. Over the past seven years, Wake added 205,124 residents, putting it on pace to become North Carolina’s largest county very soon. See the table below for other Triangle county growth figures. For the full story, click here.

County	2007 Population	Percent Increase ('00-'07)
Durham	256,500	14.9
Orange	124,313	7.6
Chatham	61,455	24.6
Johnston	157,437	29.2
Wake	832,970	32.7
Triangle	1,400,000	34

NAI Carolantic Realty Releases Figures
The 2008 Triangle Commercial Real Estate Report was released by NAI Carolantic recently and showed office vacancy rates were down throughout the Triangle. In downtown Raleigh, 2007 vacancy was at 7 percent down from 10 the year before. In downtown Durham, vacancy was down to 10 percent from 15 percent in 2006. Cary showed a slight increase rising from 13 percent to 14 percent in 2007. In the retail market, nearly one million square feet of new space was built during 2007, which caused an increase in vacancy rates by 2 percent in the Triangle.
From Carolantic Realty

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State

Retail Internet Sales will Continue to Grow in 2008
The National Retail Association’s annual survey, The State of Retailing Online, is forecasting $204 billion in retail sales over the Internet in 2008, a 17 percent increase over last year. Sales categories with the greatest expected sales include apparel, with $26.6 billion, computers, with $23.9 billion, and autos, with $19.3 billion. For the full story, click here.

N.C. Cities to Discuss Neuse Basin Water
The state Division of Water Resources will lead a project including cities across North Carolina and state water planners to develop a long-range model of water use from the Neuse River basin. John Morris, director of the state agency, said plans by individual local governments to withdraw more water may look fine in isolation, but they do not take into account withdrawals in other parts of the basin that affect water supplies farther downstream. The agency is preparing overviews for most of North Carolina's major river basins, to which it will refer when making regulatory decisions about proposed water withdrawals and planning for increased water use, and the project is expected to take about two years to complete. For the full story, click here.