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3 44 <br /> The Town of Hillsborough has given preliminary, conceptual approval of <br /> the extension of water service. A commitment to provide water cannot be <br /> obtained prior to consideration of a specific development project, and a <br /> specific development project cannot be submitted for consideration until <br /> after the comprehensive plan amendment is approved. Hillsborough has <br /> also indicated that water quality in the 6"water line serving Mars Hill <br /> Baptist Church would be improved with extension of the system, since the <br /> size of the line would be increased, and the system would be looped, <br /> eliminating stagnant water at the end of the water line. At this time Civil <br /> Consultants, Inc., an engineering firm, is designing water and sewer <br /> services to serve this site. These plans are subject to State and Town <br /> approval. These plans will be used to finalize the water and sewer <br /> extension agreements. <br /> The applicant intends to develop the property at an overall residential <br /> density of not more than two units per acres, providing a transition <br /> between the lower densities in the adjacent area in the Agricultural <br /> Residential Land Use Plan designation to the north and the more urban <br /> area of Hillsborough to the south. Ten-Year Transition area is the only <br /> Land Use Plan designation which will allow a density greater than one <br /> unit per acre. <br /> c) Agriculture and Forestry <br /> Staff states that large-scale development of the property could have a <br /> detrimental impact on the Phelps Farm, located along a portion of the <br /> eastern border of the northern portion of the Apex Northwest parcel. <br /> Applicant's Response <br /> Development of the property could include additional buffering along the <br /> common property boundary to minimize any conflicts between the two <br /> uses. Although none of the surrounding farms are currently participating <br /> in the Voluntary Agriculture District program, the Orange County <br /> Farmland Preservation Ordinance requires that all potential buyers within <br /> 1 mile of a working farm be advised of the farm's presence. This portion <br /> of the Farmland Preservation Ordinance was adopted to protect farmland <br /> while recognizing the potential for surrounding land to be developed. <br /> d) Population Density <br /> The staff states that the population density of the census tract block group <br /> containing the property is only 67 persons per square mile, compared to <br /> 406 persons per square mile for an adjacent tract which contains most of <br /> the town of Hillsborough. By contrast, the overall Township density is 430 <br /> persons per square mile. <br /> Applicant's Response <br /> The population density criterion in the Comprehensive Plan states that <br />