Minutes - 20090824 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

Bonnie Hauser spoke on behalf of Orange County Voice. She said that Orange County Voice supports the Planning Board on this issue. They would like to see TDR discontinued in favor of more progressive and flexible development options such as tax incentive financing for economic development districts and density-based zoning. Orange County Voice also likes small area plans where zoning and development priorities are developed in concert with the community. Orange County Voice is hoping to participate in a small area plan with Bingham Township. She said that development projects should stand on their own merit. She said that effective use of development incentives can help encourage desired and appropriate development, especially in the economic development districts. She said that Orange County Voice asks that the County discontinue its interests in Transfer of Development Rights and instead seek zoning and incentives that encourage the development that is wanted. Ben Lloyd said that he has been hearing about TDR for 15 years and no one has proved to him yet that this is a feasible or workable option. He said that taxes keep going up to pay the bills in Orange County. Alan Rosen said that he is interested in strategic growth and this program is too complicated. He said that until Orange County has water and sewer in these receiving areas, then this is not appropriate. He encouraged the County to do small area plans, the comprehensive plan, unified development rights, etc., and think about the places that have water and sewer and zone for minimum density irrespective of receiving area potential. He said that the County has a shortage of housing for moderate-income families and he believes that this could be improved if there were developable areas. He asked the County Commissioners to put this program aside. Commissioner Jacobs asked Craig Benedict why he is pursuing this without the Planning Board's support. Craig Benedict said that the Board of County Commissioners in 2004 had put $50,000 in the budget to hire a consultant to look at this program and also in 2006 had said that this was feasible and to pursue Phase III. The consultant did his work and then this bumped up against the Comprehensive Plan Update. At that time, staff, the County Commissioners, and the Planning Board agreed to finish the Comprehensive Plan and then come back to TDR. He would like the Board to accept the work that was done by the consultant, close the contract and finish paying the consultant, and then move on to other things. Commissioner Jacobs said that there are still a number of issues that can be addressed through the Comprehensive Plan Update, such as high densities in rural activity nodes. His two biggest concerns about the work on the task force were that they were not able to come up with a good method of converting residential density to commercial density. He said that he does not think it is the intention to transfer more housing to economic development districts. Another concern is that he does not want to add more hurdles to development in the EDDs. Frank Clifton said that the retirement incentive program will create vacancies in the Planning Department and this will probably go on the to do list. The consultant's work will still be there but there are other priorities now. Commissioner Yuhasz made reference to item 3 of the recommendation and suggested keeping this on the "to do" list, but directing Planning staff to set this program aside. A motion was made by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Pelissier to accept the Phase III Final Report of the Strategic Growth and Rural Conservation study by the Consultant. VOTE: UNANIMOUS