ORD-2000-143 Stream Buffer Zoning Ordinance Amendments

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^ ' 2 16 ' i with a recommendation back to the Commissioners no earlier than October 3rd. The Ordinance 2 Review Committee will also review these amendments. 3 Commissioner Gordon made reference bo the statement on page four, Section 7, 4 "Usable lots for parcels between 40,000 square feet and 1.99 acres in size shall be either 30,000 5 square feet or 40%of the total zoning lot,whichever is greater. Zoning lots two acres and greater 0 shall have a minimum usable lot area ofet least 4O.00O square haet." She asked if some kind of 7 usable lot area could bm settled on and required for everybody instead cf stepping itup. Robert 8 Davis said that the 40%was adde'd because there was quite a gap between 40,000 and two acres. 9 Commissioner Gordon said that her point was that the amount of square footage should lO be justified. Her question ia why more should Ue added to the justified amount. I Craig Benedict said that 30.OD0 square feet was the definite minimum because it would l% accommodate the house site, driveway, septic area, and repair area with a margin for some | � 13 accessory structures. With zoning lots of two acres or more,the people who are going to have a 14 two-acre lot would most likely have other accessory structures that would need additional usable 15 area. He agrees that the 4096 is not critical on the smaller lot size. 10 Commissioner Jacobs suggested that it would nice boinclude an illustration onthe 17 definition mfm steep slope. He asked about Section one and the Usable Lot. Ha asked about l& conservation easements. Craig Benedict said that they were definitely not trying bodiscourage ig conservation, but that stream buffers or conservatio6 easements should not be included in the 2O accomplishment of the minimum lot size. 31 Rachel Preston asked if there was any verbiage on what a homeowner could do to 22 streams and vegetation. Craig Benedict said that it was handled by the Erosion Control and 23 Sedimentation Ordinance,which says that natural water courses are not supposed to be diverted. 24 There io encroachment to some degree but changing woteroournes\o |bnitedintbamajority of 25 ueaea. If there is any disturbance of this nature,there has to be some kind of mitigation. 26 Commissioner Brown asked if this establishes a3O-foot buffer and Craig Benedict said 27 that it did establish s3O-fomt buffer in areas that are not part ofthe protected watershed. 28 Bob Strmyhomm and Runyon Woods mfthe Planning Board made comments, but 29 they were not speaking into the microphone,so8could not hear them. 30 31 PUBLIC COMMENT 32 Mr. Joe Phelps said that he did not know that his subdivision request would cause so 33 much work and sP many drastic changes inthe rules and regulations ofthe Zoning Ordinance. He 34 feels that the changes in the rules and regulations are very drastic. He feels that most ofthese 35 amendments are not necessary. He questioned why the County Commissioners would want toput 36 stream buffers on areas that are in the non-protected watershed. He supports affordable housing 37 and thinks that with these new rules on development, no one could afford to buy land in Orange 38 County. His main concern is what is being taken away from present landowners with regard to the 39 3396of required open space with nocompensation. He said that these new regulations would 40 greatly reduce the number of people that would ba coming into Orange County|n the next 30 41 years. 42 Scott Radway had some questions on what was meant bvthe proposals. 43 SectionmI -UsabUe Lot Area-steep slopes(ie.. greater than 1S%). He prefers a25Y6 44 grade. . 45 Wildlife Corridors-as identified by whom, when,where, and for what purpose 46 Section 2~Stream Buffer-who identifies the floudp|aina 47 Minimum buffers that are not in protected watersheds-why 30 feet and not more 48 Section 6-Minimum Usable Lot Areas-should say minimum usable lot area for lots 49 that utilize ground absorption 50 30,000 or 40,00@ square feet lot'much easier to say 30.00Oor4O,DOO and not 4096 51 � 52 Bobby Nichols said that ha has stream buffers on his land that he is concerned about. 53 He made reference bn page three, section two, which . ^nmuotnammain undisturbed in �enatural 54 etate.^ and asked for ade�ndUmn. Craig ReMadi` �' idthmtifn#nmeonmowned |andthotm/aom/ithin - -