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zoning ordinance. <br />Craig Benedict said that this issue was also presented at the public hearing in May. These <br />are changes to the actual ordinances that apply to all property in the County. Previously a bed and <br />breakfast was only available for historic properties. The staff and the Planning Board brought to the <br />public hearing a creation of a new section of the code, which is called "Rural Guest Establishments". It <br />has three tiers of approval -abed and breakfast with one to three guestrooms, a bed and breakfast inn <br />with four to twelve guestrooms, and a country inn with four to twenty-four guestrooms. With all of these <br />changes, it sets a stringent system of standards for these establishments. Administration is <br />recommending amendment of the ordinances to include these new categories and the new standards of <br />evaluation for the three new types of bed and breakfast facilities. <br />Commissioner Jacobs made reference to the landscape plan on page 14 where it delineates <br />the kind of plan required for a bed and breakfast and said that the explanation was intimidating and that <br />he feels there should be one sentence indicating that a simple drawing of the tree line which is required <br />would suffice. <br />In answer to a question from Commissioner Brown, Craig Benedict explained which plan <br />would have to go to the Board of Adjustment. Commissioner Brown said that she feels these plans <br />should come before the County Commissioners instead of the Board of Adjustment. She would like to <br />monitor the requests. She thinks the Board of Adjustment is sometimes a longer process. <br />Commissioner Gordon asked which zoning districts rural guest establishments are allowed. <br />Craig Benedict said that the bed and breakfasts are allowed in RB districts, AR districts, and R1 districts; <br />the bed and breakfast inns are allowed in AR districts and R1 districts but not allowed in the critical area <br />of University Lake, protected watershed of University Lake, Cane Creek critical area, or Upper Eno <br />critical area; and the country inns are allowed in the same areas as the bed and breakfast inns. <br />Commissioner Gordon agrees with Commissioner Brown's idea of having the County <br />Commissioners approve the rural guest establishments. <br />Commissioner Jacobs asked if it would suffice if we received a report on the applications that <br />have been received by the Planning Department annually. Craig Benedict said that he would do an <br />annual report for zoning permits and give reports on Class B special use permits online. <br />Commissioner Gordon made reference to the RB and asked if this was the RB in the JPA and <br />Craig Benedict said yes. She suggested adjusting the Class A Special Use Permit for the bed and <br />breakfast inn from four to twelve to four to eight. She said that twelve is a lot for a bed and breakfast. <br />County Attorney Geoffrey Gledhill suggested to not take action an allowing these bed and <br />breakfast establishments in the rural buffer until we get same reaction from the Chapel Hill Town <br />Council. The Joint Planning Agreement does require text amendments to be provided to Chapel Hill and <br />Carrboro. <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Gordon, seconded by Commissioner Brown to approve <br />the proposed amendments without the rural buffer component. In terms of the Class B special use <br />permit, the number of guestrooms in a bed and breakfast inn will be reduced to four to eight guestrooms <br />and the Class A special use permit will be for nine to twenty-four guestrooms. <br />VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br />c. Gold Mine Property -Preliminary Plan <br />The Board considered a preliminary plan far the Gold Mine property in Bingham Township. <br />This is a nine-lot subdivision off of Gold Mine Road, a state maintained dirt road. The average lot size is <br />three acres, which is over three times the minimum lot size. This is an open space flexible subdivision <br />that provides 33°~ open space. The open space is along the roadway corridor and along the perimeter <br />of same of the lots where there is a small stream. This subdivision did meet the private road justification. <br />There will be individual wells and septic systems. The recreation requirement is being fulfilled by paying <br />$455 for each lot for the district park requirement. The Planning Board approved this project and the <br />administration also recommended approval. <br />Commissioner Jacobs made reference to page six and the certificate of declaration and <br />maintenance and asked if that is for the road and Craig Benedict said yes. This declaration would be <br />enforced by the Homeowners Association. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said that there is na place in the resolution where the Homeowners <br />Association is required to maintain the road. Geoffrey Gledhill said that it was not stated because it may <br />