Agenda - 04-05-2011 - 7a - Laserfiche WebLink

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88 i 3 4 5 7 9 tg ~1 12 13 ~4 ~5 ~~ ~7 1g t9 Z4 21 ZZ 23 24 ~5 2~ 27 Z~ 29 3g 3~ 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 4Z 43 44 45 45 47 ~ ~~i~ 9 approach to the UDC to be sauna and believe that the implementation of Conditional Districts is a significant improvement in the ordinance, l particularly appreciate the ability fio limit usAs and specify conditions. !also belie~~e that it wil[ Delp ~!s take an important step forward in our efforts to improve economic development in the Economic Development Districts, commercial zones and highway corridors. However, ! do have a concern about how the Conditional Zoning Districts relate specifically to the rural community. 4 I determined that the language that identified specific requirements for appropriate planned development, from Article ~ of the existing ordinance, has been eliminated in the UDC. This language explained hove things like industrial or commercial development should be placed near transportation corridors and public utility services, [t is this language that clarified hove the Economic Development Districts differ in character and purpose from the rural areas. Unfortunately, those distinctions have now been cost with the elimination afithese important elements. also determined that most categories of planned development have been combined into a single Conditional District called Faster Pian Development or MPD-CZ. Five different Planned Development districts including Industrial, commercial, residential, mixed use, and officelinstitutional have been combined into this single district. It allows virtually any use, including light,. medium and heavy industrial. In ghat I believe to be an administrative oversight, many pages of specifiic requirements for these five planned development types were not incorporated into the UDa in any way. In fact, close to ~5 pages of specific requirements were left out and this deletion was not visible as a change. In contrast, Planned Development for Mobile Home Parks was given its own conditional district ~MHP-CZ} and ~ o pages of specific standards were included. T he consolidation of multiple districts into MPD-CZ has created a single "one size fits all" solution that doesnrt adequately serve the rural community. ® And finally, the requirement for a especial use permit has been removed, before the needs of the rural community have been reflected in the definition of the Conditional Zoning Districts. .. 4f course, each rezoning decision will depend on the preferences ofi the sitting board -- and we appreciate that this board is generally committed to implementing the comprehensive plan and protecting rural character ~ But as we've (earned by watching the Chatham County Commissioners, every election cycle can bring major shifts in composition and our zoning ordinances are meant to smooth out these political changes. MPDMCZ offers maximum flexibility for the EDDs which we strongly support, but it can be misapplied in the rural areas where anyone can seek a rezoning on a parcel as small as 5 acres for a use that's incompatible with' the surrounding area, we don't have water, sewer, telecommunications orother infrastructures necessary to support many ofi these uses, So, MPD-CZ, as currently defined, does not reflect the realities of the rural community. To fix the situation, we ask that that you consider the fallowing changes to the Conditional Zoning Districts; Most importantly, we ask that you restrict MPD-CZ to the Economic Development Districts, commercial zones and highway corridors just like Chapel Hill has done.