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H <br />As provided by Comprehensive Plan Objective ED -1.6, Economic Development <br />strives to provide outreach to new businesses that meet development criteria. <br />New businesses are identified through Research Triangle Regional Partnership <br />(RTRP) involvement, or from earned media done in conjunction with department <br />programs. A business expansion and retention program should be initiated, but <br />internal capacities and offerings of general programs are not available at this <br />time. <br />Work in support of Comprehensive Plan Objective ED -1.8 to explore policies to <br />use in attracting and encouraging development of companies and enterprises <br />that will build and expand upon the County's economic base will be a necessary <br />component of an economic plan, once it is defined. Recent efforts include <br />assessments of the need and availability of potential attraction tools including <br />incentives, infrastructure, and certified sites, as well as discussions with local <br />developers, joint economic development work sessions with local Chambers of <br />Commerce, UNC and the Downtown Partnership. The Economic Development <br />Advisory Board's continued education with respect to the potential use of these <br />available policies will support the ongoing development of these policies. <br />As stated in Comprehensive Plan Objectives ED -2.5, 2.6, 2.7, and 2.9 an <br />essential part of any proposed economic development plan will be to identify <br />lands suitable to accommodate the attraction of new business and expansion <br />and growth of commercial and industrial uses in the County. Identified lands <br />include the three Economic Development Districts (Mebane, Waterstone, Eno), <br />land located at intersection of 1 -40 and Highway 86 (MLK Blvd) in Chapel Hill. <br />Required characteristics of these sites include public water and sewer and <br />access to adequate highway, rail, or public transportation infrastructures, and <br />minimize detrimental environmental or negative social outcomes. Included in this <br />assessment of appropriate lands would be the Agricultural- Residential areas <br />along the U.S. 7011 -85 highway and rail corridor to take advantage of the <br />corridor's locational attributes. <br />As stated in Comprehensive Plan Objective ED -2.10, and in various other <br />priorities, the extension of public water and sewer into all three Economic <br />Development Districts is a primary requirement for any economic plan that is <br />developed. <br />Important components of the proposed economic development plan for the <br />County must include a workforce and entrepreneurial development element. As <br />provided in Comprehensive Plan Objective ED -3.3, the Economic Development <br />department has developed strong partnerships with SBTDC, the Chapel <br />Hill /Carrboro and Hillsborough Chambers of Commerce, Durham Technical <br />Community College, UNC - Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill /Carrboro Schools, Orange <br />County Schools, and others to provide adequate training and education to enable <br />both entrepreneurs and workers in Orange County to obtain high quality jobs <br />and /or start their own businesses. Additional relationships have been developed <br />