ORD-2000-020 Text Amendments to Subdivision Requlations and Zoning Ordinance

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i1 Board of Adjustment meetings that they do not know about. Davis said that this meant the next time the Board of Adjustment is supposed to meet,not when they actually do meet. Davis said the recommendation would be required to go the Commissioners within two meetings,which is roughly 60 days. The item is to be heard by the Board of County Commissioners within 90 days,and then there are no time limits for approval or denial by the BOCC. This recommendation is going to the BOCC. The Commissioners can put parameters around their time periods. Benedict asked Davis if he had researched other jurisdictions to find out their time limits on subdivisions. Davis responded that there are no time limitations on subdivisions in Raleigh. In High Point,if a text amendment is not heard, it is denied. There are two meeting time limits in Forsyth County. Gooding-Ray asked for an explanation for the changes in procedures. Benedict said there are a variety of code provisions for when development proposals have to be acted upon. In the current ordinance,there is a provision that says if the Planning Board does not act on something within their time limit,there is an approval without any conditions. The Commissioners feel uncomfortable with a rush to judgement on deciding on development applications. In the goal-setting sessions,the Commissioners asked the Planning staff to look at the time limits to see if there could be more time for a decision. Strayhorn said that he is pleasantly surprised to see this proposal, and he thinks it is much more acceptable. He asked if this proposal would go to the Commissioners or would there have to be another public hearing. Benedict responded that this proposal would go to the Commissioners after the Planning Board's recommendation. At the public hearing,the proposal had no time constraints. This proposal is within the parameters of the discussion at the public hearing. Srayhorn said that what was heard at the public hearing was changes in the process of th e ordinance,which were very unpopular. He feels the staff has addressed those problems. He stated that he still believes no changes are necessary. He said that it seems like this is just another set of changes that the involved staff would have to look at again. Benedict responded that any recommendations that come out of this Board tonight would be sent out to approximately 30 developers and developer agents that have participated in the public hearing process. There has been one informational meeting with the agents of surveyor firms and developer agents. Gooding-Ray asked if the meeting was deferred by the staff,does the Planning Board still have two meetings to decide. Benedict responded that the Planning Board would still have two meetings. Chair Barrows made reference to page 67,in the"Accept/Reject by"column,and said that if applicants come in and have deficiencies in what they are presenting,then the staff would look at that and tell them what else they need to do. If there were no deficiencies the applicant can come to the January 5`h meeting and be heard,regardless of what goes on in the steps down below. She asked for clarification about this. Davis responded that it had to be worded a different way. If the Planning Board decides to hear it on January 5`s,they will;if not,then it would be deferred for one month. Woods said that in this scenario the developer would have to go with the one-month deferral because the developer can not give the staff everything they ask for within the five or six days. Davis responded that the plus side of this scenario is that rather than take a chance of losing a month once they are in the process,developers will discuss the projects with staff prior to submission of an application. Chair Barrows asked if,with this scenario,someone came in for an"accept/reject"at the end of November,and the Planning staff put them off one meeting,would they be put off until February 2"d,which is a little over 60 days. She asked what the scenario is now,without the revisions. Davis responded that now it is only put off 30 days. Based on the filing,they are really only adding about two weeks extra to the submittal. Benedict said that part of the process here is that there has been a lot of disagreement between the applications that have come in and staff recommendations. Accordingly,there is a lot of discussion at the Planning Board and a lot of discussion at the Board of County Commissioners meeting. He hopes that the dialogue would start earlier so that they are not so far apart when they get to this meeting.