Item:
Title
Approval of Capital Project Amendment No.27CPA020 and Budget Ordinance Amendment No.27BCC039 Reducing the Open Space & Farmland Preservation Capital Project (4730DC083) by $434,000 and Transferring the Funding to the General Fund to Support Triangle Land Conservancy’s Acquisition and a Durham County-held Conservation Easement to Permanently Protect 64.5 Acres of Forestland at 6509 and 6511 Cassam Road
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: November 9, 2026
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to approve Capital Project Amendment No.27CPA020 and Budget Ordinance Amendment No.27BCC039 reducing the Open Space & Farmland Preservation Capital Project (4730DC083) by $434,000 and transferring the funding to the General Fund to support Triangle Land Conservancy’s acquisition and a Durham County-held conservation easement to permanently protect 64.5 acres of forestland at 6509 and 6511 Cassam Road (REIDs 193095 and 193094). The County’s $434,000 is 43% of the total $999,000 cost of the 64.514 acres and allows TLC to leverage City of Raleigh Watershed Protection funding needed to make the purchase.
|
Project Name and Number |
Current Budget |
Increase / Decrease |
Updated Budget |
|
Open Space and Farmland Preservation (4730DC083) |
$12,123,019.70 |
($434,000.00) |
$11,689,019.70 |
|
TOTAL |
$12,123,019.70 |
($434,000.00) |
$11,689,019.70 |
The Flat River Forest property is a high-priority conservation opportunity located along the Flat River within the Upper Neuse Basin and adjacent to U.S. Army Corps land and TLC’s Horton Grove Nature Preserve. Protecting this tract will preserve 55 acres of a State-designated Natural Heritage Area, support important habitat connectivity, and safeguard water quality for Falls Lake. Land acquisition will occur in two phases, with closings anticipated in December 2026 and March 2027. TLC will hold the fee interest while Durham County will secure a conservation easement to ensure permanent protection of the site.
Alignment with Strategic Plan: The acquisition and protection of land for permanent open space aligns with Strategic Plan Goal 4: Environment - Protect natural resources and support and promote community and economic viability, through the Natural Resource Stewardship and Protection Objective to protect and steward natural resources.
Resource Persons: Celeste Burns, Open Space and Real Estate Manager, Peri Manns, Deputy Director of Engineering and Environmental Services; Jay Gibson, Director of Engineering and Environmental Services; Margaret Sands, Associate Director of Land Protection West, Triangle Land Conservancy
County Manager’s Recommendation: The County Manager recommends that the Board approve Capital Project Amendment No.27CPA020 and Budget Ordinance Amendment No.27BCC039 reducing the Open Space & Farmland Preservation Capital Project (4730DC083) by $434,000 and transferring the funding to the General Fund to support Triangle Land Conservancy’s acquisition and a Durham County-held conservation easement to permanently protect 64.5 acres of forestland at 6509 and 6511 Cassam Road (REIDs 193095 and 193094). The County’s $434,000 is 43% of the total $999,000 cost of the 64.514 acres and allows TLC to leverage City of Raleigh Watershed Protection funding needed to make the purchase.
Signature
County Manager: ____________________________