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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />WORK SESSION <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: August 19, 2003 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. <br />SUBJECT: Growth Management System - Amendments to Zoning Ordinance and <br />Subdivision Regulations <br />DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) NO <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Outline, Growth Management System <br />Table, Growth Management System <br />Map, Growth Management System <br />Standards, Growth Management <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Craig Benedict, Planning Director, ext 2592 <br />Geoff Gledhill, County Attorney, 732 -2196 <br />John Link, County Manager, ext 2300 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough 732 -8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968 -4501 <br />Durham 688 -7331 <br />Mebane 336- 227 -2031 <br />PURPOSE: To review prior to hearing citizen and public comments regarding the proposed <br />Growth Management Amendments to the Zoning Ordinance and the Subdivision Regulations. <br />The proposal would require major subdivisions of property to follow either the current process, a <br />Planned Development process or a Class A Special Use Permit process depending upon the <br />location and number of lots. These Growth Management Amendments were discussed at the <br />August 6, 2003 Planning Board Meeting. <br />BACKGROUND: On May 6, 2002, the Orange County Planning Board forwarded a letter to the <br />Board of County Commissioners regarding the need for additional growth controls in large <br />residential developments. During a joint BOCC /Planning Board meeting on June 6, 2002, there <br />was additional discussion of some of the challenges of large developments. On June 18th, the <br />BOCC passed a resolution requesting that relevant issues and possible actions be researched <br />prior to further deliberation. A brief discussion at the August 29, 2002 work session laid the <br />groundwork for the September 3, 2002 BOCC meeting where an issues report was presented <br />by the Planning Director, County Manager and County Attorney. A copy of that report is <br />attached. After the presentation, the Board directed the Administration to prepare a Special <br />Use Permit approval process for large -scale residential development projects. These <br />amendments are the result of that directive. <br />The discussion of managing growth and development led to two primary issues; What was the <br />scale of the project? (i.e. how many lots), and Where is the project being proposed? These <br />facets of proposals recognize that certain areas are more conducive to growth (i.e. where public <br />services are efficiently provided in an urban or urbanizing setting) and other more rural areas <br />