ORD-2003-133 Amendments to Open Space Standards for Flexible Development Subdivisions

Browse Search

BOCC Approved Ordinance 7 1 October 2003 by up to 20% of its area to provide an additional buffer. Although the expanded area might not meet any other definitions of Primary Conservation Area, it maybe considered as such, except that: a) Expansion areas may not be, in turn, expanded under this provision, b) Expansion areas may not be selected as Primary Conservation Area unless all site areas meeting any other Primary Conservation Area definition have already been selected as open space, and c) Expansion areas must be in the same natural state as the Primary Conservation Area that is being expanded. c. Secondary Conservation Areas- If there is not enough Primary Conservation Area acreage on site to meet the mandatory 33% open space requirement and if there are no off-site Primary Conservation areas proposed, then Secondary Conservation Areas shall be used to complete the 33% requirement. Secondary Conservation Areas have fewer restrictions, with regard to location, and allow more flexibility to improve overall open space design and purpose. These areas, unless specified otherwise, receive full credit toward meeting the minimum open space requirement of Flexible Developments. Access -Open space maybe chosen as a Secondary Conservation Area because of its benefit in providing open space access to residential lots in accordance with regulations listed in Section C.4. These areas shall also include desired compositional, size and shape attributes, as listed in this section. Composition -Sites chosen for Secondary Conservation Areas must have one or more of the following characteristics or uses: Woodlands, including forestland for the planting and production of trees and timber, where management practices such as selective timber harvesting and wildlife enhancement are employed. Such woodlands may consist of hardwood, pine, and/or mixed pine-hardwood forests identified as part of: 0 LANDSAT satellite data collected and analyzed under the Albemarle- . Pamlico Estuarine Study; 0 A site analysis conducted by a registered engineer, land surveyor, landscape architect, architect or land planner using aerial photographs and/or satellite imagery; 0 A required environmental assessment or environmental impact statement; and/or 0 An independent site study conducted by a trained botanist and/or forester. • Farmland, especially prime agricultural land as identified by the U.S.D.A. Soil Conservation Service in "Important Farmlands: Orange County, N.C." and which is in active use for the production of crops and/or the raising of livestock. Farmland also includes space on individual lots used for gardens, ponds, horse paddocks and barns, and similar. uses.