Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
Tracy Parrott: It is fully the intent in setting up or identifying these conversion factors to <br /> establish a process by which specific land uses can be identified for the site and the <br /> conversions be determined for them such that the overall development and makeup of <br /> Buckhorn Village will stay consistent with the accesses that are being considered for the site <br /> that you will see in the transportation section. A traffic impact analysis has been performed with <br /> those land uses. So, by having the conversion factors, it allows for potential changes in land <br /> use to keep the development consistent with the analysis that's been done on the traffic side. <br /> Mr. Hutchins then introduced Scott Murray, who presented on the landscape, signage, and <br /> general design of the project. <br /> Scott Murray: I have been sworn. My role in the Buckhorn development is that of landscape <br /> architect. I've been practicing landscape architecture for 22 years in the state of North Carolina. <br /> I'm also accredited by the U. S. Green Building Council. I've been asked to speak with you on <br /> the open space, buffer plan, and landscape standards proposed for Buckhorn Village. The area <br /> that comprises Buckhorn Village is identified in the EDD district as primary development area <br /> with a maximum of 70% impervious surface. That is to say that the remaining 30% would either <br /> be landscape buffers, open space, and other landscape features or islands. While merely a <br /> third of this area is in the perimeter buffers identified in the landscape plan on the wall, the <br /> remaining two-thirds would be in various landscape areas throughout the site, and it is <br /> anticipated that it would be generally pretty evenly distributed among the three districts. The <br /> landscape and buffer plan standards included in the PD text illustrates the buffer areas as well <br /> as the NTC buffer along Interstate 85. It is proposed that the buffer along Interstate 85, which is <br /> 100 feet in width, would be subject to one of our alternate design solutions that are proposed <br /> here. We are proposing up to 60% of a vegetated area would be allowed to be cleared to <br /> accommodate the stormwater pond facility that is anticipated for that area. If you notice on the <br /> site, the actual grade falls right along the boundary line between the Interstate property and the <br /> site. This pond is designed for water quality, infiltration, and also for retention for irrigation <br /> needs. Both aquatic vegetation as well as specimen trees and other types of landscaping that <br /> is conducive to that type of facility are proposed in that area. This is an important component of <br /> our stormwater quality program for Buckhorn Village. <br /> The plan on the wall also illustrates the various landscape standards that have been <br /> developed to respond to design issues that are unique to the proposed development. <br /> Specifically, the entrance drives, parking lot landscaping, building perimeter landscaping, <br /> screen-in and service areas, and landscaping for streets along shop-front areas are proposed <br /> and are detailed. <br /> These landscape standards, along with the proposed maximum floor areas and <br /> building heights, are planned as an alternate design solution to the intensity standards that are <br /> identified in the EDD Design Manual. The existing intensity standards include the building <br /> volume ratio (BVR), the landscape volume ratio (LVR), and also the site volume ratio (SVR). <br /> While those are more exacting in their measurement of development bulk, they do not easily <br /> lend themselves to measuring development intensity in this stage of master planning, mainly <br /> because we don't have the specific locations —dumpsters, building heights, parking lot layouts, <br /> things of that nature. These standards are not easily understood in marketplace, primarily <br /> because of the complexity of the mathematics that it takes to quantify all of the various ratios. <br /> Most importantly, the existing intensity standards do not ensure a more attractive, necessarily <br /> more sustainable development. For these reasons, our alternate design solution proposed <br /> establishes the maximum floor area for Buckhorn Village of 23 and a maximum building height <br /> of six stories. These measures of intensity represent a common language in the marketplace. <br /> The following four slides represent various development patterns. Once specific tenants <br /> are decided upon and their specific needs emerge, these four development patterns will be <br />