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~®~ the Planning Board and the County Commissioners. The proposed Ordinance defines a Minor Subdivision as two lots with approval being granted by the Planning Department within 30 days. This is designed to speed up the review and approval. Page 4 of the section "Sketch Plan". The sketch plan is optional under the old Ordinance. The proposed Ordinance requires a sketch plan by major developers. This provides the developer. an opportunity to talk' abcut his plans before investing large amounts of monies. A sketch plan is not a survey, but a sketch plan done by the developer himself. The Planning Department would require a maximum 30 day review of the sketch plan. Page 7 of•the section "Preliminary Plat Approval" (a) Review. _ The old Ordinance required a review by the Health Department, Depart- ment of Transportation, School District and the Erosion Control Officer. The new Ordinance requires a certification by the Health Department, Department of Transportation, School District, Erosion Control Officer, Orange Conservation District and 5oi1 Conservation Service. These agencies would provide a technical review of the areas concerning any potential problems that might exist on the land. Further recommendations, when required, will be sought from the Division of Archives and History for historical sites and recommendations from the N. C. Natural Heritage Program, or Natural Areas Advisory Committee concerning natural areas. Recommendations from these agencies will have no legal bearings on the suitability of the site. (b) The length of time for agency review was not specified in the old Ordinance. The length of time required by the agencies would be 30 days. If a recommendation or certification is not obtained within that amount of time, the agency forfeits their opportunity to make comments. Mr. Minis stated that this would be the Planning Department's responsi- bility to coordinate. This is a free serve provided by the County. Page $, 9 (c) "Board Review." The Dld Ordinance required approval of plats by the Planning Berard and the County Commissioners. The new Ordinance, the Planning Board will make recommendations and the County Commissioners will act on the agency certifications and recommendations. .The purpose in this case is to get review from those who have the technical knowledge, rather than from a lay board who does not have this knowledge. Page 9 - Final Plat. The old Ordinance required the approval again of the Planning Board and the County Commissioners. The new proposal would assume that all problems have been worked out and would require the approval of only the Planning Board. Chuck Beemer, an attorney, asked that Mr. Minis go back to the section on Page 7 regarding length of agency review. He stated that Mr. Minis has stated that the length of review would be 30 days, however, he did not see this spelled'.out in the Ordinance. Jeffrey Gledhill, County Attorney, stated that the Planning Staff had used 30 days as z3 c~eneral guideline for the review process, actually 7n davs would be needed for the Planning Board's approval of a subdivision. Further discussion ensued. The Planning staff .pointed out that the minimum days involved from a sketch plan to approval of a final plat would be 206 days. Questions were asked concerning the reviewing agencies, particularly the School District. The County Attorney explained that the General Statutes required that the Subdivision Ordinance provide the reservation of school sites in accordance with a comprehensive land use plan approved by the Board of Commissioners err planning agencies. Further, he envisioned that if a school superintendent determined the need of a shcool in an area which would be proposed to be subdivided, then formal board action by the Commissioners and School Board would take place at that time, if not, the subdivision would go on. The next section of the proposed Ordinance was Page 14, Lat Standards, The old Ordinance had no standards set out. The new Ordinance proposed that the minimum lot size shall be determined by the waste disposal and water supply system. A) Lats served by on-site sewage disposal and water systems shall be at least 40,000 square feet. b) Lots served by public or community water and sewer shall be at least 15,000 square feet.