Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: August 18, 2009 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. ~_ <br />SUBJECT: Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment Relating to the Required Commencement <br />of Construction Activities for Planned Developments <br />DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) Yes <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />1. Ordinance Amendment Resolution <br />2. Minutes -June 3, 2009 Planning Board <br />3. Draft Minutes -May 18, 2009 Quarterly <br />Public Hearing <br />4. Copy of Session Law 2009-406 - An Act <br />to Extend Certain Government <br />Approvals Affecting the Development of <br />Real Property <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Craig Benedict, Director 245-2592 <br />Michael D. Harvey, Planner 245-2607 <br />PURPOSE: To receive the Planning Board recommendation and consider taking action on a <br />staff initiated Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment to Section 7.2.8 Time Limit on Start of <br />Construction of Planned Development of the Zoning Ordinance (hereafter `the Ordinance') to <br />modify existing regulations concerning the required timeline on the commencement of <br />construction activities for planned development projects. <br />BACKGROUND: This item was presented at the May 18, 2009 Quarterly Public Hearing. As <br />staff stated during the hearing, the purpose of the proposed amendment is to establish clear <br />standards relating to the evaluation of extension requests and provide some flexibility for the <br />County to take into account the necessary process to obtain permits from local, State, and <br />Federal agencies to allow for the commencement of construction activities. <br />During the hearing, the following general comments were made relating to the proposed <br />amendment: <br />1. Board members felt that the proposed forty-eight (48) month extension timeline for large <br />projects would be acceptable if the proposed new Ordinance language was made <br />clearer, <br />2. Provide a definition of `single-use' and `multi-use' projects to further clarify the proposal, <br />3. Add language indicating the total number of months that a given project has to <br />commence construction, both with and without an extension, <br />4. Add language indicating that the extension was at the discretion of the County and would <br />not necessarily be the maximum as detailed within the Ordinance, <br />5. Add language detailing the annual reporting submittal requirements, and <br />