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ITPID-IIG~OPG <br />To: Orange County Commissioners <br />Re: Northern Transition Area Ordinance Changes <br />From: Kathy Kaufman, Ordinance Cornrnittee member <br />Dear Commissxoaers: <br />P.2~4 <br />I ann a resident of the Northern Transition Area, and 1 have been actively involved in <br />discussions about the Small Axes Plan for several yeazs.l served as a member of the Steering <br />Committee that planned the May 1997 facilitated public meeting. I also served as a member of <br />the Ordinance Drafting Committee that was forrned to implement changes to the Smali Area Plan <br />after the facilitated public meeting_ I have participated in this process in good faith that the <br />expressed desires of participants in the facilitated meeting would be followed. <br />Now I find I cannot support the result. I feel very disappointed, after having invested in <br />and believed in this process, that I must write this letter to you. $ut the ordinance as it stands <br />does not represent the consensus that was reached at the facilitated meeting. Rather, the plan if <br />implemented goes far beyond our agreement. It represents an enormous increase in population <br />over current zoning levels - an increase that was not contemplated by the residents who <br />participated in the carefully planned public process. Expectations of all these people will be <br />dashed if you approve this new ordinance language, and they see the result. The rural character <br />of life that we treasure will be undone forever. <br />Number a~ad Size of 'Villages <br />As it stands, given the density allowed and the acreage potentially available for <br />development, a village mixed-use (VMU) development could have 800-1000 dwelling units, <br />according to the Carrboro Planning Department. For comparison, that is two to three times the <br />number of houses as Hogan Farm, on a tract comparable in size. In addition, the ordinance now <br />allows 3 such developments, where the participants in the facilitated meeting anticipated a <br />z~nauimum of two (one with commercial, one without, as indicated on the maps from the <br />meeting). <br />Here is the increase in buildout that results (these numbers aze from the Carrboro Planning Dept): <br />Presently there are 1531 dwelling units in the Northern Transition Area. <br /> New Dwelling Units Allowed Maximum $uildout <br />Current Zoning 1074 2605 <br />Zoning Under Proposed <br />Ordinance 5189 6720 <br />