Minutes - 19990222 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

regarding the Environmental Impact Assessment for Lawrence Park. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has indicated a Finding of "No Significant Impact" provided four concerns were addressed. Those concerns involved erosion control, stormwater management, minimum 25' riparian buffer along small streams or wetlands and coordinating unavoidable impacts to any wetlands or streams with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Orange County EMS estimates that the county will have to hire one full time position to serve the proposed development. The Orange County board of Education stated that when the proposed subdivision is developed, children in the subdivision would be assigned to Cameron Park Elementary School and C. W. Stanford Middle School. Both of those schools are at, or over capacity, with little room for expansion. Included in the agenda packet was a copy of the Traffic Impact Study prepared by Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., in February 1998, and a follow-up letter regarding an addendum to the Traffic Impact Study, dated June 23, 1998. On February 5, 1999, staff forwarded to the John R. MCAdams Company the portion of the draft minutes from the November 23, 1998 public hearing outlining the requests for more information. No information was received in the Planning Department in response to those requests. Chair Gordon asked about the legality of holding the hearing open in order to receive certain information from the applicant which has been requested but not yet received. Planner Lincoln indicated that evidence must be presented at the public hearing and the presenter must be available for cross-examination. QUESTIONS AND/OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS: None QUESTIONS AND/OR COMMENTS FROM THE PLANNING BOARD: Planning Board Chair Barrows referred to the letters from DOT District Engineer Tommy Dyer dated August 8, 1998 and November 18, 1998. She asked if he had an opportunity to look at the study that the applicant submitted. Ms. Lincoln indicated that Mr. Dyer had not communicated with the Planning Department since the November 18, 1998 letter. She indicated that Mr. Dyer agreed with most of what the applicant had proposed with several minor exceptions. One of the issues was that DOT does not maintain bus shelters. The developer said that they would provide bus shelters but they would not be responsible for maintaining them. PRESENTATION BY THE APPLICANT: Roger Perry, a partner with East West Partners Management Company and a co-applicant with the owner of the property, asked that the applications be considered from two perspectives. First, he asked if the Board of County Commissioners believed in the Comprehensive Plan. He commented that this project is a mirror image of what is described for this area in the Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan identifies this as a transition area appropriate for development of smaller, single family homes upon the availability of public sanitary sewer and water. The developers intend to bring sanitary sewer and water to this site. The Zoning Ordinance defines transition land as land located in areas that are in the process of changing from rural to urban, and are suitable for urban-type densities including the provision of public utilities and services within the second ten year phase of the plan. The Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 1981 so we are 17 112 years into the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan. What is being proposed for this development is very consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. Secondly, he asked the Commissioners to make a decision about how they believe the County should grow, and whether or not it is better to put more people on less land or less people on more land. He stated that putting less people on more land has been the growth and development pattern in Orange County. There has been a very strong effort by this Board of County Commissioners to establish and protect rural buffers throughout the County. What we have had in Orange County is a patchwork development of Q:119990221d.c