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APPROVED 11/19/2002 MINUTES <br /> ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> AND <br /> ORANGE COUNTY PLANNING BOARD <br /> JOINT PUBLIC HEARING <br /> AUGUST 26, 2002 <br /> The Orange County Board of Commissioners and the Planning Board met in joint session on <br /> Monday, August 26, 2002 at 7:30 p.m. in the F. Gordon Battle Courtroom in Hillsborough, North Carolina. <br /> COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Barry Jacobs and Commissioners Margaret W. <br /> Brown, Moses Carey, Jr., Alice M. Gordon and Stephen H. Halkiotis <br /> COUNTY ATTORNEY PRESENT: Geoffrey Gledhill and S. Sean Borhanian <br /> COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager John M. Link, Jr., and Clerk to the Board Donna S. <br /> Baker (All other staff members will be identified appropriately below) <br /> PLANNING BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Barry Katz, Craufurd Goodwin, Ted Triebel, Rachel <br /> Preston, Howard McAdams, Jay Bryan, Maria Tadd and Renee Price <br /> PLANNING BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: Chair Nicole Gooding-Ray and Vice Chair Hunter <br /> Schofield. Jay Bryan was the substitute Vice-Chair. <br /> NOTE: ALL DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THESE MINUTES ARE IN THE PERMANENT <br /> AGENDA FILE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE. <br /> A. OPENING REMARKS FROM THE CHAIR <br /> Chair Barry Jacobs referred to all of the information in front of the Board of County <br /> Commissioners and identified the different colored paper articles — blue and orange - about Person <br /> County's moratorium on telecommunications towers. There was also a purple and a green sheet that <br /> dealt with Carrboro's annexation petition process. <br /> B. PUBLIC CHARGE <br /> The Chair dispensed with the reading of the public charge. <br /> C. PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS - <br /> Orange County Zoning Ordinance Text Amendments —Planning Board member Jay Bryan <br /> presided over this portion of the Public Hearing because the Chair and Vice-Chair were both absent. <br /> Planning Director Craig Benedict introduced item #1, which was an abridged edition of what is <br /> in the package. In March of this year the County invoked a 6-month moratorium on telecommunication <br /> towers. This moratorium expires September 6, 2002. The staff has been meeting with the industry and <br /> with stakeholders to get some ideas on the draft ordinance. Craig Benedict went over some of the new <br /> provisions. Section A has to do with new height and process restrictions. The suggestion is that class B <br /> special use permits will be those towers that are less than 150 feet. Any tower more than 150 feet will <br /> go to the Planning Board and the Board of County Commissioners. Section B is a suggestion that if <br /> someone brings in a tower with four potential sites or users, then they can go through the older process <br /> of 200 feet and below being a class B special use permit. This is a special incentive for co-location. <br /> Section C is a yearly Pre-Application conference that would occur in December or January of <br /> each year. This would be an open meeting where industry providers would be invited to discuss the <br /> intent to locate new towers within the County for the year. This might encourage co-location. The staff is <br /> suggesting a twice a year submittal of tower applications. The Board of Adjustment is concerned about <br /> having three towers to consider at one meeting. This is still under consideration. <br /> Section D is higher technical standards and a new fee structure, which will help the County <br /> bring on consultants to assist in the application process. <br />