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David Stancil concluded the slide presentation by stating that the Rural Character Study Committee has attempted to propose a package that recognizes both resource protection and private property rights for what they are, and identified a first step toward peaceful coexistence of these two land concepts as Orange County approaches the 21st Century. STAFFS RECOMMENDATIONS All three staffs are in consensus on the positive aspects of the concepts that have been identified by the study committee in their strategy. In the agenda is a joint staff report. Four areas have been identified as concerns by the governing boards: (1) EXTENSION OF PUBLIC SEWER TO RURAL VILLAGES Currently water and sewer is not present in the buffer. By extending water and sewer into these areas, development may be encouraged at densities in the future beyond those seen in the Joint Land Use Plan. The study committee has recommended that these lines be designed to service these villages only. (2) OVERALL MINIMUM LOT SIZE BASIS The Rural Character Study Committee proposed that the overall minimum lot size calculations for developments in the RB revert back to a "80, 000 square footage" base rather than the current "2. 0-acre" base. The concern of Chapel Hill and Carrboro staff is that reducing the minimum lot size from 2 . 0 acres to 1. 84 acres will result in a greater number of dwellings in the Rural Buffer than was envisioned by the Joint Planning Agreement and Land Use Plan. Orange County staff feels the increase that might be seen in number of dwellings is very slight, and that any increase would be offset by the flexibility granted - yielding more sensitive site design. (3) MINIMUM LOT SIZE VERSUS AVERAGE LOT SIZE The Rural Character Study Committee has recommended allowing the use of "average" lot sizing rather than "minimum" lot sizing for non-sewered residential developments in the Rural Buffer. The Chapel Hill staff is concerned that this flexibility would be achieved at the expense of increased densities and number of dwellings over what was envisioned in the Joint Planning Agreement and Joint Planning Area Land Use Plan. The position of Orange County and Carrboro staffs is that the increase that might be seen in number of dwellings is very slight and that any increase would be offset by the flexibility granted - yielding a more sensitive site design. (4) ONE-ACRE LOTS FOR EXISTING LOTS OF RECORD The Study Committee proposed to allow 2 1-acre lots for each 1987 lot of record. All three of the planning staffs agree that the allowance of all such tracts to create two one-acre lots might be damaging to the concept and function of the Rural Buffer. The staffs