CAROLINA NORTH DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT ANNUAL REPORT | 2012-2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction .............................................................................................................................................................................................3 II. 2012-2013 Activity Highlights........................................................................................................................................................... 4 III. 2012-2013 Activities to Report .........................................................................................................................................................7 A. Housing ............................................................................................................................................................................................7 B. Parking, Traffic and Transit .......................................................................................................................................................7 C. Land Use and Activities in Limited Development Area ............................................................................................... 8 D. Land Use and Activities in Development Area ............................................................................................................... 12 E. Greenways ....................................................................................................................................................................................13 H. Stream Buffers…. ........................................................................................................................................................................ 15 F. Waste Management .................................................................................................................................................................. 15 G. Recreation Areas ........................................................................................................................................................................ 15 IV. 2013-2014 Development Schedule ................................................................................................................................................16 V. 2012-2013 Reportable Items Checklist ........................................................................................................................................ 17 Appendix of Public Information Meetings .................................................................................................................................. 22 Cover photo of Bolin Creek: Jerry McGovern Design: UNC Creative CAROLINA NORTH ANNUAL REPORT 2012–2013 1 2009 CAROLINA NORTH MAP N legend W E S Carolina North Surveyed Boundary Development Agreement Boundary 2 THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL I. INTRODUctION Carolina North is the future of the University of into the atmosphere, it is also harnessing the gas to telecom lines to University-owned buildings along North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While other institutions produce clean energy. Airport Drive. Now that the utility work is complete, a struggle to find the space to expand and grow, 10-foot-wide greenway is being paved as a pathway Carolina continues to lay the groundwork for an But the story doesn’t end there. When the landfill for community members to cross Carolina North exciting and visionary research and entrepreneurial closed in June, the rest of the methane collection from Homestead Road to Municipal Drive by foot or campus. The infrastructure work completed so far system could be installed, leading to even more on bikes. Placing the utilities and greenway in the also supports the University’s goal to make Carolina waste gas being transformed into electricity. The same corridor means that the projects only disturb North a model of sustainability. central location of the generator will allow the heat the land once. energy it creates to be captured and used to heat The University pledged to be carbon-neutral by the first buildings on Carolina North. The central The University also does not want to disturb the 2050, and the work done at Carolina North will utility plant being designed to house the generator most ecologically valuable land at Carolina North. help keep that commitment. In fiscal year 2013, an also will provide chilled water for cooling the first This year University staff took several steps to underground pipeline bringing waste gas from the 800,000 square feet of the development. preserve and protect the conservation areas Orange County Landfill on Eubanks Road connected set aside in accordance with the Development to a new generator at Carolina North that turns that Even the pipeline’s placement is environmentally Agreement: surveying and marking the boundaries landfill gas into 1,059 kilowatts of electricity for the friendly. The landfill gas pipeline is co-located along of the areas, finalizing restrictive covenants, Duke Energy grid. Not only does the landfill gas a utility corridor that also contains an underground establishing a land stewardship policy and hiring project keep harmful methane from being released electric ductbank carrying electricity and fiberoptic Triangle Land Conservancy to monitor compliance with the restrictive covenants. The University is building its future at Carolina North while safeguarding the environment for the generations to come. This fourth Annual Report required under the Carolina North Development Agreement details those accomplishments over the reporting period. Duck in Crow Branch impoundment CAROLINA NORTH ANNUAL REPORT 2012–2013 3 II. 2012-2013 ActIVITY HIGHLIGHTS During this reporting period – July 1, 2012, through temporary overhead lines until construction through June 30, 2013 – the University has continued to lay the old municipal landfill can begin. the groundwork for future development at Carolina North. The following activities illustrate these Constructing one greenway and planning for more preparations. Construction of the north-south greenway along the completed sections of the ductbank is scheduled Creating clean energy with landfill gas pipeline to be completed in fall 2013. The Homestead Road and generator entrance to the greenway has been realigned to fit The first project completed at Carolina North sets with planned improvements to the intersection. Since the tone for the campus meant to be a model of the ductbank section that goes through the old sustainability. In the spring of 2013, a 1,059- kilowatt municipal landfill cannot be built yet, pending further generator started turning a greenhouse gas into study, the southernmost part of the greenway will electricity for the local energy grid. Electricity follow the existing gravel Pumpkin Loop from there generation is the latest stage in this joint project of to Municipal Drive. the University and Orange County that began in 2009. That year, the two reached an agreement in which the Staff from the University and the Town of Chapel Hill University pays the county for the use of the gas and met several times (starting in fall 2012) to discuss the in turn receives carbon credits for reducing pollution. greenways at Carolina North. Topics of discussion The total emissions reduction as a result of the project include the character of the future greenways is equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions shown in the Development Agreement (DA), the DA from 8,000 passenger vehicles. At first, the electricity stipulations for greenways, and the DA process for generated will go back to the Duke Energy grid. Later, Town review of future greenway projects. heat energy from the generator will be used to heat buildings at Carolina North, recycling heat that would Designing Phase 1 infrastructure otherwise be wasted. The design of the infrastructure started in June 2012 was put on hold at the end of July 2013, Installing electrical ductbank pending additional funding. The infrastructure The runway of Horace Williams Airport was closed design currently includes a small central utility plant temporarily in the winter to allow the construction to house the landfill gas electric generator and to of the section of the ductbank connecting the produce chilled water for cooling buildings in the previously completed sections. UNC Electrical first 800,000 square feet of development. Other Distribution Systems has begun the installation infrastructure for the site will include roads, bike of electrical and telephone/data cable in the lanes, sidewalks, stormwater controls, intersection underground ductbank. Phase 3 of the project, improvements, parking lots and landscaping. scheduled for completion in fall 2013, will include Infrastructure planning will resume when the New generator the paving of the greenway and the installation of University moves forward with the first building. 4 THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL North Landfill Gas Collection System Landfill Gas Recovery Project ks Dr Euban Realigning Conservation Areas Over the last year, the University took several steps concerning the protection of conservation areas South Landfill as defined in the Development Agreement (See Gas Collection System photo of sign on page 6). Surveyors verified the boundaries of theLeg areas,end followed by the installation of corner monuments and signs clearly marking the Landfill Gas Collection System areas for forest users. In January 2013, the State of North Carolina