Item:
Title
Approve Acquisition of 15 acres at Southview Preserve, Conveyance of a Conservation Easement to Triangle Land Conservancy on these 15 acres, and Acceptance of a Conservation Easement on 62 acres Acquired by Triangle Land Conservancy for Permanent Protection of 77 acres at Southview Road
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: November 9, 2026
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to approve a revised approach to permanently protecting 77 acres on Southview Road, previously approved in February 2026, in which Durham County directly acquires 15 acres, conveys a conservation easement on that acreage to Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC), and accepts a conservation easement from TLC on its 62-acre acquisition to ensure permanent protection of all land involved.
Due to delays in NC Land & Water Fund processing, TLC has secured additional, alternative funding from the City of Raleigh’s Watershed Protection Program, requiring adjustments to the acquisition and protection process. Instead of using NC Land & Water Fund easements, Durham County and Triangle Land Conservancy will each hold a conservation easement on the other’s property to protect the conservation values and satisfy Raleigh’s requirement for a third-party conservation instrument.
Durham County’s previously approved and budgeted contribution of $510,000 (14% of the $3.73 million project cost) remains unchanged. Additional funding from the City of Raleigh will replace the NC Land & Water Fund grant, allowing the acquisition and protection to be completed before the end of the year.
This project expands protected lands along Southview Road in east Durham to 263 acres. It enhances water quality in Falls Lake and Lick Creek by reducing nutrient pollution, protects habitat and biodiversity in a rapidly developing area, and creates opportunities for future public access, including potential hiking trail connections to the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.
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 a revised approach to permanently protecting 77 acres on Southview Road, previously approved in February 2026, in which Durham County directly acquires 15 acres, conveys a conservation easement on that acreage to Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC), and accepts a conservation easement from TLC on its 62-acre acquisition to ensure permanent protection of all land involved.
Signature
County Manager: ____________________________