Orange County Board of Commissioners approves bid, design for Rogers Road

After a unanimous vote Tuesday, the Orange County Board of Commissioners brought Rogers Road residents one step closer to walking into their new community center.

The commissioners met to review and comment on the design of the center Tuesday.

They also met to authorize the project manager to award a bid for construction.

The board approved both items unanimously.

Members of the Rogers Road community brought their families to the meeting to voice their support for the proposed designs.

The proposed building will replace the center that was shut down in August after it failed to meet town fire and safety codes.

Rogers Road residents told commissioners they miss having a central place to meet and take their children.

Commissioner Earl McKee said he was happy to see the community coming forward to show its support for the plans.

“What is happening right now is exactly why I pushed so hard for this community center and to move it forward,” he said.

McKee said he hopes to move the plans for the community center forward as quickly as possible.

He said he would like the center to be ready shortly after the landfill closes in June.

“It is heartening to see it start to take shape,” he said.

Patric LeBeau, project representative for Perkins Will — the design firm for the center — presented the community center design to the commissioners Tuesday.

He said the designs include flowering trees and a rock feature outside the building. The center will also have a covered patio area and solar panels on the roof.

LeBeau said he can see children playing safely and waiting on the patio to catch the bus.

“We can imagine all kinds of activities out there for the kids,” LeBeau said.

The 4,000-square-foot building will also include four classrooms, an office staff room, a large kitchen and a computer lab.

LeBeau said his team had originally hoped to include a commercial level kitchen in the design, but county officials said the building’s proposal would have to be updated to include one.

The board authorized the project manager to award a bid of as much as $650,000 for the construction of the building.

The meeting agenda also included a vote for the commissioners to authorize sending a letter to the Town of Chapel Hill, urging it to expedite the site plan review for the community center and waive all associated fees.

But the board waived the letter when Commissioner Penny Rich said Chapel Hill already planned to waive all of the fees.

“I believe that in the task force, Chapel Hill said they were going to waive all — not most — fees,” Rich said.

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