Agenda - 01-16-1999- 2 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

Adopted 8/7/97 Revised 11/13/97 Revised 2/27/98 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS GOAL: APPLICATION AND REFINEMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS This initiative represents the continuation of an objective first included among the Commissioners' goals for FY 1990 -91. With the adoption of Economic Development District (EDD) proposals by the Board of Commissioners in March, 1994, land use and zoning classifications, and design guidelines were applied to two districts, one at I- 85/Buckhorn Road and another at I- 85/U.S. Highway 70. In January, 1995, another district was added at I -40 /Old N.C. 86 through cooperative efforts with the Town of Hillsborough. Since January, a cooperative planning effort has been undertaken with the Town of Hillsborough on proposed entranceway standards for the I- 85/N.C. Highway 86 interchange. A work session with the Town of Hillsborough is proposed to determine what steps to take next on this initiative. In addition, adjustments to the district boundary lines in the I -40 /Old N.C. 86 EDD were presented at public hearing and acted on by the Board of Commissioners. A proposal to expand the I- 85Buckhorn Road district on the south side of I -85 (east of Buckhorn Road) was also considered at public hearing and subsequently adopted in August, 1996. Additional work in FY 1997 -98 will involve: (1) a cooperative planning effort, with the City of Mebane, on the proposed expansion of the I- 85Buckhorn Road district west of Buckhorn Road; and (2) a study,of the impact of the I -85 widening on land parcels in the vicinity of interstate highway interchanges. BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES As one of its FY 1990 -91 goals, the Board of Commissioners asked that specific parcels be identified for pre - zoning in a manner consistent with the Orange County Land Use Plan. In October, 1990, the Economic Development Commission (EDC) and Planning Board (PB) adopted an agreement which included the following objectives: 1. Identify appropriate locational criteria, land use categories, and zoning designations to promote business; and 2. Develop performance standards and project size thresholds which measure the impact of land development. In December, 1990, the EDC Target Advisory Group completed a report identifying preferred locations and types of businesses for Orange County. Using construction cost data supplied by an area contractor and a spreadsheet template to evaluate the economic feasibility of development scenarios, the PB/EDC Work Group identified the preferred distribution of land uses for.selected target areas. Rather than limit itself to traditional techniques, the PB/EDC Work Group decided to evaluate other methods of controlling land use intensity. Among the techniques were those promoted by performance zoning advocates. To help the PB/EDC Work Group understand the application of the standards, the staff conducted detailed analyses of selected business sites to illustrate the relationship between development character and intensity standards.