Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
A� U 7 <br /> INSTITUTE Of G0VERN1\lENT <br /> January 25, 1997 <br /> Ms. Emily C. Cameron, ASLA <br /> Planner II <br /> Orange County Planning Department <br /> 306 F Revere Road <br /> Hillsborough, NC 27278 <br /> Dear Emily: <br /> In your memo of December 31, 1996, you invited my comments on the proposed amendments <br /> to the Orange County Zoning Ordinance as it concerns golf courses. It appears that the Golf <br /> CART includes a number of individuals with special expertise that can be brought to bear on <br /> this matter and that the work you are doing can break fresh ground and become useful in <br /> planning in jurisdictions all around the state. My only general concern is that the regulations <br /> that you may end up with become too involved, or at least more involved than those that <br /> apply to other important land uses in the county. Make sure that you place the review of golf <br /> courses in a proper context. <br /> Another issue that your committee may wish to address is how a golf course fits into a <br /> planned residential development(or any planned development for that matter). One of the <br /> issues here is whether a golf course should qualify as "open space" for purposes of the <br /> ordinance. Some ordinances limit the extent to which the land in a golf course can count as <br /> required open space; many others fail to clarify whether it does or does not. A related issue is <br /> whether the open space must be or may be private. If the open space is intended to be for the <br /> benefit of the residents of the development, then the question arises as to whether a golf <br /> course must be available only to residents and their guests or whether it may be open to the <br /> general public. One issue that recently arose with respect to a development near Charlotte <br /> was whether the developers could qualify their golf course as required open space if they <br /> provided_pr€ferential tee times and discount greens fees to residents to make up for the fact <br /> that the golf course was being operated as a commercial venture. I mention these issues <br /> simply because you may want to address them in your work so as to eliminate any confusion. <br /> Congratulations on the good work you have done so far. Let me know if I can be of any help. <br /> r—shpcerely, <br /> \N;�,T),� <br /> chard D. Ducker <br /> Assistant Director <br /> The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill <br /> CB#3330 Knapp Building.Chapel Hill,NC 27599-3330 <br /> 919 q66-1181 .919 96?-nAi-L iF-1 <br />