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� <br /> •Available, Pre-Designated Land <br /> -3 Economic Development Districts Totaling 2,450 Acres along the I-85 Corridor <br /> •Core Recommendation <br /> -Commit the county to bringing water and wastewater infrastructure to the Buckhorn and <br /> Eno EDDs <br /> -Within a timeframe that establishes confidence with developers, investors and business <br /> owners <br /> PLACES - Proximity to air and interstate transportation, proximity to a skilled work force, <br /> proximity to university R&D centers, proximity to residential and cultural amenities are highly <br /> prized assets that Orange County shares with our contiguous and regional counties, making <br /> Orange County one of many possible locations for a business to start, grow, or locate to. <br /> Moreover, Orange County is surrounded by an abundance of shovel-ready and certified sites <br /> located outside of our borders, for Orange County's EDDs to be seen on part with available sites <br /> in Alamance, Chatham, Durham, and Wake counties, Orange County must invest in bringing <br /> water and wastewater infrastructure to the Buckhorn and Eno Economic Development Districts <br /> (EDDs) within a timeframe that establishes confidence with developers, investors, and business <br /> owners. The county cannot continue to expect developers to invest in basic infrastructure when <br /> there are so many shovel-ready sites available with attractive proximities and 90 days or fewer <br /> permitting processes. <br /> Tools: <br /> Time, Expense Reduction, Predictability <br /> •Time and Predictability <br /> •Capitalize a $250,000 business recruitment and retention fund <br /> •Re-capitalize the small business loan fund with 250 000 <br /> •Identify dedicated fundinq source for recurrinq annual investments in the local economic <br /> development tool kit. <br /> •Adopt a Unified Development Ordinance <br /> •Within a timeframe that establishes confidence with developers, investors, and <br /> business owners <br /> •results in less time from application to permit approval in a time-frame that is <br /> comparable with neighboring jurisdictions <br /> Unfortunately, it takes more effort and resources to overcome a negative reputation than to build <br /> up an unknown or neutral reputation. After years of charting our own course counter to industry <br /> standards, Orange County's unwanted, but not undeserved, business-unfriendly reputation is <br /> formidable BUT it can be overcome with decisive, speedy, highly-visible, direct investment into <br /> the three things that any business requires, regardless of industry, size, or scale requirements. <br /> These three things are time, reduced expenses, and predictability. The tools that can deliver <br /> these and which are under the control of local governments are clear: consistent regulations <br /> facilitating streamlined permitting and fund allocation, small business loan funds, recruitment and <br /> retention funds for established businesses, and a long-term reliable funding source dedicated to <br />