Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
The next step will be meeting with the Board of County Commissioners next week to discuss <br />some of the recommendations from the outreach. There may be opportunity next year to meet <br />with the joint planning area partners to talk about the rural buffer. <br />Regarding the Transfer of Development Rights issue, this is a renewed effort and the Board of <br />County Commissioners has authorized staff to hire a consultant to do a feasibility study on <br />whether Transfer of Development Rights can work in the County. Development rights would be <br />transferred from farming, rural, or environmentally sensitive areas to urban areas that have <br />adequate public services. <br />Commissioner Gordon said that as the comprehensive plan goes forward, the philosophy <br />behind it is to keep the rural areas rural and that the growth will be absorbed in the existing <br />municipal or transition areas. This theme would be echoed with the transfer of development <br />rights. <br />Bill Strom asked about testing the performance of the rural buffer and if there were <br />recommendations. Craig Benedict said that the staff recommendation is that the University <br />Lake part of the rural buffer has appropriate zoning at this time. The northern section of the <br />rural buffer does not have the same water quality issues. They are suggesting athree-acre <br />density, which is a two-acre minimum lot size plus one acre of open space. <br />Chair Jacobs made reference to the northern rural buffer and said that on October 14t", Duke is <br />going to designate more than 1,000 acres of Duke Forest as permanently part of the state's <br />Natural Heritage Program. This is a start to permanently anchoring the rural buffer. <br />Chair Jacobs said that on October 4t" at 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., there would be two open <br />houses to talk about the Twin Creeks Park possibilities. The meetings will be at the Homestead <br />Center. He invited everyone to attend. <br />6. Potential Reports (limited or na presentations) <br />a. Unfunded Mandates (Orange County) <br />Chair Jacobs made reference to the list of unfunded mandates, which is more than $600,000. <br />This is a loss of two-thirds of a cent in County tax monies. This does not include class size <br />reduction. <br />b. School Resource Officers (Orange County) <br />DEFERRED <br />c. Jordan Lake Stakeholder Project (Orange County) <br />DEFERRED <br />The meeting was adjourned at 9:40 p.m. <br />Barry Jacobs, Chair <br />Donna S. Baker <br />