An authority may be created for any area of the State that, at the time of creation of the authority, meets the following criteria:
(1) The area consists of three counties:
(2) At least one of those counties contains at least part of a County Research and Production Service District established pursuant to Part 2 of Article 16 of Chapter 153A of the General Statutes; and
(3) The other two counties each:
a. Contain at least one unit of local government that is designated by the Governor of the State of North Carolina as a recipient pursuant to Section 9 of the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964, as amended; and
b. Are adjacent to at least one county that contains at least part of a County Research and Production Service District established pursuant to Part 2 of Article 16 of Chapter 153A of the General Statutes.