Agenda - 10-21-1997 - 11c - Laserfiche WebLink

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18 The Orange County Water and Sewer Policy governs the extension of water and sewer lines into areas of County planning jurisdiction. Particularly relevant to the question at hand are the following excerpts from Goal 3, Section B.3 of the policy: Outside of Transition Areas, extension of water or sewer systems will only occur to provide service to an essential public facility, such as a school, or to remedy a public health emergency not otherwise correctable, such as a failing septic tank or failing package treatment plant. Generally, system extensions into areas outside of Transition Areas shall be sized according to the policies of the utility providing the water or sewer service. However, system extensions into and within the Rural Buffer and Water Quality Critical Areas shall be sized to address only the concern for which the systems are extended. The role of the Orange County Water and Sewer Policy in this matter is recognized in the Joint Planning Area Land Use Plan. Based on the facts as known, extension of water and sewer lines into the Rural Buffer along Millhouse Road is inconsistent with the Orange County Water and Sewer Policy on both points: no essential public facility is involved and no public health emergency is involved. Assuming a desire on the part of Joint Planning local governments to extend water and sewer to properties in the Rural Buffer along Millhouse Road, Manor Drive, Manor Court, and Blackwood Mountain Road,three possibilities emerge: establish clear findings and statements regarding public health and safety so that the general policies of the Joint Planning Agreement and Joint Planning Area Land Use Plan are not violated; amend the Orange County Water and Sewer Policy; or amend the Joint Planning Agreement and Joint Planning Area Land Use Plan and Map to take the subject area out of the Rural Buffer. Because of the potential for countywide implications, amending the Water and Sewer Policy is not recommended. If the area is taken out of the Rural Buffer,an option would be to create a new Transition category similar to Carrboro Transition Area II. Such a category could be the same as Carrboro Transition II in that densities could be limited to one unit per acre until such time as development in the main transition area reached 75%; or it could be limited to one unit per acre indefinitely and thus provide a gradation between higher urban densities to the south and lower Rural Buffer densities to the north.