Agenda - 04-21-2009 - Info - Laserfiche WebLink

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Orange County Board of County Commissioners 200 South Cameron Street Hillsborough, NC 27278 Jan. 25, 2006 RE: SCHOOL IMPACT BEES FOR ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS Dear Commissioners Jacobs, Cazey, Foushee, Gordon and I-Iallciotis: The Board of Directors of the Village Project, Inc. requests tlr~t the Commissioners hold a public hearing on the Impact Fees for Schools that were last revised July 1, 2001, at your earliest convenience. The purpose would be to recognize a particular dwelling type, "Accessory Dwelling Unit" (sometimes referred to as "Granny Flat" or "Garage Apartment") and create a separate tax category & rate for this kind of use. "Accessory dwelling unit" is a specific category in the Town of Carrbom that is limited in size to 750 sq ft. ADU's are defined in Carrbom's Village Mixed Use zoning category, although they can be built elsewhere in town depending on lot size. ADU's can play in important mle in providing small-scale, affordable housing that is available to rent for studerrts, unmarried professionals ~ senior citizens. ADU's can be incur into a primary residence or be b eestanding structures. Undex curren# County practice freestanding ADU's are treated as Single Family Detached Dwellings and are subject to the highest fee, $4407 per unit. ADU's are highly unlikely to have any impact on our schools because the households they attract will probably not include school-age children, but their construction is penalized and discouraged by the imposition of this fee. We would like to point out, far comparison, that the County's impact fee for Multi-family Attached Dwellings "such as Apartments or Condomini.urns, Townhouses. and Duplexes," is $1979 -although any of these dwelling types can have multiple bedrooms and thus a potential for significant impact on school population. We know the Commissioners ~ are interested in creating and mairrtainiug a, diverse and ample supply of affordable housing choices, and we believe the current rate is ~an unnecessary impediment to achieving• this goal: We urge you to review the fees and establish a separate, reduced, and more appropriate rate for housing types that meet specific standards t'bat would be unlikely to impact our sch~is. As the member of The Village Project Board who is working on the ADU issue, I would be glad to discuss this issue with you further. You can contact me at (919)942-6114 or jcarnahanCa~,mindspring,.com. r~ i ~ __ ~ R.ECExVED James Carnahan Vice-Chairnman of the Board, The Village Project, Inc: .)A N 3 1 7~flfi Cc: Mayor Mark Chilton & Carrboro Board of Aldermen Neil Pedersen, Chapel Hill Carrboro Schools Superintendent ~._i The Village Project ~ PO Box 685 • Carrboro NC 27510. 919-942-6114 + wwwthevillageproject.cam