Agenda - 03-04-1998 - 10a - Laserfiche WebLink

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9 ATTACHMENT 5 38 JOINT PLANNING PROCESS The Joint Planning Agreement was adopted by the Chapel Hill Town Council and the Orange County Board of Commissioners on October 13, 1986. In November, 1987, the Town of Carrboro joined Chapel Hill and the County as a party to the Joint Planning Agreement. The Agreement sets a framework for collaborative management of development in areas outside but near the corporate limits of Chapel Hill and Carrboro. A Joint Planning Area Land Use Plan was adopted by the three governing boards in 1986 and 1987. A key concept of the Joint Planning Agreement and Land Use Plan is establishment of Urban Services Areas: those areas either inside corporate limits or expected to be annexed in the future. Transition Areas are those outside the existing corporate limits of Chapel Hill and Carrboro now, but expected at some time in the future to be annexed by one of the two municipalities. Beyond the Urban Services Areas is a Rural Buffer, wherein it is expected that annexation will not occur at any time. All amendments to the Joint Planning Area Land Use Plan (both in Transition Areas and in the Rural Buffer) need to be agreed to by all three parties - - County, Chapel Hill, and Carrboro. For zoning changes, the Agreement is set up such that the County unilaterally makes zoning decisions in the Rural Buffer. In the Transition Areas, zoning decisions are two -party decisions: on the Chapel Hill side of a jointly agreed -upon Chapel Hill - Carrboro boundary, the County and the Town of Chapel Hill jointly agree on zoning actions. (Same set -up with Carrboro on the Carrboro side of the line). Administration of regulations (eg., evaluating, approving, and issuing permits) is done unilaterally throughout the Joint Planning Area: by the County for the Rural Buffer, by Chapel Hill for the Chapel Hill Transition Area, and by Carrboro for the Carrboro Transition Area. Joint Public Hearings are normally scheduled two times per year: once in April, and again in October. Applications or proposals needing approval through the Joint Planning process are submitted to the County, and final agendas for Joint Planning Public Hearings are set by the County Commissioners when they approve publication of required legal notices.