Orange County is starting to make headway on a piece of land it has owned for two decades. Located along Millhouse Road and north of Chapel Hill, the nearly 80-acre property was originally purchased with the intent of being a soccer-oriented park. At a meeting on Nov. 11, the county’s Board of Commissioners held a preliminary discussion for what they would like to see the site used for today.
The county acquired the property in two pieces in 2004 and 2007 for a future Millhouse Road Park, but the designs for a six-field soccer complex were deferred due to 2009’s economic recession. In response to conversations about a possible sale, the county conducted an appraisal of the property in March, during which staff proposed the county retain or manage at least the western portion of the site to preserve the natural resources there.
Leading the presentation, Administrative and Support Services Director Dave Stancil said soccer parks are especially in high demand in Orange County, with the public expressing a desire for more open space and parks, according to a strategic plan survey. The commissioners largely agreed they would still like to see part of the land used for recreation, honoring both the intent of voters 20 years ago, but also the needs of the community today.
Board Chair Jamezetta Bedford said fields could host large crowds not only for soccer, but lacrosse, ultimate frisbee, and other recreational events. Commissioner Amy Fowler added how having one in this location could drive more local spending in Orange County compared to its Soccer.com Center in Efland, which the board expressed the new soccer complex could resemble.
“It’s in a part of the county where we don’t actually reap any of the economic benefits of it,” Fowler said. “Because all those people go and stay in Alamance County because it’s closer to their area where they have hotels and restaurants. Whereas this is much closer to Chapel Hill where our restaurants and our hotels would benefit from having hosting soccer in this location.”
Although noting the demand for affordable housing in the community, the board mostly rejected the idea of providing it at Millhouse Road property, citing a 2018 study that showed the county would not be able to construct many manufactured homes on the given acreage. Commissioner Sally Greene also acknowledged the land is not on a bus line and how she thinks it is best to look at how the piece will be most impactful to the community.
“Of course we all want more housing, but I think we need to be intentional about where it goes,” Greene said. “And Chapel Hill has certainly not run out of places for housing yet. And when we’re talking about people of the lower income scale, they need to be on transit and — you’ve heard me say this before — they need to be [near county] services. They need to be in another place than this one, I believe.”
Vice Chair Jean Hamilton agreed, citing how if the community wants to see more open and recreational spaces, Millhouse Road could better help fill that gap than the affordable housing one.
“We can build lots of houses, but we also need places for people to go out in nature, to have recreational activities as well,” Hamilton said. “And because there’s limited land for that, if it’s something we’ve looked at to hold onto for that purpose, to consider that in the broader sense of other places where we can put housing.”
The western and northern portions of the Millhouse Road site include natural space. During a Nov. 11 work session, Orange County’s Board of Commissioners expressed wanting to preserve it, while also constructing soccer fields to the east. (Photo via the Orange County government.)
Many board members also expressed interest in subdividing the property to help ensure the preservation of its existing north-south trail and western natural space, if soccer fields are built in the eastern portion. As opposed to a long-term lease, the commissioners also gave a preference for selling the acreage, and likely to nonprofit organizations or government entities. Then, ownership could revert back to the county if the sites are no longer used for the designated recreation and conservation purposes. Bedford added how that would allow the county to ensure the property is best serving the community, rather than merely selling it off to the highest bidder.
“Because to me, it’s not all about maximizing the money. It’s also maximizing and knowing what’s the program that’s going to be offered,” Bedford said. “Who’s going to be served? Is it just going to be the rich? For 16 year-olds to 20 year-olds? Is it going to be a variety of ages? Is it going to be youth? Just who’s going to be served? What’s the type of programming? What’s their history? And that could be more important than getting the revenue.”
In response to Stancil noting how the site would likely require a septic field due to its location in a rural buffer zone, Commissioner Earl McKee called the complex’s sewer system a “sticking point” for him should the project move forward.
“It is going to eat up so much property, and I’m just not sure it’s feasible for that number of people,” McKee said. “Unless I’m completely misunderstanding the amount of participants and spectators that’ll be there, I can see this being very much like Durham Bulls games or Soccer.com games where you have a lot of people. I don’t see using a septic system personally as an option.”
Next steps for the project include drafting a solicitation document for board action, as well as conducting an updated appraisal to include the subdivision. To view the full Nov. 11 Board of Orange County Commissioners meeting, click here.
Featured image via the Orange County government.
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