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~ I'1-~'or n'1 a'f'" ~ ~n Z~-e. rr1 <br />ORANGE COUNTY PLANNING & INSPECTIONS DEPARTMENT <br />Craig N. Benedict, AICP, Director <br />~ountP o! ®~ <br />Administration ~~ * ~ °s 306E Revere Road <br />(919) 245-2575 it ~ P O Box 8181 <br />(919) 644-3002 (Fax) ~,~ Hillsborough, <br />vwvw.co.orange.nc.us '~°!!h ~a~~~~"° North Carolina, 27278 <br />Memo <br />ro: Board of County Commissioners <br />Frank W. Clifton, Jr., County Manager <br />From: Craig N. Benedict, AICP, Planning Director <br />Date: December 15, 2009 <br />Re: Agricultural Support Enterprises -History & Status <br />This memorandum is provided to briefly outline the history and status of the Agricultural Support <br />Enterprises (ASE) program. <br />The Agricultural Support Enterprises (ASE) program has been in development since 2001 and has <br />been known by many terms. This was originally an initiative of Economic Development and ERCD <br />with the County Attomey. Despite its many names and iterations, the intent of the program has <br />remained consistent - to provide more agricultural business options for Orange County farmers. The <br />attached chart, which has been presented to the BOCC at previous meetings, shows the general <br />structure and objective of the program. <br />The program migrated to Planning as implementation and intergovernmental coordination was <br />necessary. On October 14, 2008 Orange County Planning staff provided an update on the <br />Agricultural Support Enterprises project to then County Manager Laura Blackmon. At that time, staff <br />was finalizing the draft of the Zoning Ordinance amendments and ASE Manual, as directed, for <br />presentation to the Board of County Commissioners and Planning Board at the February 2009 <br />Quarterly Public Hearing. The zoning amendments proposed included the new Conditional Zoning <br />construct, an essential component of the Agricultural Support Enterprises program. After further <br />discussions with staff and then County Attorney Geof Gledhill, it was determined that the new <br />Conditional Zoning construct would be brought forward at the February 2009 Quarterly Public <br />Hearing independent of the many Zoning Ordinance amendments proposed for the Agricultural <br />Support Enterprises program. Conditional Zoning was to be heard at the February 2009 Quarterly <br />Public Hearing and Agricultural Support Enterprises would be presented at the subsequent Quarterly <br />Public Hearing. <br />In January 2009 Planning staff received notice from then County Attorney Geof Gledhill's staff that <br />the Zoning Ordinance amendments proposed for presentation at the February 2009 Quarterly Public <br />Hearing would not be included on the Quarterly Public Hearing agenda. Legal staff recommended <br />C:\Documents and Settings\mallison\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OLK108\ASE memo 113009.doc <br />