OWASA-County land swap dropped

Orange County has dropped plans for a possible land swap with OWASA to build a solid-waste transfer station in Bingham Township.

The county had narrowed the search for a transfer station site to two sites on N.C. 54 West near Orange Grove Road — a 43-acre parcel owned by OWASA and a privately owned 147-acre parcel. The county is under a tight timeline to build a waste transfer station, as the Orange County Landfill is expected to reach capacity in spring 2011.

However, the OWASA board has said it would not sell the property, and in a recent letter to county officials indicated that the utility would not consider a land swap after county officials posed the question.

The Orange County Board of Commissioners named John L. Roberts as the new attorney for Orange County.