The proposed extension of the Water and Sewer Management Planning Boundary Agreement (WASMPBA) continues to progress through Orange County’s local governments, as Hillsborough became the latest to pass a resolution in its favor.

The Hillsborough Board of Commissioners approved the measure as part of its consent agenda during its meeting Monday night, making it the third elected body to share its support of eventually extending Chapel Hill’s water and sewer services in southern Orange County to the Chatham County border. The proposed extension stems from the Chapel Hill Town Council, which voted in November to amend the boundary and allow for more housing opportunities.

Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell briefly spoke about the vote in his weekly interview on 97.9 The Hill. He said there were “proponents and opponents” of the measure, but the elected officials ultimately decided it was easiest to move the resolution forward.

“Some wanted to take it off the consent agenda and discuss it, but we didn’t feel there was any need on the part of the board to do that,” said Bell. “We’re pretty clear that this is really needing to be approved [to] let Chapel Hill and OWASA go about getting on with their work.

“[It’s] not really related to what Hillsborough is involved with,” the mayor added.

The WASMPBA was established in 2001 based on a small area plan conducted in the 1990s and retracted Chapel Hill’s water and sewer services boundary up to Southern Village. The town council, however, is exploring the option of extending those services back — citing the U.S. 15-501 corridor as a critical area for future middle-income housing. The resolution for extension, though, does not guarantee a physical extension of water and sewer infrastructure. If approved, any project larger than a single-family home would pay for the extended services, require a rezoning approval from Chapel Hill, and would not be allowed in the rural buffer according to Chapel Hill staff.

Carrboro’s town council approved its own resolution in a split vote the week prior to the Hillsborough Board of Commissioners. Now, only the Orange County Board of Commissioners and the Orange Water and Sewer Authority — the other two stakeholders in WASMPBA — remain to hold a vote on resolutions approving an extension. Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Jamezetta Bedford said the tentative plan is for the county to have WASMPBA on its March 7 agenda, while the OWASA Board of Director plans to hold public comment and a vote on the measure April 11.

The full project page for the proposed amendment to the Water and Sewer Management, Planning and Boundary Agreement can be found on the Town of Chapel Hill website.

 

Photo via the Town of Hillsborough.

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