PH ORD-1997-003 Zoning Ordinance Text Amendments - Golf Course Standards

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AMERICAN SOCIETY OF GOLF COURSE ARCHITECTS 221 NORTH LA SALLE STREET CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60601 312-372-7090 January 22, 1997 Ms. Emily Cameron ASLA, Planner II/Landscape Architect Orange County Planning Department 306F Revere Road Hillsborough, NC 27278 Dear Ms. Cameron: Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the proposed amendments to the Orange County Zoning Ordinance and its inclusion of standards for golf courses in the county. We have forwarded the document to four ASGCA members in North Carolina-- Dan Maples, Tom Fazio, Michael Gleason, and Tom Marzolf-- who may have comments in addition to what follows. In some respects, this ordinance codifies existing ordinances and tries to adapt them to golf courses...in some cases being more stringent, and other cases being more relaxed. Each site should be evaluated on its own criteria by a qualified golf course architect. The committee is therefore wise to remove standardized acreage as required in the ordinance, and a review process of each design is more practical than setting specific standards. There are a few points where we have particular concern: 1. The document seems to build on the premise that golf courses present a special environmental chdilenge not associated with other developments. Actually, golf courses that are designed,constructed and maintained properly provide many environmental benefits. So the premise might be better understood as providing environmental opportunities, rather than challenges. 2. We must take exception to the phrase in the background section that reads, "...but to prevent degradation of the environment from golf course developments proposed in the future." Again, that wording implies that golf courses are harmful, which they are not.