By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer
The Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday approved an update to the county’s Master Aging Plan, which includes a new initiative to build aging-friendly communities throughout the county.
The plan, which is for 2007-2011, includes the new initiative, a bill of rights for older persons and a requirement that the commissioners address the plan’s objectives in the context of other county needs and priorities.
Florence Soltys, co-chair of the plan task force, said the initiative to build aging-friendly communities started at the state level through the state Division of Aging.
“We felt it was important to also have it in Orange County,†she said, noting that the population over 65 is nearly 18,000, more than the number of children in the public school system.
Soltys added that as the population ages, the demand for resources changes.
However, she said that the initiative focuses not just on the aging population but on populations of all ages, with communities that are accessible for individuals from children to seniors.
For example, aging-friendly communities are those where people can walk, but also where good public transportation is readily available, Soltys added.
Commissioner Barry Jacobs said he was impressed with the plan and the efforts of the seniors in the county.
“We have a very dedicated group of seniors who want to take care of not just themselves but their peers and their peers to come,†he said.
Commissioner Mike Nelson said he was pleased with the plan, but was concerned about the aging population and the lack of affordable housing in the county, noting that the lowest-cost house on the market in Chapel Hill right now is about $450,000.
In other county business, the commissioners approved a $10.1 million bid for a project that includes a 40,000-square-foot addition and renovations to the courthouse in Hillsborough, construction of a public market house for the Hillsborough farmer’s market and construction of trails and limited recreation areas in the River Park.
The commissioners awarded the project to Bordeaux Construction. The addition and renovations to the courthouse include several sustainable design elements, including a geothermal system, energy-efficient lights and toilets and a day lighting system