Minutes 08-27-2012 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

Commissioner Jacobs: So, it would just be easier for me, and probably for others. To the point though, and Ms. Benson made it as well, and staff made it on page 5 in the next to the last paragraph. When we adopted the Joint Planning Agreement, and there were many objections from property owners in the rural buffer about the restriction on their property, one of the things we discussed is we would revisit the two-acre minimum. Over time, the two-acre minimum produces exactly what Ms. Benson said,just a two-acre parcel property, unless the land can't perk. Staff inentions that you're going to be working on something that actually looks at creating a true flexible development option for lots in the rural buffer area as to a subdivision in a band around Chapel Hill and Carrboro. I would hope that we see that in the near future as opposed to the distant future. The other thing has to do with what all the neighbors were talking about, which is groundwater. I don't remember the name of the subdivision, it was probably about five years ago, the one on Arthur Minnis Road, where it goes from pavement to dirt. The neighbors were very concerned about the effect of the subdivision on their groundwater, on their wells. One of our responses was to hire a staff person full-time to study groundwater in Orange County. And here we are, I don't see that we've made any progress in providing any report or methodology for reviewing development impacts on well usage, maybe there is no update to provide. Maybe that's the answer. We do have places where we have policies in place if there are impacts from a commercial use or from something we did. I just don't think we have adequately addressed the concerns that people in rural areas have about subdivisions that go in next to them in a time when water is becoming more scarce. Basically, I feel like I sit up here and I listen and I empathize, but I'm not sure we're doing anything to help people. I would hope that we can do something a little more proactive, whatever it may be. Commissioner Gordon: I am not anxious to revisit the rural buffer. I think we've done reasonably well in the rural buffer. There are a lot of other things that I think take priority. Maybe we'll eventually get to reconsidering it, and I think it's worked well and I don't think we should rush to reevaluate it. Chair Pelissier: There is one item in the covenant that I forgot to express my concern. I'm not sure I support the square foot size of the house of 3,000 square feet. I know it's a boilerplate, but I don't know if that's the intention here. I'd also like to just say something to what Commissioner Jacobs had said about water. I was on the Commission for the Environment some years ago when we did have a geophysicist on the board who had actually done studies in Orange County. And one of the lessons I learned from him was, as one of the presenters said tonight, that there are little pockets and this fractured rock. He said that the most important thing to do and that some counties do it is to zone your land according to the recharge rate for that area. There is a study that tells us about the water recharge rate, and that is something that can give you guidance. That would require looking at zoning according to the water for that area of the county. I don't know if we're ready to go there, but that's what was mentioned. We need to assure citizens that they have water for the development there. Commissioner McKee: In response to the last comment, I want to make sure that we're very careful that we don't micromanage ourselves into a taking of property. Chair Pelissier: I'd like to entertain a motion to "refer the matter to the Planning Board with a request that a recommendation be returned in time for the November 20, 2012 BOCC regular meeting, and Adjourn the public hearing until November 20, 2012 in order to receive the Planning Board's recommendation and any submitted written comments." A motion was made by Commissioner Hemminger, seconded by Commissioner McKee to