Correction (September 22, 2:11 a.m.): Due to a reporting error, an earlier version of this story gave the incorrect name for the group the Orange County Board of Commissioners met with. It was the Mebane City Council. The story has been updated to reflect the correction. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the errors.
Sitting largely undeveloped for 16 years, the Efland-Mebane corridor is expected to see a growth spurt if a revised agreement between the City of Mebane and Orange County is approved.
In the agreement, Orange County would foot the bill for installing new sewer and water lines in the development area between Interstate 85 and Highway 70.
Mebane would then be responsible for providing services through those lines.
Delegates from the Orange County Board of Commissioners met with members of the Mebane City Council Sept. 9 to discuss funding concepts for future utility expansion for the Efland-Mebane Small Area Plan.
Orange County Planning and Inspections Director Craig Benedict said county delegates will present the new funding concepts to county commissioners in three to four weeks.
After that, the county and Mebane’s planning board will agree on a design and choose contractors, he said.
Officials hope the expansion will help encourage developers to come to the area since infrastructure will already be in place.
Benedict said the county is taking a renewed interest in driving the growth of their economic development zones.
