Orange County NC Website
10 14 <br />loss for the community; it is up to the Commissioners to represent all of the <br />communities in the County. <br />Jean Earnhardt, resident, landowner on Union Grove Church Road, and a <br />member of the ordinance drafting committee, spoke in favor of the proposed <br />small area plan and ordinances from a prepared statement. A copy of that <br />statement, in its entirety, is an attachment to these minutes on pages <br />Jef, resident of the Northern Transition Area, spoke in agreement with those <br />who wished to continue to be represented by the Orange County <br />Commissioners. He continued expressing the same concerns that were <br />expressed at the April public hearing noting that these requests would promote <br />leapfrog development. He also stated that he had attended the Carrboro <br />Planning Board meeting of the discussion from public hearing as well as <br />meetings of the Carrboro Board of Aldermen discussion of the plan. He <br />indicated that the concerns and issues presented by citizens at the public hearing <br />were not discussed at either of those meetings. Thus, he did not feel that they <br />would listen and pay any attention to the committee that they said would be <br />appointed. He continued that he had written letters to the Planning staff of <br />Carrboro and to Alex Zaffron and had received no response. He felt he would <br />not be represented on the proposed committee. <br />Jef continued that there is another issue in the plan that has been proposed. <br />They did reach consensus at the facilitated meeting to re- densify the existing <br />shopping areas in Carrboro but those are not dealt with in the ordinance, only <br />the area where he lives. They seem to choose the issues that they want to deal <br />with and not others. While he agreed that the ordinances are great, he did not <br />see why the floating zones and village mixed uses could not be sited. He noted <br />fear of floating zones because they could not be planned for. He encouraged the <br />Planning Board to not accept the amendments to the Joint Land Use Planning <br />Agreement, not because the ordinances are bad, but because the process that <br />they are asking for agreement with is bad government. <br />Jay Bryan stated that he served on the ordinance drafting committee and as a <br />former member of the Board of Aldermen and is now a resident of Orange <br />County. He noted that everyone was invited to the discussions and there was a <br />consensus on a number of issues, and one of them was approving floating <br />conditional use zones. He was not sure whether a certain number had been <br />discussed and approved; however, the concept of floating zones was discussed <br />and approved by those residents of the Northern Transition Area present at the <br />meetings. The ordinance drafting committee was then made up of two people <br />from the original small area plan, three people from the Transition Area and two <br />people from the Town of Carrboro who worked very hard to determine the best <br />way to develop the area and preserve the important aspects of it such as <br />farmland and buildings. <br />In regard to representation, Bryan noted he had the same concerns expressed by <br />Jef. The consensus opinion was that there would be a very strong consideration <br />to establishing an Advisory Planning Committee for the Transition Area. He <br />continued that there was not a broad issue about who should appoint the <br />advisory committee. While the Board of Aldermen has the option whether or not <br />to accept the recommendations of the committee, he felt that they would be <br />honorable to listen to and review the recommendations. He encouraged the <br />Planning Board to forward these recommendations to the Board of <br />Commissioners for their decision. <br />